Etienne Pass — a mountain pass in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska at about 291 m (955 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Etienne Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 47° (NE) at the June solstice and 130° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 313° (NW) in June to 230° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 60° in summer but only 14° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 9:32 AM | 89° E | 9:43 PM | 271° W | 37° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 7:04 AM | 47° NE | 11:59 PM | 313° NW | 60° | 16h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 9:16 AM | 89° E | 9:29 PM | 272° W | 37° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:41 AM | 130° SE | 6:15 PM | 230° SW | 14° | 7h 34m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:55 AM | 10:35 AM | 11:36 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:24 PM | 8h 09m |
| February | 9:11 AM | 9:47 AM | 10:37 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:17 PM | 9h 55m |
| March | 9:10 AM | 9:44 AM | 10:30 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:08 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 7:54 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:17 AM | 9:42 PM | 10:29 PM | 11:06 PM | 13h 58m |
| May | 6:48 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:23 AM | 10:29 PM | 11:21 PM | 12:05 AM | 15h 50m |
| June | 6:13 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:01 AM | 11:00 PM | 11:57 PM | 12:48 AM | 16h 53m |
| July | 6:36 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:18 AM | 10:54 PM | 11:48 PM | 12:36 AM | 16h 25m |
| August | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 9:00 AM | 10:09 PM | 10:57 PM | 11:36 PM | 14h 46m |
| September | 8:30 AM | 9:04 AM | 9:50 AM | 9:01 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:21 PM | 12h 42m |
| October | 9:21 AM | 9:56 AM | 10:44 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 10h 38m |
| November | 9:15 AM | 9:54 AM | 10:50 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 8h 42m |
| December | 9:55 AM | 10:37 AM | 11:43 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:56 PM | 7h 37m |
Local time (America/Adak), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 83% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (95%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 41 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 45 | 48 | 54 | 56 | 57 | 52 | 49 | 46 |
| Low °F | 23 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 33 | 36 | 41 | 44 | 43 | 36 | 27 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this mountain pass
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Etienne Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Etienne Pass?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.