During the morning of August 2, 2010, we sailed down the west coast of Spitsbergen toward Hornsund and made an afternoon zodiac landing at Sør-Spitsbergen Nasjonal Park for a three hour hike at Gnålodden. This is a photograph of an adult Arctic Fox in its summer coat of dark gray to bluish brown fur. In winter the fox's fur is white or creamy white. The Arctic Fox has thick fur and hair on its paw pads that help keep it warm. The fur on its paws also gives the fox traction so it doesn't slide on the ice. This fox was alternately snoozing or warily watching us. Once it decided it had enough of us parading around its resting place, it took off across the hillside...along with three kits that had been hidden in the rocks. Temperatures were in the upper 40's on this partly cloudy day.