We took a very early flight from Fairbanks over the Arctic Circle to visit Coldfoot and Wiseman. Yet another small plane but I am starting to get used to them (not really!).
Despite the early flight it was already light – actually it never got dark the while time we were in Fairbanks…
Views from the plane on the way up to Coldfoot;
The bustling metropolis of Coldfoot – population 10. Coordinates: 67°15′5″N 150°10′34″W
All it is is a truck stop on the Dalton Highway with a motel which was converted from the pipeline construction camp, a restaurant and a bar.
The town was originally a mining camp named Slate Creek, and around 1900 got its present name when prospectors going up the nearby Koyukuk River would get "cold feet" and turn around.
Then on to Wiseman – population 14. Coordinates: 67°24′34″N 150°6′35″W
Wiseman was founded by gold miners who abandoned the Coldfoot settlement around 1919. The village is only three miles from the Dalton Highway, but was not connected to the road until the early 1990. It still does not have running water or electricity (or apparently building regulations).
It did have a post office;
But that closed over 60 years ago.
Just to prove we were really there;
Back to Coldfoot and just enough time for a breakfast beer in the most northern bar in America – yes it’s only 9 in the morning but when are we going to get another chance to drink again in the northern most bar in the US
Views of the Trans-Alaskan Oil pipeline. Still pumping half a million barrels of oil a day.
More than half of the 800 mile long pipe is above ground due to the permafrost. The oil is hot when it comes out of the ground so they couldn’t bury the pipe as this would have melted the permafrost and made the ground unstable so the pipe is raised and each leg has a radiator on top to vent heat into the air rather than conducting it into the ground.
TAPS stretching off into the distance;
On our return to Fairbanks we were awarded with certificates to commemorate our crossing the Arctic Circle;
Note the high security and open gate at the airport… Well at least they have a sign requesting you not to go past this point.
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