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The documentary has come so far and is looking beautiful. The shooting is pretty much complete and we are full swing into editing. In order to finish the film we need to raise some money.

In August 2010, a crew of filmmakers marched into the rugged, glacier-clad peaks of the North Cascades to shoot a documentary. With heavy packs, the crew covered over 100 miles, and gained over 45,000 vertical feet in almost three weeks. By utilizing new high-definition DSLR video technology, they were able to tell an intimate story in a remote location that was not possible only a few years ago. The preproduction and production was self-funded by the director, Cory Kelley. Now the documentary is ready to enter into post-production. We are now seeking funding to finish the film and find distribution. In many hours of sweeping footage and interviews we have found a unique and interesting story.

Set in the rugged peaks of the Pacific Northwest, the documentary follows Mauri Pelto and his team of researchers as they study and document the melting glaciers of the North Cascades. For twenty-seven years Mauri, a world-renowned glaciologist, has hiked high into the mountains to measure the health of the glaciers and forecast their future. With striking cinematography the viewer is transported to a place where glaciers cover mountainsides, and cling to cracks on large peaks, hanging on to the edge of survival. As the glaciers change and disappear, questions over the future of the habitat in the region and world are raised. Uncertain times come into focus as we look to the future of the glaciers and what that may mean for us.

To make things a little bit easier on doners, we are proud to announce that the Glacier Documentary is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of the Glacier Project may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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Everything we need for filming on the ice we haul in along with the rest of our camping and climbing. Here’s a partial list:

Ultrapod 2

Glide track

2 Vanguard carbon fiber tripods

3 Manfrotto Quick Release Plates

2 Manfrotto 701  HDV Heads

Acratech Leveler

19 LPE6 Batteries

some third party; some name brand

4 XSI batteries

Z Finder

2 Canon 7D Cameras

XSI Camera

B+W 8X ND Filter

B+W Poloarizer

Fader ND

2 7mm rubber lense hoods

Orion Teletrack Motion Head

Orion Controller

2 Intervelometers

14 16GB CF cards

2 32GB CF cards

4 8B SD cards

1 4GB SD card

24 mm Zuiko lense

50 mm Zuiko lense

50 mm Canon (macro)

135 mm Pentax  lense

11 / 16 mm Tokina lense

35 / 70 mm Zuiko lense

80 / 200 mm Nikon lense

Zoom H4N

Sony Evolution G3 Wireless System

Transmitter

Receiver

Butplug

Lav

Rode NTG-2 Shotgun

Dead Cat

Pistol Grip

Oktava Mic w/ Windscreen

2 XLR cable

Skullcandy earbuds

5 Delkin Dual Battery Chargers

Radio Battery Charger

2 Radios

2 TB Gtech Hard Drive

1 TB Gtech Hard Drive

Scandisk Card Reader

Delkin Card Reader

Cleaning Kit

Sensor Clean Pen

Air Rocket

Maybe because the cameras were rolling, or for reasons known only to him, the next morning Mauri decided to explore the Mazama glacier.

This was his first go on the Mazama and it turned into a long, but wonderful day. We traveled carefully up the cravasse-riddled Rainbow glacier and over a saddle where we could see the Mazama spread large before us. Then we dropped part way down until the glacier became too deeply shredded to traverse. Not safely, anyway.

After descending as far as we could on the Mazama, we stopped to film and gather strength for the return. What we could see of the bottom was a long flow of blue ice through the steep walls of a gorge. A vision now caught on film.

The journey back was long and held more than a few surprises. We climbed up a snowy finger and onto a higher snow field that would give us faster, and therefore safer access to the Portals. Each person had to remove their crampons and packs to lunge over a gap between the snow and a rocky ledge.

In the end, we made it back to camp safely, if a little weary from the climb.

That night, Mauri and crew counted ice worms and goats near the tents while Camp Mom served a dinner with two main courses, desert, and more.

We had a great hike out the next day, with a break to practice ice axe arrest and play in the snow. We stopped at the cabin in Glacier for the night, where we off-loaded data cards and charged our batteries. Then we wasted no time getting to Mt. Daniels, the next and final leg of our trip.

After a fun night drying out and telling stories in the town of Glacier, we left our cabin to hike Mt. Baker.  The route was tranquil and scenic with Baker looming above and Shuksan towering behind. Our destination was a campsite on the north-east side of the mountain. We were tucked into a saddle where we could watch steam and lenticular clouds roll around the peaks. Marmots were a dependable source of entertainment and seemed to enjoy posing for Denny’s camera. To the north, sharp Canadian peaks rose like jagged teeth and to the south we could see the many tall peaks of the North Cascades, including Glacier and Mt. Rainier.

Even though we camped high on the mountain, on the second day we still had a snowy, rugged commute to our set. Two hours across the Sholes glacier and through the crumbling Portals to reach the Rainbow.

Only then did our day of filming and research begin.

Even standing on a slab of ice, it was almost unbearably hot by the time we started on the Rainbow glacier. With the research team, we worked our way down the long glacier to the bottom where we found several wide, winding streams cut deep in the blue ice.

It was a beautiful and striking place with humming birds buzzing around the vast icy canyon below.

As on the other glaciers, Mauri pointed out bare rock and mud where there used to be ice. A landscape he’s watched disappear for 27 years and a tangible reminder of our mission on the mountain – to record the retreat of these silent giants from our Pacific Northwest ecosystem.

After filming from below, our day’s challenge truly began. We had to climb out of the valley, all the way back up, through the Portals and back to camp.

By the time we arrived and threw down our packs, we were exhausted to say the least. Thankfully, Camp Mom filled us up with mashed potatoes, sausage, cheese, soup, and hot drinks. The next day would be no easier, and we were grateful for the meal.

The team spent one day on the Lower Curtis, joined by photographer Denny Trimble. On this rapidly retreating glacier they explored a lanscape of ice caves and splintered seracs veiled in fog. Cory sent this report…

From the beginning of this project, I’ ve been looking forward to exploring the Lower Curtis. I spent many snowy days at the Mt. Baker Ski area looking at the blue ice hanging above Mt. Shuksan. But my optimism would soon be dampened…

The early hours offered cloudy but nice views of the blue, broken seracs.  After dawning crampons, we crossed a narrow bridge that led to ice caves and the toe of the glacier. Denny and Max crossed to where the ice cracked below their feet and evidence of falling rocks littered their path. They returned with striking footage.

Chris and I turned onto the glacier with the research team where we followed as they took measurements.  Before long the clouds moved in and the day was cut short by rain.

Mauri and crew joined us at our cabin, where the entire team dried out over cold beers and old stories. The only missing element was Camp Mom, Christina, who was tracking down provisions in town. We missed her company and her second helpings of tasty camp food.

On uncertain terrain, the film crew relies heavily on the guidance of researchers who’ve spent years traversing these shifting sheets of ice. When Mauri says go, they go. When Mauri says stop, let me drop in this probe, they stop. But now, after more than 3 expeditions with the research team, the filmmakers have some guidance of their own.

Drum roll please.

Here are the top 10 things you never want your expert glaciologist to say when you’re standing on a glacier. (Cory and team have heard them all.)

10. Don’t stand there.

9. The safest place is inside the ice cave. (You are not inside the ice cave).

8. Nothing to worry about except the obvious crevasses.

7. There is no room to self-arrest.

6. I told you not to stand there.

5. The upper crevasse will be tricky. We will probe a lot then run.

4. Most people try to avoid the crevasses. We are going to try to find them.

3. Just one more Ice Worm survey and we are done.

2. This crevasse is a tricky jump.

1. There are a lot of dead bodies in this glacier.