I've lived most of my life within sight of Mount Hood in Oregon. The last few years, for the first time, I've seen bare rock on Mt. Hood's upper slopes.

I began to wonder how life in Alaska would change if the snow went away. I watched films of the area to see how it looked, and read about dogsledding and Denali Park. Then I put my hero in a world that ours might be becoming.

In my story for Polaris, called Shining Field, Walt Ksiolik has an idea to replace some of the benefits of snow. But he finds that applying it in the field is a much different task than using it in the lab...

I enjoyed learning about Alaska as it is, and wondering how it might be. Can we find ways to make a good future there? That, for me, is one of the most compelling questions in polar science.

Text: Anna Paradox