Dawson Off The Beaten Path

Those who visit Dawson City should take an hour to drive the seven kilometres to the top of the Dome, a rounded peak behind Dawson that offers panoramic view over the city and the Yukon and Klondike river valleys. I found this bird's eye view magnificent even though smoke from nearby wildfires partially obscured the view.

On June 21, 1899, at the summer solstice, promoters promised newcomers to Dawson City that the "Midnight Sun" could be viewed from the Dome. 150 people made the climb to the top of the Dome that evening and were greeted with nuts, candies, cigars and soft drinks at suitably inflated prices. The formal ceremony began with a bugle call and the raising of both British and American flags. The highlight of the evening was a speech by playwright and poet Capt. Jack Crawford.

But the sun dissapointed the crowd by setting at 11:30 p.m. and rising again two hours later. This is 165 miles south of the Arctic Circle where the "Midnight Sun" is a reality, although it never gets really dark here on the evening of the longest day of summer because the sun is just below the horizon. No one expects to see the midnight sun at the Dome any more, but it is still a favorite place to enjoy the long summer evenings.