Loved To Death

In the modern mountain town wealth disparity is at an all time high - eroding many incredible communities. Tragically, it’s often the very locals who built these towns’ rich culture and identity who are the first to be displaced by unchecked growth and soaring living costs.
This film follows two locals - Josh Dinham & Derek Alumbaugh - as they guide you through the responsible and respectful way to visit their town, a vulnerable alpine community itself. Their journey serves as a heartfelt reminder that the true soul of these towns lies in their community, not in their commodification.

The Loved To Death Conundrum 

How do you make a movie promoting protecting an incredible place without instead contributing to its destruction? 

This was the question facing the production team for the ski film titled Loved To Death which has just premiered. Loved To Death is about advocating for the protection of mountain towns by showcasing the incredible worth of community in these beautiful places. The goal is to educate viewers that the real value in these highland retreats is not in buying property with a view, to visit once a year, but instead in immersing yourself in the locals' way of life. These locations across the United States have a unique culture and a stronger sense of community than you are likely to find anywhere else and yet those communities are dying out.

The people in these communities rely on their neighbors, love their towns, and fiercely protect the natural environment that surrounds them. However, as is often the case, money can get in the way. In the modern era a new paradox faces all outdoor tourism based economies. These areas need tourism dollars to survive, without them locals cannot live. However, in a time of immense wealth disparity many of these visitors begin to purchase investment properties and start businesses that cater only to the wealthy. This, sometimes nauseatingly quick, transition begins to price out the locals. Soon enough your server at dinner can only afford to stay in their hometown by living out of their car. Ethical tourism, the idea of plugging-in, and investing in the people of these communities is the only way to combat this crisis faced in all modern mountain towns.

Now begs the question, how do you build a film showcasing this issue without contributing to the destruction of one of the most beautiful and special places we have ever encountered? How can we showcase dream ski lines and stunning mountains in a location that has yet to experience the wealth disparity cycle, without driving investors and developers to this community? Fittingly it was Orion Herman, the Loved To Death project founder and film director that finally came up with the solution. We completely censor the location from the film. By redacting any information that shows the areas in which the film was captured we can protect one of the last surviving mountain town communities. One that was so gracious and accepting of our crew and our goals. The brilliance of the idea is that the concept and ideas are not location dependent but instead hold true for many communities across America.

So when you watch “Loved To Death" and come on a trip to the with us to see and the beautiful skiing in the Mountains, you will come away with an understanding of the value in immersing yourself in the community of the next mountain town you visit. Stopping the cycle and contributing to the protection of mountain towns everywhere.

- By Robert Lester

Film Crew -

Robert Lester - Film Producer, Camera Operator, Story Consultant, Featured Skier

Orion Herman - Film Director, Editor, Cinematographer, Postproduction Extraordinaire

Ben Kaden - Director of Photography, Unit Production Manager

Project Supported By