In Search Of The Northern Lights

By Sharon Ritter, The Hive Overland Park Member

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NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) announced that the sun has entered its solar maximum period which could continue for another year, through 2025. Armed with this knowledge, our family planned a visit to the Arctic circle in Northern Finland. Needing to be away from light pollution, we settled on Aurora Village in Ivalo, where glass roofed cabins provide a cozy all-night viewing opportunity far from any large city. Upon arrival, we downloaded an Aurora app that would alert us any time the northern lights were visible.

While our hope was for a mesmerizing light show, we also wanted some outdoor adventure. Aurora Village offers both. First off, reindeer feeding. Drawn by the luscious aroma of lichen, these young reindeer ate right from our hands. We were offered the opportunity to choose which one to eat for dinner, but we declined. There are millions of reindeer in Lapland, providing a source of food and material for handicrafts. You'll notice that these young reindeer don't have the impressive rack that they'll grow when they reach about 3 years of age.

Our next adventure was dog sledding, pulled through snowy forest trails by teams of energetic huskies. One thing was certain, these dogs LOVE this activity. Unlike a horse drawn ride, these dogs needed no encouragement for the entire 10 kilometer trek. The dogs were very friendly. After our ride, we warmed by a fire with hot tea and snuggly, 3-month-old puppies.

Our next activity was a reindeer sleigh ride through the snowy landscapes of Finnish Lapland, guided by majestic reindeer. Fun fact. The reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh were most likely female. While both male and female do grow antlers, females keep theirs into the winter months, long after males have dropped theirs.

One of the most iconic activities in Finland is the sauna. There are over 2 million saunas in this small country of 5.5 million people. Aurora Village had two options for sauna. We chose the riverside wood-fired sauna, complete with a hole in the ice for a frosty dip. My daughter and her husband braved the cold water, but my husband and I declined.

Our four days in Finland flew by. Did we see the northern lights? Yes, we did. The trusty aurora app alerted us numerous times each night. Our best sighting was the very last night at about 1:00 am. My daughters and I spent an hour in the snowy, arctic weather looking for the best place to plant our tripod and take some photos of the lights. The greens, blues, purples, pinks danced across the sky. It was a beautiful way to end this adventure.