The soldiers who trained in Colorado for alpine combat in World War II helped turn the tide of the war. And later, many of them changed outdoor recreation in Colorado as we know it.
The U.S. Army built Camp Hale in the high country near Leadville. Thousands of soldiers there trained for skiing, rock climbing and other elements of high-altitude combat.
But the story of Camp Hale and the 10th Mountain Division didn’t end there. After the war, many of those veterans became trailblazers in the outdoor sports world. Some became athletes; others started ski resorts or recreation companies, while others helped invent or redesign outdoor gear.
A History Colorado exhibit on display in Leadville highlights the legacy of Camp Hale, and the post-war contributions that the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division made to Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy and culture.
Sydney Mauck is History Colorado's Anschutz Military Collections specialist. She spoke with Erin O’Toole about Camp Hale’s enduring legacy. As Colorado marks its150th birthday this month, this is the first of several conversations about the state's history we'll reshare in the days ahead.
If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Part 1 of the discussion about the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale.
This story has been lightly edited for clarity. A previous version stated that a 10th Mountain Division soldier had started the Sierra Club. The soldier mentioned served as the organization's first professional full-time executive director, but was not a founder.
