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Northern Lights
(Aurora Borealis) Viewing

There are strange things done in the midnight sun   By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales   That would make your blood run cold; The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,   But the queerest they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge   I cremated Sam McGee.     Imagine viewing the fantastic Aurora Borealis in a pristine wilderness setting overlooking the lake made famous by Yukon poet Robert W. Service...     From our cozy log cabin you will have one of the finest views of the Northern Lights anywhere in Canada's North (in May 2004 a large new vacation home will also be available). Situated on a bluff high above Lake Laberge, it offers an unobstructed wide vista of sky, mountains and lake. An auroral display typically begins right across the lake from the cabin, then expands in a sweeping arc right over the cabin. Sometimes they are so bright that the lake is lit up as if by a full moon (though in colour!). Click here for more information about the cabin.     To experience the wilderness even more thoroughly, you can spend a night camped on the shores of Lake Laberge with the Northern Lights dancing overhead. On calm nights in the late summer and through the fall, you can often watch from the boat as the lights dance in the mirrored surface of the lake.

What is the best time to see the aurora? Our Yukon summers are blessed with nearly 24 hours of daylight, and it's not until the dark nights return that the Northern Lights are visible. From about the middle of August until the end of April is our aurora-viewing season. The longest night is December 21st, so that's also the night that gives the most hours so see a display.     The auroral displays can't be forecast more than 4-5 days ahead (which is unfortunate as far as trip planning is concerned), but researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks do make forecasts - click here to see the current outlook.     In addition to aurora viewing, we offer the following activities in the winter: cross-country skiing or snowshoeing right from the back door of our cabin or vacation home; snowmobiling and ice fishing on beautiful Lake Laberge; dog sledding; until the lake freezes, boat trips; outings to Takhini Hot Springs, which is only a 25-minute drive away.     Our Winter Photo Album will give you an idea of how beautiful a Yukon winter is!

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