Day 29 - 31 Those elusive northern lights

Sept 9 - 11 Whitehorse to Teslin Lake

The riverboat Klondike on the bank of the Yukon in Whitehorse.

Back through Whitehorse for a couple more rainy days.  We find a lovely trail along the Yukon River that takes us out of town, across a suspension bridge and then back downstream.  Good enough to stretch our legs, and pretty enough to enjoy even in this weather.  The cold, especially at night, makes me appreciate the rigours of our ancestors' lives:  keeping warm, fed, healthy.  They probably had more weighty concerns than keeping the nectarines from freezing overnight.

Some of the European campers seem to think they're coming to wilderness.

Some people travel with their tiny home.

I'm constantly astonished by how people travel and camp.  We've seen all manner of rigs along the way, from home built plywood structures mounted on the backs of trucks to 55 foot behemoths with all the mod cons.  We've met bicyclists and motorcyclists who manage with the minimal, and older couples who sleep in their cars.  An evening walk around the campground is always remarkable.

Others are less encumbered.  These sail bikes are from Holland.

My aurora predictor shows a Kp index of 8 - high enough that northern lights are likely at this latitude, still north of 60.  Major solar activity is predicted Sept 10 and 11.  We check the sky late in Whitehorse - zilch.  Later we hear that there was good sightings half an hour after we went to bed.  Next night we decide to stop at the campground at Teslin Lake, midway to Watson Lake, and surrounded by nothing but dark sky.  

We scout out the campsite for good viewing options, stock up on wood to keep our campfire stoked, and pull on all our layers.  After dinner we play Scrabble til it looks dark enough (10 pm here), then go out to enjoy the fire, and watch the night sky.  We'll stay up til we're too cold or tired, but this is our best chance of the trip.  Perfect conditions!  Wish us luck!