Sun Bounce North of 60

You can really notice all the tourists in town in this post-pandemic era. Granted we have grown accustomed to a reduced number of visitors over the past five summers, but this year they are back in force. They’re everywhere and clog things up to the point of us having to line-up at the checkout at the General Store, A LINE UP! We forgot what those were like.

I heard the crowd at the Liquor Store is also being delayed with all the additional customer traffic. Of course, folks are stocking up for the Solstice celebration in three days and what better place to do it than in Dawson City – the Heart of the Klondike and the fabled “Land of the Midnight Sun”.

Having a good time in Dawson is certainly not a new thing, it has been stock in trade since 1897 when the discovery of gold brought the stampede of gold-seeking dreamers from the south. Entrepreneurs who ran the hotels, gambling halls and other establishments for creature comforts and personal distractions mined the miners who mined the gold. It remains the same today.

After laboring on the cold, wet and muddy creeks all week, Saturday is/was a night to shake the dust off, go to town for some gambling and wet your whistle while sharing your nuggets with those willing to trade something. All forms of entertainment and distractions were available to trade, and many are still in place in these modern times. In some ways many visitors feel they have stepped back in time a hundred years as the Klondike region clings to our unique history which we are proud to celebrate and share with those following in their ancestor’s boot tracks. Many visitors are curious to see where great, great grandpa came to make the money that bought the family farm all those years ago. You can tour the gold fields but most stay close to the happy amenities Dawson City became famous for. Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall, repleat with can-can girls is a must see evening activity while visiting with us, the restored paddlewheeler Keno and various museums of the Gold Rush are also popular day-time attractions. The underlying attitude for Dawson City is entertainment and having a good time. There have been some outstanding tales recorded of the good times had in Dawson City, Robert Service’s “The Ballad of the Ice-Worm Cocktail” is one of my favourites. Elements of this humorous tale have been transformed into a feat of daring-do for those visitors looking to stand out from the rest of the herd.

This popular ritual for Cheechakos or greenhorns visiting our small northern community is to brave the infamous “Sourtoe Cocktail.” Solstice is a time when many international visitors will pass through the swinging doors of the Downtown Hotel’s saloon and take their turn to touch their lips to the salt-petrified human toe bobbing in a glass of booze. You get to choose the alcohol you prefer, whiskey is the clear favourite, but girly drinks are also used for this purpose.

Thus, these brave and adventurous patrons become a member of a unique cohort of around 100,000 members from all places on this planet. There’s just one rule: “You can drink it fast. You can drink it slow. But your lips must touch that gnarly toe.” A paper certificate validates your kissing the mummified pedal digit so you may impress family and friends when you return home again. There is not yet a certificate for those who take the toe into their mouths for a taste - its frowned upon really. Some earlier toes have been swallowed by those looking to impress, and yes, there is a collection of replacement toes in case they get consumed in error or bravado. Winter frostbite can be particularly effective in providing an inventory of new toes.

Fortified with their preferred refreshments, the solar watchers climb to various elevated locations around the community or far off the trail to a special viewing place as the evening hours advance. Small parties are the rule on the hilltop domes as residents’ welcome visitors to join in the festivities for the evening. Campfires are frowned upon during this peak time of wildfire activity but warm hearts and spirits keep any chills at bay.

The weather forecast as of now for the region is for cloudy skies and a 40% chance of rain Friday night. This will not deter many who are committed to fulfilling this bucket-list activity no matter the weather conditions.

Watching the sun hang low in the sky above the horizon and then rise again is a special moment the first time you see it. In a few days many from the southern latitudes will experience their first Solstice Sun Bounce and it can be as memorable as experiencing their first significant Aroura display. But that is another season and story – I’ll get back to you.