The fog hangs thick along the arctic coast. The flat light and the flatter landscape make it difficult to identify objects. You can find yourself wondering….Is that a giant driftwood stump a mile away or an eider duck at 200 yards? It is disconcerting when you can’t trust your eyes.

Whenever I find bear tracks on the arctic coast, I try to tell myself that they are from a Grizzly Bear. I’ve spent more time around them and they produce less anxiety. I know they are usually from Polar Bears but when I do get to see them, it is always a privilege.

Dan Ritzman took this photo near the village of Kaktovik in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.