She requires interpretations. Her comments since the trip suggest that she is convinced. Taking an honest inventory of the resources of the coastal plain can be a moral act. Debbie Miller of Fairbanks, Alaska, is the author of Midnight Wilderness, a record of her many backpacking trips through the Arctic Refuge. A good arctic blow reminds me why tundra plant life is so dwarfed.
Any plant daring to grow more than a few inches above the ground falls prey to the wind.
The mountain avens, for example, is well designed for the strongest of blows. Its short stem is flexible, bending to the ground the way our fiberglass tent poles do. From the tent Robin and I watch hundreds of these dainty white flowers hammer at the tundra, their petals shivering against the ground. The title of Miller's book has a double meaning. In the summer, midnight is filled with sunlight, perfect for observing wildlife.