Yukon under Midnight Sun

Have you ever heard that the sun does not set in some places on the earth?

Do you know what it looks like when there is a midnight sun in the sky?

In mid-June, when I was visiting Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon Territory of Canada, the sun actually set, but only briefly. Because Whitehorse, though high in latitude (60°42'34.200" N), is still south of the Arctic Circle. Only inside the Arctic Circle, one can see the sun in the sky 24 hours a day around June 22 every year.

However, I was lucky enough to see the so-called midnight sun! The sunset took place shortly before midnight according to the summer daylight saving time.

The photos below will give you a rough idea of what it was like to experience the so-called midnight sun.

I was able to take photos for many more hours in a day because the light was available much longer in Yukon.

Once a seasoned arctic photographer warned us, in a lecture, that one might work for too many hours and forget to get enough rest because there was always light in high latitude. It was hard to go to bed while you had this GOLDEN LIGHT for photography.

It was bright and sunny at 8:30 p.m., a local photographer friend and I were still out shooting in the wilderness. However, the sun ray started to shine with the warmer orange hue. The birds were getting busy catching the worms for supper. The sky was blue and the air crisp and fresh. Who wants to go back to hotel and eat?

You know, sometimes late birds catch the worms, too.

At 9:30 pm, the sun suddenly shone through the dark and thick clouds and illuminated the S.S. Klondike. The SS. Klondike was the largest sternwheel riverboat transporting people and goods along upper Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City in the late 1930s. The current site where the boat is, is called The S.S. Klondike National Historic Site of Canada, in Whitehorse. It is situated at the bank of Yukon River.

Some picnic tables dotted the riverbank. In the distance, the snowcapped Mt. Lorne was visible on the horizon. Whitehorse is indeed a very scenic city and has a great potential for tourism. 

Yukon River seemed to be calm and tranquil at the moment. However, it was not always like that in the history. This section of the river used to be some volatile rapids which was said to be looking like the white mane of an angry charging horse. The city Whitehorse was therefore named after the name of the rapids.

During the Gold Rush period, a dam was built to tam the rapids and make the river navigable and safe for boats. The name Whitehorse hence serves as a reminder of the river's past.

Miles Canyon got dark early because of the cliffs on both sides. I was trying to use the long exposure technic to photograph the flowing water. But it was quite chilly so I never achieved the effect that I wanted. Summer didn't come as quickly as it did in some other parts of the world, such as Toronto. The good news was, there were not as many bugs as I had feared.

After 11 pm, the streets were very quiet. There were hardly and people or traffic. The yellow fence of the canoe rental place was brightly lit by the sun. The intensive warm hue of the last sun ray made the railroad roundhouse in deep red. It was fascinating to watch!

The official sunset time at Whitehorse is around 11:30 pm (Daylight Saving Time) in mid-June.

At 12:26 am, the colors of the railroad and roundhouse became subdued under twilight. The sky didn't get completely dark at night at this time of the year. It is another day now.

At 4:28 am, the sun will rise again.

I finally went to bed.