The High Sierra Trail
Director: Chris Smead
Country of Origin: United States
2018
This exciting documentary bounces back and forth between the modern experience of hiking the High Sierra Trail, and the early 1900’s when the trail was created. Join Chris as he drives his friend John to insanity over 6 days in the Sierra Nevada. Together they have some close calls with lightning, climb the highest mountain in the continental US, and discover the history of the trail brought to life via 3d animations created from historic photos provided by the NPS.
At this point Chris has logged over 60 treks, mostly in the Sierra. After completing and shooting on the trail, he spent over 500 hours editing, and animating photos from the early 1900’s to help tell the story. The goal: Create an immersive experience with multiple dimensions: The modern experience, some technical aspects, history, and of course a lighthearted human element that’s inherent with any backcountry experience.
Producer: Chris SmeadWriter: Chris Smead
Key Cast: William Tweed