Aurora over Coldfoot, Alaska #2569

Description

Aurora over Coldfoot, Alaska. Coldfoot primarily serves as a truck stop on the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay. North of Coldfoot, there are no services for 240 miles (400 km), until Deadhorse near Prudhoe Bay. Coldfoot is located in the Brooks Mountain Range just off the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River, In 1899, when gold was discovered in nearby Slate Creek, a small gold stampede began as prospectors headed north from points south. As winter approached, many of the prospectors got “cold feet” and decided to turn around and head back south. The name stuck even though the town was largely abandoned a few short years later. Alaska is one of the best places on earth to see the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis – colorful bands of light that dance in the dark night sky. Travelers from all over the world come to Alaska to see this stunning display, some, undaunted by sub-zero temperatures, travel north of the arctic circle to Coldfoot. Photographers and viewers thrill to the lights dancing above the snowy peaks of the Brooks Range.

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