To see the northern lights, go north

Since skygazers began increasingly predicting northern lights displays about two years ago, I've tried and failed — repeatedly — to see them in Utah.

Between the lines: It all depends on what you mean by "see."

Catch up quick: I've roamed the West Desert, stalked the Great Salt Lake and trudged the snowy peaks of Summit County late on a school night, all in hopes of catching a glimpse.

• At best, I'll notice a faint haze on the horizon, whether looking with my eyes or snapping cell phone photos, which famously make the auroras look better than they do IRL.
• Then I'll see everyone else's beautiful images the next morning on Facebook.

Zoom in: Finally, while visiting a fire watch cabin in Montana for the holiday last week, I actually saw them! With my own eyeballs!

• The colors are far more defined in the photos — but the coolest part is seeing the whole sky ripple and pulse with light all around, as if an "Independence Day"-level invasion were about to begin.

The bottom line: It turns out that the best place to see the northern lights is to the north.