During the Second World War, the U.S. military saw the wisdom in having a division of soldiers proficient in mountaineering and skiing. The rugged peaks of France, Italy, and Germany might be key battlefields, where a skilled alpine fighting force could take and hold the literal high ground. Thus was born the 10th Mountain Division, an elite cadre of soldiers trained in rope-work, rappelling, climbing, and backcountry skiing. The men selected for this division were recruited by the National Ski Patrol and drawn from a pool of experienced skiers, a novel process that was deemed easier than training existing soldiers mountain skills. The center of this division’s training was Camp Hale, in the remote center of the Colorado Rockies, a perfect environment in which to hone a unique skill set. After the war, some of these soldiers returned to Colorado, and used their experience and passion for the mountains to launch the modern ski resort movement, in places like Aspen and Vail.
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