Volume 3, Issue 23
November 8 - November 21, 2001
by Evan Lee
photo by Sean Hartgrove
This time of year normally finds me waxing up the boards for another fine season of ripping down the twinkling powder-filled glades of Colorado's world-class mountain resorts. But this year I'm having trouble getting into the spirit. We're at war, and the cold, hard reality of that makes it difficult for me to get all stoked up about anything but body counts. I mean, skiing and snowboarding for us this year will be nothing more than an adrenaline- fueled excuse for simple entertainment, a way of experiencing freedom as intended.
This patriotic hubris, fueled by a couple of strong hot buttered rums on a recent cold evening, got me to thinking about one of Colorado's most celebrated legacies, without which we probably wouldn't even have our fortunate ski areas in the first place: the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army. If it wasn't for those celebrated World War II heroes, we wouldn't be gliding so carefree down our beloved slopes, as they can be credited with the development of skiing into the big-name sport and popular vacation industry it enjoys today, particularly here in Colorado.
The inspiration for creating a mountain division of the Army came in November 1939, when the world witnessed Finnish troops utilizing ski-borne guerrilla raids to decimate a pair of Russian tank divisions that had invaded Finland. The Russians took a humiliating beating but rallied back in the spring to win the conflict. Nevertheless, the world took notice, particularly one Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole, the president of the U. S. National Ski Patrol, who recognized the Finns' brilliance and immediately began lobbying the War Department in Washington to start training troops in mountain and winter warfare.
At the outset, Dole met with resistance and what he later called "polite derision" but after many months of work his proposal reached a sympathetic ear at the desk of General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, who prompted the Army to take action and create the 87th Mountain Infantry Battalion, to specialize in mountain and cold-weather warfare. Recruiting began immediately for what was dubbed "Minnie's Ski Troops" and for the first time in U. S. military history, a non-government entity performed military recruiting. Dole discovered straight away that finding talented recruits was a tall order, and his recruiting method signified that this was to be no ordinary group of soldiers: no less than three letters of reference were required, and many famous skiers, climbers and mountaineers of the day signed up. Naturally, such noted personalities attracted many non-army types such as Ivy-Leaguers who mistakenly thought this would be an elite duty, and probably easy as well. After all, what could be more fun than skiing for the Army and getting paid for the luxury? As a result, the new regiment had the highest percentage of college-educated men ever assembled in one division, with an intelligence level so lofty that fully two-thirds of them would qualify as officers. Too, the level of outdoorsmanship was extremely high, and many of them already had the requisite, seasoned back-country experience and winter survival skills necessary for such an activation of military endeavor. They were first stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington for training and elite duty it quickly became. The regiment completed a rare winter ascent of Mount Rainier, skiing and climbing with 85-pound packs, an orbit of the base of the same, and several grueling 40-mile west/ east crossings of the Olympic Range. All of these training missions were completed under the leadership of Corporal Peter Gabriel, a famed Swiss mountaineer and recent immigrant who had been heading up a New Hampshire ski school before signing on. This proving training complete, the War Department decided the mountain troops would be a part of the U. S. Army and it was time to find them a home.
December 6, 1942, saw the 87th relocate to a more permanent, dedicated location high in the Colorado Rockies. The site chosen for their camp facility was at 9,200 feet in the Eagle River Valley between Leadville and Minturn, near a railroad wayside called Pando, just to the north of Tennessee Pass. The first order of business was to grade three miles of the valley floor as flat as a football field and channel the river into a straight course. Surrounded by jutting peaks and cliffs, it was an ideal spot for training mountain troops. Completed on November 16, 1942, the camp moved in 11,000 troops and was christened Camp Hale after General Irving Hale of Denver.
If the training at Fort Lewis was considered elite, the training at Camp Hale was even more so, although severe downsides to living and training in such extreme conditions took its toll that first winter. Incessant and strenuous drills in near-zero temperatures and the inversion of the coal smog coupled with the high altitude made for tough times on lowlanders. It was harsh and arduous, to be sure, and many of the soldiers stationed there referred to it as Camp Hell and were fond of saying "anyone who transfers to combat from mountain troops is yellow!" But the tough wags of the 87th persevered that first winter, to become one of the most competent divisions ever produced in modern warfare. Days were spent skiing, climbing, practicing alpine travel and learning the various light weapons that would make up their arsenal.
Skiing, which would later become the hallmark of the 10th Mountain Division in the eyes of the nation, was the most problematic learning curve, as some of the recruits had no previous skiing experience. For the seasoned, the ski training amounted to a casual day of recreation, but the flatlanders soon came to loathe to the "torture boards" until learning the tricks of carving, edging and turning. In retrospect, some aspects of the ski training were absurd, particularly the Manual of Skis, a series of formal exercises designed to replace the Army's traditional Manual of Arms. Rifle acrobatics were one thing, but when the same maneuvers were performed in presenting skis, only the foolhardy would stand near the heavy planks being swung like propellers by the tyro soldiers. One Sergeant Major found it all so ludicrous that he saw fit to chop his skis into firewood and ceremoniously light them in a fit of frustration.
The division's motto became "Climb to Conquer" and in December of 1943, 33 mountain troopers made the legendary four-day traverse from Leadville to Aspen on skis. The troops were now hardened and ready for combat and World War I Congressional Medal of Honor winner General George Hays was given command of the division. November 7, 1944, saw them officially designated as the 10th Mountain Division, and under the inspirational leadership of Hays, ready for real warfare.
The German troops guarding the five-mile-long Monte Belvedere-- Monte della Torraccia Ridge of Italy in January 1945 were confident that the 2,000-foot natural barrier was completely impervious to enemy attack. In fact, American Lt. General Lucian Truscott shared that opinion and considered it pure folly to send in U. S. troops to attack the valuable position. Other divisions had already attempted to assault the ridge, (known as Riva Ridge to the Americans), on three separate occasions, even holding it temporarily, but none had succeeded in the long term. Thus, the Germans considered the ridge impassable to the Americans and manned it with only one battalion the fateful night of February 18, 1945. Lead elements of the Camp-Hale-trained 10th Mountain Division were given orders to take the high ridge from the Germans and establish position in the Appennine Mountains, laying the groundwork for the Allied Forces' entry into the strategic Po Valley. Under the cover of winter darkness, using ropes and Rockies-tested fortitude, the 10th Mountain troops scaled the sheer 1,200-foot face and blasted the Germans off in just 24 hours of combat during what would later be recorded as a devastating surprise attack.
After fending off no less than seven counterattacks from the Germans over the next two days, the Italian mountains were secured. It was a horrendous battle under the harshest of winter conditions, and later one of the prevailing 10th Mountain soldiers admitted that if it had been any worse, it would have been as difficult as the training at Camp Hale had been. Following the successful assault on Riva Ridge and subsequent battles on a series of nearby mountain peaks-- literally months of nonstop combat-- the 10th Mountain soldiers advanced to the Po Valley and crossed the Po River on April 23, 1945. They moved so quickly through the rugged alpine terrain that they left 30 other Allied divisions behind. The 10th continued their rapid and efficient advance until May 2 when the German forces in Italy surrendered. One Nazi general commented that the 10th Mountain Division was perhaps the finest and most formidable combat division he had ever faced. Not bad for a bunch of American skiers, climbers and mountaineers. Tough, realistic and arguably the best-trained American division of World War II, the men of the 10th, who can be credited with single-handedly liberating one of the most strategic battlegrounds of World War II, actually cared little for military discipline. In their minds, skiing ability was far more important than rank.
The end of the war saw the official deactivation of the 10th Mountain Division and found many of the members returning home to Colorado to create ski resorts such as Vail and Aspen. In fact, a total of 62 North American ski resorts including Sugarbush, Crystal Mountain and Whiteface were founded, built and managed by 10th Mountain veterans. Some 2,000 more 10th vets became ski instructors, while others went on to found the Nike Corporation and the Sierra Club. Other 10th veterans worked in the field laying out ski hills, building lodges, erecting lift systems and improving ski equipment. The list of 10th Mountain veterans who went on to become key figures in the development of America's ski industry is as long and distinguished as Tommy Moe's downhill planks and includes such skiing luminaries as Bill Dunaway, who made the first successful descent of France's Mont Blanc before settling in Aspen, Paul Petzoldt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School and Aspen ski pioneer Freidl Pfeifer among many others.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts to skiers and mountaineers today was provided by 10th vet Fritz Benedict, who founded the 10th Mountain Division Memorial Hut System here in Colorado. The creation of the hut system put skiing on the map in the White River National Forest and is undoubtedly their finest legacy next to their WWII heroics. Located in the central Rockies between Aspen, Leadville and Vail, the hut system is an excellent and breathtaking way to enjoy our backcountry. Linked by over 300 miles of cross-country trails, 24 huts offer a splendid evening respite from the rigors of high-country ski travel. All are situated between 9,700 and 11,700 feet and are open for winter use from Thanksgiving through the end of April.
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