Under the freshly fallen snow of an early autumn storm, Mount Rainier stood cloaked in pristine white, its towering presence
mirrored in a tiny, glacial tarn. Above, the Aurora danced in waves of green and pink, painting the sky with a celestial brush.
The scene was like something out of a dream—a magical alignment of earth and sky.
This composition was one I had always imagined but thought nearly impossible to achieve. The high-altitude tarn freezes within
days of the first snow, and aligning that brief window with a solar storm and clear skies felt like asking the universe for
too much. And as my friend and I hiked to this spot, and we found ourselves shrouded in clouds with heavy snow falling around
us. I was almost ready to accept defeat.
But as night approached, the clouds moved off and the Aurora erupted across the heavens, its colors reflected perfectly in the
still, icy waters below. Rainier's Heavenly Burst is a rare gift from nature, a moment where all the improbable pieces fell
together to create something unforgettable.
