Emerald Lake – A Nature's Illusion
Leaving Dawson City yesterday, I came to Whitehorse again today around noon. I stopped by here a couple weeks ago for the first time when I was on my way to Alaska. Whitehorse is the capital of Yukon Territory. It is the transportation and supply center to neighboring regions. I had a delicious lunch in a Vietnamese restaurant then shopped supplies for the trip to Skagway that is about 110 miles south of Whitehorse at the shore end of South Klondike Highway.
The scenery was beautiful along the Highway. I stopped at Emerald Lake on the way. The quiet blue-green lake water looked stunning under the Alaskan sun. This was a popular view point and had attracted many travelers from both directions. As the interpretive sign says, the beautiful emerald-color water is the result of blue-green light waves reflecting off the white sediment of decomposed shell at the lake bottom. That means, without the sunlight the lake would look very much different. The beauty of the lake was an illusion that nature created on human eyes by reflecting only portion of color spectrum. I sat in front of the lake enjoying the view for a long while. Knowing the scientific truth of its beauty, the Lake still looked as remarkable as the first time I saw it.
Arriving at Skagway around five o’clock I stayed in Mountain View RV Park in town so I could be in train station early in the morning to join the White Pass train tour. I had already purchased the tour ticket while I was in Whitehorse earlier today.
Leaving Dawson City yesterday, I came to Whitehorse again today around noon. I stopped by here a couple weeks ago for the first time when I was on my way to Alaska. Whitehorse is the capital of Yukon Territory. It is the transportation and supply center to neighboring regions. I had a delicious lunch in a Vietnamese restaurant then shopped supplies for the trip to Skagway that is about 110 miles south of Whitehorse at the shore end of South Klondike Highway.
The scenery was beautiful along the Highway. I stopped at Emerald Lake on the way. The quiet blue-green lake water looked stunning under the Alaskan sun. This was a popular view point and had attracted many travelers from both directions. As the interpretive sign says, the beautiful emerald-color water is the result of blue-green light waves reflecting off the white sediment of decomposed shell at the lake bottom. That means, without the sunlight the lake would look very much different. The beauty of the lake was an illusion that nature created on human eyes by reflecting only portion of color spectrum. I sat in front of the lake enjoying the view for a long while. Knowing the scientific truth of its beauty, the Lake still looked as remarkable as the first time I saw it.
Arriving at Skagway around five o’clock I stayed in Mountain View RV Park in town so I could be in train station early in the morning to join the White Pass train tour. I had already purchased the tour ticket while I was in Whitehorse earlier today.
Leave Twin Lakes Provincial Park campground this morning. Stop by Whitehorse to have lunch and buy grocery. Then, take South Klondike Highway to Skagway. Emerald Lake is a popular photo point.
The rainbow-like color lake is the result of the blue-green light waves reflecting off the lake bottom sediment
Emerald Lake is also called Rainbow Lake
Carcross Desert is known as the smallest desert in the world.
Photo shots at Bove Island turnout
Terrain changes when drive closer to Skagway
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