New Hampshire — Did you know it was an election year? I live under a rock, so I didn’t.
In lieu of a fairly significant election year, Jeremy Jones and Protect Our Winters have released a new film discussing climate change’s impact on the ski industry. Purple Mountains: Live Free or Die sees Jeremy Jones return to New Hampshire, a purple state that has seen warming winters impact various activities. The film sees Jeremy travel to Cranmore, Abenaki, Tuckerman Ravine, and the Balsams to see how climate change is impacting winter sports and recreation in New Hampshire. It’s an important story to tell, as I’ve seen the impact that this warming trend has had on New England’s ski industry. This is a sequel to Purple Mountains, a 2020 film where Jones tries to find common ground with people who have contrasting viewpoints about climate change.
A highlight was seeing Jeremy Jones shredding at the Balsams Wilderness, which has been closed since 2011. The Balsams property remains in limbo as development plans have yet to come to life.
The most exciting part of the film was Jeremy’s conversation with Greg Tsoules, a man who skied in the White Mountains for 33 months. However, Greg is a climate change denier, which leads to a very interesting conversation with Jeremy. He’s able to find common ground with Jeremy, but it shows that we still face challenges in finding bipartisan solutions that benefit our planet.
Image/Video Credits: Protect Our Winters