Arctic Alaska settlement in Arctic Alaska was driven first by discoveries of gold and later on by the extraction of petroleum. The ecosystem consists largely of tundra covering mountain ranges and coastal plains which are home to bears, wolves, sheep, oxen, reindeer, and numerous species of birds, the north coast has been defined as the Arctic coastal tundra ecoregion. Arctic Alaska is also the location of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The Arctic experiences midnight sun in the summer and polar night in the winter. Arctic Alaska Arctic Alaska
Ptarmigan Pass (Sawatch Range) Ptarmigan Pass (Sawatch Range) Ptarmigan Pass (elevation 11,765 ft) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. It is located on the crest of the northern end of the Sawatch Range, along the border of Eagle and Summit counties, south of Vail Pass. The pass is traversed by a jeep trail that is passable by four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot. 2WD vehicles will only make it to the summit from the west; the east side is rocky and boggy at times. The trail connects Interstate 70 east of Vail Pass with