KODIAK ISLAND — Alders, alders, everywhere.

When you follow scientists in the Alaska wilderness, you’ll almost certainly get alder-snagged.

In November, near Homer, alders grew considerately on Grewingk Glacier till, with space to maneuver ourselves and our heavy packs.

A few days later, on Kodiak Island, the alders were a bit more rude. My fieldwork companion, University of Alaska Fairbanks doctoral student Cade Quigley, burst through yet another alder thicket and announced that we had arrived:

“Here’s the last mud pie.”

I had been accompanying Quigley and fellow doctoral student Sarah Noel for a few days, collecting story ideas. Along the way, I’d begun to realize there might be two tales worth telling here: one about Alaska’s future earthquake early warning system, and another abou

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