From innovative gear to the ski industry, how soldiers from Colorado’s Camp Hale transformed outdoor recreation

From innovative gear to the ski industry, how soldiers from Colorado’s Camp Hale transformed outdoor recreation

June 3, 2026 · 9 min · Episode 914

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of soldiers from Camp Hale on Colorado's outdoor recreation after World War II.

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 new History Colorado exhibit now open in Leadville highlights the soldiers 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. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Part 1 of the discussion about the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org…

People in this episode

Host: Erin O'Toole

Guest: Sydney Mauck

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: History Colorado, KUNC, 10th Mountain Division

Places: Camp Hale, Leadville

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