There is a great place you can go around here, in the park actually, known as the Salt Plains. Its one of Canada’s oldest parks, about an hour northwest of town on hwy 5 (the only highway). I went out shooting with a couple of friends with the intention of getting some swathing landscape shots with auroras. That was the plan, anyway. We ended up being moved in strange ways by the end of the night. Here are some shots of where we were during the day.

We set off about 12 am. The sky was already pitch black and clear with a faint waxing moon rising sharply to the northeast, over the river. The aurora was already faintly visible, appearing to be like a gray cloud or amoeba rather than anything dazzling or active. Its always dazzling to me, but I always try to go out without the expectation of an active solar storm. I have gone out with low solar activity and seen the most dazzling shows of my life, likewise I have gone out with supposed high activity but seen next to nothing. I say its a lot like fishing. Luck. Never know what your going to get. Always a crazy story when you come back even if you didn’t get very much. That’s kind of like what tonight was like.

We barreled through the crisp night doing a good 90 clicks. The air was cool and clear; sky pitch black and sprinkled with a bazillion tiny pin pricks as if they were needle holes pricked into a giant velvet cloth and there was a sparkling light behind it.

About 40 minutes down the road we found ourselves making the turnoff on to the dirt road that would take us to the Salt Plain day use area. I was hoping to get some great epic landscape shots but there was a lot of overcast and very little ambient moonlight so the first attempt of shots didn’t turn out as I had hoped. Managed to get some fairly sweet ones though, of only a few steps down the trail and around the telescope viewing area. Take a look at what it looked like out there below…

 

Now for the weird part…

We got outta the car and walked a few steps down the trail only to hear a weird sound. It sounded like a bird, but harmonic and the tones were changing. It would pick up and get louder, or change pitch and go faster.

Definitely musical. Beautiful.

But where was it coming from? It had just rained and there were no tracks but ours down the muddy trail, no trucks in sight. No signs of footsteps on the trail. So where? We used the telescopes to try to spot a fire but yet, still, at 0 degrees and 3 am …nothing. The music was beautiful and a couple of us were feeling a bit spooked. I felt curious more than anything. Who was playing out here, 70 kilometers in the sub arctic wilderness, at one of Canada’s oldest national parks, at 3 am?

Where were they?

The valley seemed to be alive with the sound, but there was no visible sign of anybody or that anybody had come through. Luckily I got the idea to use the 5D mark II’s video mode to try and record a segment of it. The mysterious ethereal music went on for about 10 minutes. We definitely think it was a recorder or a flute. What do you guys think?

I let a few people listen to the recording before writing this blog, and they can hear it. It’s right after I finish speaking. Turn your speakers up!

What do you think? What does it sound like? A mysterious wayfarer and their ethereal pipe music floating over the plain? A weird rare bird that only comes out at night? The aurora? A spiritual visitor? Aliens? I want to hear your thoughts, mine are stumped…
Salt Plain Piper by karljohnston

One Response

1. Meandering Michael says:

   January 12, 2011 at 09:59

   Definitely sounds like a recorder or a flute. Cool!

   Found your blog through Megan’s at Snow-Covered Hills. Glad I did!