Chasing the Aurora in Oregon with My Faithful Trail Dog
A Late-Night Adventure with My Red Heeler and the Northern Lights
Last Saturday night, my wife Darlene was keeping tabs on the aurora forecast through an app she uses, and around 10 p.m., she called out: “It’s popping!” That’s all it took. I grabbed my warm layers, camera gear, and my trail partner Hazel, and we loaded into the Ranger pickup to head toward Mount Hood.
Searching for Clear Skies
Our first stop was Government Camp, but it was completely socked in. Same at Trillium Lake. Hoping for better skies, I turned east and headed for the White River area. Sure enough, as we arrived, the clouds parted—and I could see the aurora dancing faintly over the ridgelines.
Hazel and I made our way down to the river.
It was a big adventure for such a little dog, especially navigating uneven terrain and fast-moving water in total darkness. We found a rocky sandbar that offered a promising composition. Hazel hesitated at first but crossed the stream beside me and stuck close the entire time—loyal and alert.
Photographing the Aurora at 45° North
Though I missed the peak of the display while driving, the sky was still painted in beautiful hues of pink, purple, and golden yellow—more than enough to make the trip worthwhile.
The aurora that night reached a Kp 6, unusually strong for our latitude here in northern Oregon. It reminded me of chasing similar light during the last solar maximum, but each time feels like the first.
Camera Settings & Post-Processing Notes
Here are some of the settings I used for the night’s images:
- GAR_4078-2 – 13 sec, f/2.8, ISO 12800
- GAR_4101-2 – 20 sec, f/3.2, ISO 12800
- GAR_4107-2 – 20 sec, f/3.5, ISO 12800
I shot in a Neutral picture profile to retain maximum dynamic range. Back in the studio, I processed the RAW files in Lightroom, using a sky mask to isolate the sky for exposure and white balance adjustments. I duplicated and inverted the mask to fine-tune the foreground separately.
A subtle Curves adjustment helped refine tonality, and I ran the files through Topaz Denoise to handle the high ISO. Then I moved to Photoshop for final touches, including a slight Orton effect to soften the glow and enhance the dreamlike feel of the scene.
Hazel, Still and Steady
Hazel never moved from my side while I worked. The wind, the river, the strange clicking of the camera—none of it spooked her. I’m convinced she knew we were witnessing something special.
Even after all these years of night photography around Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge, the thrill of seeing the aurora never fades. Especially with Hazel by my side and the mountain lit in celestial light.
