Kroschel In-Depth

“My hope is that some of the
Bio-Gems of this planet,
experienced and recorded by
me and my fellow filmmakers,
will always be there. And that
those in power, because of our
efforts, will stand impassioned to
preserve – for all time – these
wild places.”

-Steve Kroschel, cinematographer
Haines, Alaska

Q.	What drives you to keep taking risks with avalanches?
A.	All risks I take are calculated to the best of my ability. When my eyes turn dim, hearing is gone and bones are frail, I want to realize within that I took on the challenge of life's adventure. And, in doing so, I made a contribution to the betterment of society in some small way.
Q.	Where is Haines?
A.	You can find Haines just 15 miles from the Canadian border and 80 miles north of Juneau.
Q.	Why did you choose it as your home base?
A.	From my front door, I can see a range of snowy mountains, forested valleys and icy rivers. At any given time, at a glance, there are ravens flying across the sky, bald eagles soaring, or flocks of white-winged cross-bills feasting on hemlock cones. There are sounds aplenty as well. And at this time of year, I hear saw-whet owls in courtship, and coyotes and wolves howling toward evening.
Q.	How do you track an avalanche?
A.	In the projected avalanche’s path, I position a custom-made, quarter-inch thick steel box with holes burned in it for the camera lens. I also use a conventional 35mm camera on a regular stout tripod and film the avalanche profile from a safe distance. The snow slides are triggered with high explosives set from a helicopter. The crash box has a beacon so I can find the camera after it’s buried under the snow – sometimes as deep as 30 feet.
Q.	What’s your one regret – the one that got away?
A.	A few years ago, on the arctic plains (famously known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), my friend and I heard distant thunder at 2 a.m. in the everlasting light of the arctic summer. Suddenly over a rise to the west came thousands of caribou heading east. The caribou continued to stream by us in a cloud of churned up muskeg and dust for HOURS! We watched a grizzly bear attempt to catch one of the caribou, but the "boo" were too fast for the bruin. And I did not even have a camera to record this spectacular experience.