Chasing the Northern Lights in the Brand New 2024 Lexus GX 550
As we play a nocturnal waiting game, a nearly full moon beams across Numa Falls. During the interlude I snap some slow shutter shots of the Vermillion River rushing below. Then someone yells, “over there!” I spin to see the sky drenched in color. Subtle pulses of green, rose, citrine, and plum swirl together, flowing across the heavens. Staring up and watching the luminous dance of the aurora borealis feels akin to witnessing a Helen Frankenthaler painting soak a canvas in real time, as the increasingly dramatic hues and tones flow in and out of each other. Then as quickly as it began, the night sky draws the curtain and the dance is over.
We were lucky here in Canada’s Kootenay National Park. There’s no guaranteed way to to witness the kaleidoscopic vision of the finicky and fleeting northern lights, (I missed them earlier this year in Lapland due to some lousy weather.) But the fates don’t deserve all the credit. Thanks to Lexus and their capable new GX 550, and our photographic guides Ben Hutton and Matt Littlewood, the odds were stacked ever in our favor. Months of preparations (plans within plans) went into this adventure chasing the aurora across Alberta and British Columbia and they paid off…on Day One!
What Are the Northern Lights?
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Aurora borealis are caused by solar winds, and the charged particles they carry, colliding into the Earth’s magnetic field creating a kind of visual light storm as the particles interact with atmospheric gasses and are pulled toward the poles. At the moment we are in a “solar maximum” phase—where our celestial mass of incandescent gas’ nuclear flares are at an apex. So the light shows are visible well beyond the Arctic locales most traditionally associated with the northern lights.
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Capturing a Fire in the Sky
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On arrival at the Fairmount Chateau Lake Louise, we got news that our itinerary was in flux. According to the SpaceWeatherLive App, there was a good shot that the aurora was going to be firing early that evening. So after a shower, some emails, and a quick dinner, we hit the road.
During the drive to Numa Falls, our massive, waxing Selenic orb crested the Rockies (the next night we’d be gazing at a super moon). Once we hit the bridge, our new friends Ben and Matt offered a few tips for photographing the northern lights. Obviously, this is a job for a dedicated camera like a Canon EOS R or a DSLR and not an iPhone. A tripod is also crucial to keep the camera steady during the long shutter speeds needed to allow enough light in for the exposure.
Counterintuitively, you want to use a wide angle lens, like a 24mm, and not a telephoto, to capture as much of the sky and some foreground elements for perspective. A touch of under-exposure will yield a bit of extra saturation to get those colors popping.
Nicholas McClelland
Armed with that knowledge, I ditched the bridge, found my own spot, and got snapping. During the half-an-hour show I made a scant dozen, decent pictures. No award winners, but not bad for my first rodeo photographing this wild astro light show. But mostly I stared up in wonder, curious how our Paleolithic ancestors might have explained this phenomenon to themselves.
Back at the Fairmont we celebrated our good favor with some libations, including some phenomenal Canadian rye. After all, when in Alberta...
Exploring Western Canada in the GX 550
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We spent the next three days exploring the region from behind the wheels of a fleet of 2024 Lexus GX 550s, for what many might consider an elegant family school bus, the third-generation GX 550 is a wildly capable off-roader. With a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox, offering 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, this posh hauler can get from 0-60 mph in a respectable 6.5 seconds and has plenty of oomph for overtaking on the narrower two-lane highways that criss-cross the Canadian Rockies. From the ample cargo space for gear, spacious cabin, sublime massaging seats, the GX is an ideal vehicle for going nearly anywhere in the lap of luxury.
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On Day Two we made stops at Wapta Falls, Natural Bridge, and Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park to absorb some more of the wilderness’ natural beauty and try to capture the majesty in pixels.
Day Three started with a sunrise polar dip in the 42 degree (Fahrenheit) Lake Louise, which would have been easier with some aquatic footwear (my feet are less all terrain than the 33-inch Toyo Open Country rubber the GX wears). After breakfast, we headed out on a 9-mile e-bike ride to alluring and iconic Moraine Lake. On the return I caught a strong whiff of fresh feculence from an animal with a good amount of blood in its diet and was glad to have the battery assistance as I pedaled hard up the hill since I wasn’t carrying bear spray.
Back in the GX, and off to the Fairmont Banff Springs. We were hoping for another run at photographing the aurora at Two Jack Lakes, but the SpaceWeatherLive App said, like a magic eight ball, "outlook not good." So after a lingering dinner, I was off to bed for a good night's sleep.
Mudding in Luxury
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A spot of light off-roading in the Ghost River Valley was on the menu for our final day in the Rockies and we were thrilled for a chance to play in the mud. The GX’s full-time four-wheel drive ensures that it is sure footed on most any terrain. Of course few owners will use its off-road potential beyond a drive on the beach in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. But part luxury is after all having more capabilities than you need. We had a blast throwing gravel and crashing through puddles (I broke one of Matt’s 360 cameras trying to create a cascading wall of water…sorry, Matt!), and the GX had zero issues blasting up and down steep trails.
That afternoon we took off for a helicopter tour of the mountains in and around Banff National Park. The views were staggering, but the GX offers a much more comfortable way of seeing the world.
In the end, that first night was our only peek at the Northern Lights. Of course, I’m thrilled and grateful I got to witness them for the first time, but I’m also crossing my fingers for a reprise of this once in a lifetime opportunity. According to Lisa Upton, co-chair, Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel and lead scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, “We expect to be in that maximum phase for at least the next six months to a year—maybe even a little bit longer—so there’s definitely a higher probability of seeing those intense geomagnetic storms during that phase.”
That’s why I’m keeping my camera batteries charged and my calendar open for the next time those solar winds start to blow!