the explorers journal the global adventure issue - The Explorers Club

fiction than a factual account. During our trip,we had an opportunity to visit Fort Conger andsee the remains of Greely’s camp—the artifactswell preserved in the cold dry climate. It wasthen that I realized I wanted to bring this importantepisode in the history of Arctic explorationto the public’s attention in a documentary film.In the summer of 2000, I joined a kayak triporganized by Steven Smith, a professionalguide, outfitter, and field biologist, to kayakfrom Alexander Fiord to Pim Island to see thesite of Greely’s winter camp near Cape Sabine.When I first asked Steve whether it would befeasible to retrace Greely’s retreat from FortConger to Cape Sabine with a documentarycrew using inflatable boats, he dismissed theidea as being impractical and extremely hazardous.But, after further consideration, hethought it possible if he could assemble an expertcrew using kayaks, which could be moreeasily hauled over the ice.While doing historical research for the project,I was fortunate to meet many of Greely’sdescendants, all of whom were very enthusiasticabout their ancestor, “The General.”Greely’s great-grandson, David Shedd ofBartlett, New Hampshire, suggested that hisson James, then a senior in college, participatein the expedition as a representative of the family.The organizing structure of the film quicklyfell into place: we would not simply present thehistorical material, but rather, actively engagethe viewer in the drama by telling Greely’s storythrough the eyes of his great-great-grandson,James Shedd. At the same time we would putthe viewer in touch with the spectacular environmentas James retraced the party’s arduousjourney down the coast of Ellesmere.But James’ ability to participate was by nomeans certain: the expedition would be a challengeto the most experienced guide and hisexperience as an outdoorsman was limited tocamping in the White Mountains with his fatherand skiing. To his credit, James enthusiasticallyundertook preparing himself for the challengeby kayaking in the Pacific Northwest and undertakinga very strenuous backpacking trip in theHigh Arctic. Ultimately, Steve agreed to takehim on and subsequent events would provethat James more than met the challenge.In many ways the success of both the filmand expedition depended on logistics andcareful organization. Fortunately, the projecthad engaged the services of two seasonedprofessionals: Steve Smith and Gino DelGuercio of Boston Science Communications.Gino has created award-winning documentariesfor PBS, NOVA, and the DiscoveryChannel. While he was an avid outdoorsman,he had never been to the Arctic. Other expeditionmembers included professional guideswho had worked with Steve for many years.The most difficult step would be arrangingthe transport of the team and its equipment toFort Conger, as well as the teams subsequentresupply en route. Fuel for the Twin Otters andthe helicopters used for aerial photographywould need to be cached along the coast andthat in itself would require expensive transportationand additional fuel.The expedition component of the documentary—afive-man, one-woman team using threekayaks—would retrace Greely’s journey downthe coast from Fort Conger to his winter campat Cape Sabine. Since the kayaks could notcarry sufficient food and supplies for the anticipatedsix- to seven-week expedition, Gino,Tom Stere, and I would serve as the supportteam: leapfrogging down the coast by planeto resupply the team, filming from shore andhelicopter, as well as providing a communicationslink. We would be aided by Scott Simper,a professional adventurer videographer, whowas one of the kayakers. The kayak team alsohad a small video camera that it would use torecord the members’ private thoughts duringthe trip. Gino had arranged for another cameraman,Simon Reeves, to do filming when theteam arrived at Cape Sabine.While the route and the environment wouldbe much the same as Greely encountered,there were many important differences: wewould be using the very latest in outdoorequipment, and we had access to communicationsvia satellite-phone and high frequencyradio between team members, the supportcrew, and the outside world. Perhaps the mostimportant difference was the time of year:the explorers journal