Your most frequently asked, and answered, questions.
What kind of clothing should we wear?
“There is no bad weather; only inadequate clothing.”
If you’re travelling to Whitehorse outside of the summer or early fall, you’ll need to pay special attention to what you’ll wear. It’s important that you layer properly, and you focus more on insulation than water proofing.
You should start with good base layers tight against your skin, avoiding cotton. Layer with synthetic fabrics or wool that will keep you warm and dry, even if they get wet (because you will inevitably sweat while you’re getting dressed).
Above your base layer, try to layer sweaters without hoods (hoods will create uncomfortable bulk around your neck, because I’m assuming you don’t want to pull 3 or 4 different hoods up over your head).
Immediately beneath your windproof shell or parka should be a down or synthetic padding jacket and leggings to trap all your body warmth.
Your poor little toes and fingers
It’s essential you don’t wear cotton socks or too many pairs of socks. Have a thin, light synthetic sock against your skin with a thick woolen sock overtop. Don’t pull your socks tight - keep them a little loose to create warm air pockets and to allow for good circulation. Your boots should be insulated and have a thick rubber sole.
Mittens will be warmer than gloves, and you’ll probably want a liner glove on your hands inside your mittens. Have enough space so you can curl your fingers into the palm of your hand inside your mitten for warmth.
Please remember to bring a toque or beanie. You’ll want to be able to pull it down over your ears (so you can stop listening to me at will), and your parka or outer shell should have a hood that you can pull up slightly in front of your face to shelter you from any wind.
Don’t forget a balaclava or warm scarf.
Should we rent winter clothing?
Aurora Outfitters and The Base offer full winter clothing rentals.
Depending on the time of year you’ll be travelling to the Yukon and how comfortable you feel with the winter clothing you already own, the decision to rent winter clothing is a very personal one.
You can view temperature norms for Whitehorse, but understand we will be out in the countryside generally during the coldest hours of the night, and also more exposed to winds.
Our flight arrives at 23:30, can we still make your tour?
With both Air North and Air Canada currently offering late evening arrivals into Whitehorse (YXY) 23:00-midnight, it’s of course not a perfect situation to try to take advantage of your first night in Whitehorse for aurora chasing.
Tour departures from the city will generally be between 23:00 and midnight. This will vary night to night based on the time of year, auroral activity, and weather. Early fall and late spring tours will depart closer to midnight.
If you are arriving late, we can make arrangements together if you wish to chase the aurora the night of your arrival.
Should your flight be delayed within reason, I’ll do my best to accommodate you and get us some time out together on your arrival night still. Any extreme delays that force us to cancel tour will be treated as a last minute cancellation however.
What if we have to use the washroom while on tour?
Definitely make sure you go just before pick-up, before you begin getting dressed in your 9 warm layers.
Generally, washrooms will not be available while we are on tour. Some highway pullouts do have outhouses, but they may not be particularly comfortable during the winter.
Should we end up on an extended aurora chase, we may pass gas stations where we can take a short break for fuel, snacks and washrooms, but this shouldn't be relied upon.
Do you have any tips for photographing the aurora?
More than a few, and even if you consider yourself nothing more than a phone camera photographer, some surprises may await you.
With some basic understanding of, and a little practice with, anything from your android phone camera, to your point and shoot, or brand new mirrorless camera, you may just surprise yourself with what you can achieve. It’s easier than you think.
Have a read through this small guide I've written for you.
Do you have any hotel or B&B recommendations?
Whitehorse has several comfortable hotels in safe and convenient locations downtown, and you will find a number of Airbnbs scattered throughout downtown as well.
The Edgewater Hotel and The Best Western Gold Rush Inn share a historic charm and cosiness, and both are in great locations on Main Street with The Edgewater being almost right on the river.
The Raven Inn is modern, minimalist, and a stones throw from the river, however it is further from Main Street.
What else can we do in Whitehorse?
I actually wasn’t planning for Whitehorse to become my indefinite home, but almost immediately upon arriving after fleeing the Northwest Territories during Covid, I fell in love hard, and still to this day, continue falling more and more in love with life here.
You’ll find so much of what I love in my day tours, but for more about the city and what you can do in town, I’ve put together a small for now guide here.
