May and June of 2001 saw completion of the critical first stages of the project that will add important insights into global climate change. Natural Resources Canada led an expedition of world class researchers from Canada, the United States and Japan to uncover secrets hidden among the ice fields of the St. Elias Mountains, site of Canada's highest peak, Mount Logan

The Ice-Core Expedition 2001 tackled two principle objectives. The first was to drill and extract a long ice core from an ice field at an elevation of 5,300 m above sea level. This is a severe undertaking in any circumstances and became extremely difficult at the storm swept location of the Prospector-Russell Col on the Logan massif. Despite long delays due to a series of storms from the Gulf of Alaska, the team successfully obtained 173 m of ice core, which is over 80% of the expected final length. This 173 m of ice core, together with the drilling equipment, has been stored in the constant frozen conditions at the drill site for the winter of 2001/2002. The drill hole has been sealed. Next spring, the scientists will return, complete the core extraction and oversee transport of the complete 200-plus m ice core to the special low temperature laboratory at the Geological Survey of Canada in Ottawa. Scientists will then begin extracting the climate secrets held for over 10,000 years in this isolated and magnificent corner of the Yukon.

The second, and equally important, objective of ICE2001 was to study the current and recent conditions of the glaciers and icefields around Mount Logan. Thanks to the work of this international team of glaciologists, a wealth of observations, such as annual snow accumulation, has been recorded and several hundred snow samples obtained. Most of these samples were melted and sealed in small bottles for subsequent analysis of pollutants by laboratories in Japan, the United States and Canada. The remaining samples were melted, the water filtered, the filters sealed and taken to Ottawa laboratories for identification of wind-borne pollens transported to these remote glaciers and ice fields. Air samples were also collected. The recorded data from two unmanned weather stations was downloaded, the stations reset for another winter and a third station was installed at the high drill site.

The scientific results of ICE2001 will provide new insights into past and present climate changes, and lead to an improved understanding of climatic differences across northern Canada. It will help build the strong science foundation necessary to better inform policymakers worldwide in developing strategies to deal with climate change.

In addition to the scientific investigation, there is a human dimension to ICE2001. The team worked in one of the world's most breathtaking landscapes and experienced harsh conditions more often found in the dead of winter in northern latitudes. Scientists picked their way through crevasses as they moved slowly on skis and climbing skins to the high altitudes. The debilitating physical and mental effects of high altitude had to be overcome. The high altitude drill team was confined by storms to living in small tents for two weeks until a break in the weather allowed a rushed helicopter delivery of the heavy drilling equipment. Veteran mountain climbing teams, enroute to the 5959 m Mount Logan, passed the scientific camps and must have wondered at the endurance of people who spent two months not just surviving but carrying out complex scientific work as well. In the end, the ICE2001 team celebrated a difficult job well done and prepared for a well-deserved rest. Some of them looked forward to the Spring of 2002 and a return to the mountain to finish the job.