National Geographic - 2014 Bucket List

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/bucket-list/2014/fly-in-backcountry-skiing-alaska/

Jeremy Jones free-falls through a turn on a steep section of his line on "The Tooth" in Wrangell St. Elias National Park.

Photograph by Jeff Hawe

New Frontier: Fly-in Backcountry Skiing in Alaska

Jeremy Jones

Snowboarder

Alaska has 302 million acres of public land and a mere 730,000 residents to share it with. Those are pretty good odds, says Jones, which is why backcountry skiing in Alaska is a must-do for any avid snowboarder or skier.
“Get a plane drop somewhere in Alaska and set up a base camp for 10 to 20 days,” he says. “There are so many unridden mountains in Alaska, and a plane is a great way to get into them. You get dropped off on these high glaciers where first descents and dream lines are totally achievable for midlevel backcountry snowboarders.”
With such an abundance of mountains and snow, the problem, of course, is choosing where to go. Recently, Jones arranged to fly into the eastern part of the Alaska Range from Delta Junction, Alaska, near Fairbanks. But for those who prefer the safety of a guide service, he recommends Ultima Thule Lodge, located on an island of private land within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the country’s largest national park.
Between March and May, bush pilot Paul Claus flies guests and local guides to ski the giant bowls, couloirs, and glaciers of four converging mountain ranges. At the end of the day, everyone returns to the cozy log lodge for a homegrown meal and an evening drinking beers and gazing over the wide valley of the Chitina River.
“I’ve gone to a bunch of ranges, and in each range, you could spend a lifetime and ride a first ascent every day,” Jones says. “Alaska truly is skier and snowboarder paradise.”
Alaska Alpine Adventures guides backcountry ski trips in Lake Clark National Park and in the Chugach Range near Valdez, Alaska. Ultima Thule Lodge offers fly-in lodge-based ski trips in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

Snowboard Magazine - Dream Lines Column by Jeremy Jones

Snowstyle Magazine (Japan) - Cover & 16 pg. Feature

The Telegraph (UK) - Feature

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/features/10195110/Jeremy-Jones-goes-deeper-further-higher-A-snowboarders-rise-to-greatness.html

Jeremy Jones goes deeper, further, higher: A snowboarder's rise to greatness

Legendary big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones has been pushing boundaries for more than two decades - from first descents in Alaska and groundbreaking movies to fighting climate change and designing innovative new boards, Matt Barr speaks to him.

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Lines like this one in Alaska are Jone's raison d'etre Photo: Jeremy Jones

By Matt Barr

11:29AM BST 24 Sep 2013

Snowboarder Jeremy Jones has always been a pioneer. He started skiing at the age of three, and snowboarding at nine, and first came to prominence in the mid 1990s as a hard boot-wearing snowboard racer. After narrowly missing out on a place at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he stopped racing to dedicate himself to his true passion – freeriding.

For Jones, snowboarding in its purest form was riding untracked, big-mountain powder runs in the most imaginative way possible. He soon made a name for himself as one of the most extreme freeriders in the world, changing the way snowboarders saw the sport with every hard-charging, Alaskan first descent he posted.

“I love the solitude of being in the mountains, and the ever-changing conditions and terrain,” he says. “I love riding untouched mountains. There is so much room for creativity. There’s no wrong or right way to ride them and no matter how well you ride a mountain, it can always be ridden better. Also, the whole process of searching for new lines, studying the snow and eventually safely riding them is really fulfilling.”

Jones went on to star in a host of top movies, including The Tangerine Dream, Anomaly and Soul Purpose. In 2007, he founded Protect Our Winters (POW), a non-profit organisation dedicated to uniting the wintersports community in the fight against climate change. One way of doing this was to forego the use of lifts and helicopters to access the mountains, opting instead to hike and climb. This ethos was showcased in the 2010 movie Deeper, which saw Jones, and other top riders, travelling into the backcountry and away from the confines of conventional ski resorts in search of new and untouched snowboarding environments to conquer. The film, which saw him scaling then riding some of the steepest faces ever ridden, really cemented Jones’ reputation as a true innovator and legend of the sport.

For Jones, who has developed his own line of snowboards – Jones Snowboards – taking his riding to such extremes was the next logical step in a career spent searching for isolated, perfect, steep lines of soft snow. “These films are about finding the dream lines, waiting for the perfect conditions and riding them in good, soft snow,” he says. “It’s not about the trophy peak.”
Deeper’s approach changed the freeriding landscape by showing it is possible to access insane lines without the help of helis – and now the sequel, Further, looks set to do the same. It’s the same principle, only this time Jones is going even – yes – further in his quest to find the perfect run.
How is Further different from Deeper?
With Deeper I learned a lot about going into mountains on foot and making movies about it. We’ve evolved the production and the riding side. With Deeper, I realised there are no more boundaries, so Further takes me more off the map, to locations such as Svalbard in Norway and the Japanese Alps.
You’re already planning the third instalment of the trilogy, Higher. Where are you hoping to travel for that one?
I’ve got a list of about 10 destinations, but you’ll have to wait and see the film. Usually, I start with a list, but it’s so unpredictable sometimes I may hit just one of them or none at all. You have to be pretty flexible with Mother Nature. The films usually take a couple of winters to make.
What does your wife think about what you do?
She’s accepted what I do. If she didn’t, and it was too hard on my family life, I would stop what I’m doing. She’s been very supportive. I spend a lot of time in the mountains with her.
How does what you do compare to the dangers of ordinary skiing or snowboarding?
The most serious accidents I have seen in the mountains have been on intermediate backcountry terrain. I could have been with my wife on it. If you look at the fatalities last year, it tends to be in that kind of terrain. Not that I’m saying this means that when I get into the steep stuff, it makes it any less serious. But if you gave me the choice between riding 50-degree faces and guiding unknown clients on 30-degree bowls of powder, I’d take the 50-degree faces with the experienced crew every day. I don’t mean that negatively, I just think people gain comfort from thinking, “Well, I like the backcountry but I can’t do what that guy does.” But look at the numbers.
I hate to say it, but I’ve lost more friends in resorts over the years than anywhere else. There’s risk everywhere. That doesn't downplay what we’re doing. I have the utmost respect, humility and anxiety for what we’re doing, because I know it’s serious stuff.

How do you judge a run?
The main thing is evaluating avalanche conditions. We start on small, steep slopes with safe outruns, of similar aspect and elevation to the one we’re planning. Next, we’ll cut a small cornice so it lands on the test slope, acting as a bomb. Then we’ll abseil on to the slope and dig a pit. If we like the pit, we’ll ski across the slope to cut it, testing the snowpack’s stability.
From there, we’ll work our way up to bigger slopes. If the snowpack is solid then things move quickly. We’ll land at a possible camera angle; riders will discuss lines and get a photo with their digi cam. Once we’re on top of the intended line I will hike around to see as much of the slope as possible. I’ll double check with my photo I’m in the right spot, and then possibly drop another cornice or get a snow report if someone goes before me. Before dropping in I’ll determine an island of safety if the slope slides, and will always have a sluff management plan.
When were you last really scared out riding?
I walked out of a line in Chile this summer – not because I thought I was going to die. The last thing I wanted to do was take my snowboard off and hike back up, but I did it because I didn’t like what was in front of me. I didn’t have an ice axe or crampons, it was hard snow and a no-fall situation. No big deal, but I was happy when I was off the snow, for sure.
How often does it go that way?
It’s common. I approach a line with the attitude that it’s a huge maybe. A line is guilty until proven innocent. I’m looking for reasons to turn around. When everything is perfect, you’re strapped in at the top saying, “God, I can’t believe it, I’m about to shred this incredible line.” It almost seems too good to be true. My approach to snowboarding – my whole career, even – has been about finding these steep lines with soft snow and riding them safely. That’s what drives me.
What are your favourite resorts?
Jackson Hole – it’s 1200m of vertical with every type of riding imaginable – and my home resort of Squaw Valley.
Tell me about Jones Snowboards. What’s the ethos of the brand?
The ethos? Snowboards for riding mountains is the short answer. Obviously we’re heavily backcountry-focused, but the reality of the backcountry is that it isn’t all just powder, powder, powder, as you soon learn. Being able to ride in hard snow is critical, so our boards work phenomenally well in poor conditions as well as powder.
The industry’s bigger brands seem to market to younger riders. Would you say your boards are more for the discerning, older rider?
Our stereotypical rider has been riding for 10 years, he’s more in the 25- to 45-year-old range. It’s why I started Jones, as I wasn’t getting the boards I needed. I knew other guys who also were not getting the boards they needed. So, I decided to make boards that would suit experienced snowboarders who know how to ride and understand the mountains. I felt this was something the industry wasn’t catering for.
Are you worried about how the economic downturn might affect Jones?
Not really. I didn’t start Jones to become this mega brand. We’re a niche brand, and one thing that’s never died in snowboarding is the passionate riders at the serious resorts. They’ve been there doing what they do from day one whether or not the media thought what they were doing was cool or not. Right now, we are a little bit cool and we get to be in magazines, but we’ll be uncool again in a few years.
What advice would you give an ordinary, two-week-a-year snowboarder, inspired by watching your films, who’s keen to take their riding to the next level and experience somewhere like Alaska? How should they prepare and where should they go?
How I prepare – and this is what I tell people to do – is by going and riding a lot of steep, hardpack snow, while wearing a backpack, over and over again. Top to bottom runs, off piste – the worst conditions the better. Go to Chamonix for a week and really ride until you can barely walk. That would be a good start.
What does snowboarding mean to you after all you’ve been through together?
I’ve focused my life on snowboarding and it has been very good to me in return. I really love to surf, but there’s no question snowboarding comes first. It’s just so easy to walk off the side of the road and achieve true solitude in untouched mountains if you’re not afraid to hike for it. Snowboarding is a gift that keeps on giving – the list of things I want to do in snowboarding will keep me riding forever.
What does the future hold?
Family, waves, powder, rock climbing, mountain biking.
jonessnowboards.com

Marstel-Day Interview

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to Protect Our Winters - Marstel-Day's Rebecca R. Rubin Interviews World Renowned Snowboarder, Jeremy Jones

Our winter playgrounds are under siege - a loss of snowpack as a result of milder and shorter winters are conspiring to end generations of snow-dependent recreation across the globe, says extreme snowboarder, Jeremy Jones. In a newly- posted Vital Voices of the Environment interview with Marstel-Day President and CEO, Rebecca R. Rubin, Jones explains how shrinking glaciers and reduced snow are yet another casualty of climate change, and that without action the future is grim not just for recreationalists, but for businesses and downstream water users.

Extreme Snowboarder Jeremy Jones

Jeremy has given voice to an influential group of individuals that are seeing first hand the devastating evidence of our rapidly warming planet.

Fredericksburg, VA (PRWEB) September 18, 2013

Our winter playgrounds are under siege - a loss of snowpack as a result of milder and shorter winters are conspiring to end generations of snow-dependent recreation across the globe, says extreme snowboarder, Jeremy Jones. In a newly- posted Vital Voices of the Environment interview with Marstel-Day President and CEO, Rebecca R. Rubin, Jones explains how shrinking glaciers and reduced snow are yet another casualty of climate change, and that without action the future is grim not just for recreationalists, but for businesses and downstream water users.
See interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nVTJabDh4Y
"Jeremy Jones is the face of a new generation taking it to the streets in the fight against Climate Change," said Rubin. "When he's not big mountain freeriding around the globe, he can be found in Washington, D.C. challenging Congress and the Administration to protect our winters by taking steps to address the realities of climate change."
In his battle to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change to winter sports, commerce and water users, Jones established the non-profit advocacy group, Protect Our Winters (POW), that is galvanizing the winter sports community around the fight, and enlisting professional athletes to joint him in getting word out to decision-makers and the public. Among his recent accolades, he was recognized as a "Champion of Change" by the White House for his effective advocacy.
Among its various initiatives, Protect Our Winters has partnered with The North Face to educate students about the threat of climate change through its "Hot Planet, Cool Athletes" program. The program has reached thousands of school kids, with pro winter sports athletes give high-impact multi-media programs that provide them with a platform to share their experiences witnessing climate change first hand. With Jeremy's leadership, the group also delivered a letter to Capitol Hill, signed by over 500 professional athletes, corporations and others to protect the EPA and the Clean Air Act's ability to regulate CO2 as a pollutant. The effort led to more than 1.2 million media impressions in outlets such as ESPN, USA Today, The Hill, NPR and others.
Marstel-Day's Vital Voices of the Environment series spotlights critical thinkers and planners, each of whom offers unique insight on the key issues we face now and for the environmental future of our planet. "Jeremy has given voice to an influential group of individuals that are seeing first hand the devastating evidence of our rapidly warming planet," said Rubin.

Outside Television - 10 Episode Further Series now airing

http://www.outsidetelevision.com/show/jeremy-jones-further 

Coors Light Commerical - Behind the Scenes

http://www.youtube.com/user/Coorslight

Snowboard Magazine - Dream Lines Column by Jeremy Jones

Sports Illustrated Kids - Winter Athletes Sound the Alarm on Climate Change

http://www.sikids.com/athletes-give-back/winter-athletes-climate-change

These winter athletes have experienced first-hand the impact of climate change, inspiring them to work hard to protect our Earth.

By Mary Kate Campbell

For Jeremy Jones, snow is not just a sign of winter. To the 38-year-old Truckee, California, native, snowfall is a symbol of his career, his passion, and his lifestyle. Jones, a 10-time Snowboarder Magazine big-mountain rider of the year and a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year nominee, worries that climate change will prevent future generations from experiencing the winter season as we know it today.

Jones founded Protect Our Winters in 2007 to unite the winter sports community against climate change through education, activism, and community projects. The idea was that winter athletes were the best spokespeople for this topic. They experience first-hand how climate change is impacting their sports and, on a larger scale, affecting the Earth.

Carbon emissions, often produced by burning fossil fuels (like gasoline, for instance), have contributed to global warming. After seeing resorts closed and areas that once had great jumps for snowboarding shut down due to insufficient snowfall, Jones realized that climate change was a crisis that needed to be addressed. "Our mountains are fine in the immediate future," Jones says. "I will have snow to ride on, but this is for the future generations."

Since 2010, Jones has visited Washington, D.C., three times to spark conversation and bring awareness to Protect Our Winters' cause. Jones says he can see the issue making progress, as more policy makers see that climate change can impact everything from the environment to the economy.

However, the nation's capital is not the only place where change is taking place. Protect Our Winters partners with The North Face and Alliance For Climate Education to visit schools through their Hot Planet/Cool Athletes program. Protect Our Winters educates students about the issue, using an interactive presentation with stories from professional winter athletes to inspire kids to make a difference. Jones says that paying attention to little things in your day-to-day life can help the environment, too. For example, he limits his "carbon footprint" by buying locally grown food. And instead of using snowmobiles and helicopters to get up mountains, he hikes for his snowboarding adventures. "This is the planet you are inheriting" Jones says.

How climate change is affecting their lives

ESPN - Champion of Change

http://xgames.espn.go.com/snowboarding/article/9374451/jeremy-jones-being-recognized-obama-champion-change


Champion of Change

By Colin Bane

Published Sunday June 23, 2013

Since founding Protect Our Winters, Jones has become a frequent Capitol Hill visitor.
Courtesy Protect Our Winters

Protect Our Winters (POW) founder Jeremy Jones was named one of President Barack Obama's "Champions of Change" this spring in a White House ceremony honoring 12 Community Resilience Leaders.
Jones -- 2013 National Geographic "Adventurer of the Year" nominee and Snowboarder Magazine's 10-time "Best Big Mountain Rider of the Year" -- started POW to address the effects of climate change he was witnessing and experiencing firsthand during the filming of his "Deeper," "Further," "Higher" backcountry snowboarding movie trilogy. His last trip to Washington, D.C. was to present a study commissioned by POW and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) detailing the potential economic and job loss in the winter-sports industry and the many towns that industry supports, as snowfall gets increasingly sporadic and unpredictable.
Jones left for a three-week splitboarding adventure in the Eastern Alaska Range shortly after his trip to the White House, but we managed to track him down just as he was prepping for his next mission to Alaska's Denali National Park.
XGames.com: We haven't caught up with you since you were honored at the White House. You've already made several trips to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. At this rate you're going to need to find a suit and tie sponsor for all your trips to Washington.
Jeremy Jones: I still don't know how to tie a tie, but maybe a couple more trips and I'll have that down! The White House Champions of Change recognition was a huge honor, even though we didn't actually get to meet Obama.
I've been to Capitol Hill a handful of times now, and it definitely feels like the conversation about climate change in Washington has changed a bit in that time. Eight years ago this would have been a harder Champions of Change group to pull together, and now there are hundreds of good people out there working on these issues.
I was honored to be among the 12 highlighted this year, but it also makes it all the more frustrating that we really haven't had any big victories yet. There's a lot of work ahead of us on every front.

"Less than one percent of all skiers and snowboarders have gotten involved with our efforts, and less than one percent of all companies in the snow or outdoor adventure industry are part of POW."Jeremy Jones

Are you surprised by how quickly opportunities like this have come up since starting POW?
In certain matters, yes. Going to the White House? I definitely never anticipated that.
But then again less than one percent of all skiers and snowboarders have gotten involved with our efforts, and less than one percent of all companies in the snow or outdoor adventure industry are part of POW.
We have an annual board meeting at SIA and the reality is that there are still only about five companies who meaningfully support what we're trying to do.
So this whole thing is really in its infancy with a whole lot of untapped potential and whole lot still to be done, and you try not to let walking into the White House go to your head.
What are you optimistic about?
We have a couple different efforts that we're doing on the political front and we continue to get better at that, but what I'm most excited about is our Hot Planet/Cool Athletes school program, where we go in with an athlete and a climate specialist and do an interactive presentation to school kids.
The message is, "Hey this is the world you're coming into and here are some people doing some great things to solve some of the problems, and we need you to step up and face this challenge."
You can really knock your head against the wall in Washington, but seeing how enthusiastic the kids are and how ready they are is where it gets uplifting and gives you some hope for what's next.
"Higher," the third installment of your movie trilogy, is now under way. What's different about your approach to this project compared to the first two films?
I've learned so much over the last five years about going into the mountains on foot, finding really special lines, and documenting them. We're just getting started on this two-year project, and already it's been incredible for us.
I was able to ride off the Grand Teton in knee-deep powder on a line I'd been trying to put together for five years now. And the other trip we did this year was in the Eastern Alaska Range.
We thought we'd go in there for 7-10 days and it ended up being 20 days. I rode the biggest and most challenging line I've ever ridden in Alaska. I feel like we're really hitting our stride, and the attitude and vibe of these trips has been really special.
While you were in Alaska in April you got word that your Jones Snowboards sales rep Joe Timlin and some other friends and colleagues were among the dead in the avalanche on Loveland Pass in Colorado. How did getting that news affect that trip?

Courtesy Protect Our WintersA "Champion of Change" is an honor given by the White House to 12 citizens, businesses, and community leaders who are working to prepare their communities for the consequences of climate change.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the first time I've gotten a call like that. But that doesn't make it any easier. I was literally driving to the airstrip and got the call an hour before I was going into the mountains for three weeks. The last thing I wanted to do at that point was go into the mountains, and I pretty much crawled into them that day. I would say "timid" is an understatement.
But as sad and horrific as it was for us, and the mood of the camp at the start of that trip -- which was at an all-time low -- crawling into the mountains is actually the attitude you want to have. You don't want to come into serious terrain full of testosterone, over-amped and overconfident.
But being out there was also a good place for us to work out those thoughts in our head and begin the healing process. I went and rode the biggest line of my life, and did it thinking of Joe and those guys.
It was very emotional, and we ended up naming the mountain Mt. Timlin out of respect. All five of those guys were in our thoughts that whole trip.
Is there any one message you really hope comes across in your films?
The bottom line is I've made thousands of good calls in the mountains and they don't mean anything tomorrow when I go into the mountains. We're all one bad call away from not coming home.
The dangers are real, and rule No. 1 is: Come home. The words "ride to live another day" probably go through my head a hundred times every day when I'm making decisions in the mountains.

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  Jeremy Jones accepting climate award

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  King of the mountain: Jeremy Jones