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The Winter Park Ski Train Ends Service.. .
The Winter Park Ski Train announced it was ceasing operations after 69 years in operation. From the dawn of alpine skiing in Colorado, it had faithfully served the skiers of Denver and the Front Range, never having to cancel a trip because of bad weather. (Read more about the history of the ski train...)
When Skiing Came To
Colorado
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Gold was discovered in the mountains of Colorado in 1859. The early pioneers soon learned that webbed snowshoes were useless in the deep powdery snow of the high mountains. They preferred Norwegian snowshoes or skis.
It has been estimated by some historians that the State of Colorado would have taken another decade to settle had it not been for skis. The long runners provided a dependable way for the mail to get through when trains were stalled, when telegraph lines were down, and when drifts and avalanches prohibited travel on the primitive roads and trails.
The first documented use of skis in Colorado, as reported in Frank Hall’s History of Colorado, occurred during the winter of 1859-60 in a snow-locked mining camp along the Blue River near present-day Breckenridge. The 10 men remaining in camp made themselves skis and traveled down-valley where they built a cabin and claimed a town site called Eldorado West. The same history source reveals that the following winter all provisions were being carried over the range from South Park to Georgia Gulch by men on skis.
Father Dyer (Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Member) braved the blizzards of Mosquito and Hoosier Passes to take the word of God to his wayward and scattered flocks in the Leadville mining district. In 1863 he signed on to carry the mail and almost perished in an avalanche. His book, The Snowshoe Itinerant, describes the pleasures and perils of traveling alone on skis across the roof of the continent.
The Mail Must Get Through…
Father Dyer was just one of the mail carriers in Colorado’s early history that provided a lifeline to the outside world. In 1880 there were over 50 skiing mail carriers in the state. These hardy mountaineers carried a compass, rubbed soot or lampblack on their faces to avoid sunburn - wore silk underwear for warmth under their great coats, and were adept at building snow caves for survival in bad storms. But the mail got through!
They traveled fifty miles at a stretch over the mountains on skis with only a simple toe strap and heel block to keep the foot in place. Harrowing tales abound of many being swept down slope by snow slides; becoming disoriented in whiteouts or breaking a ski enroute - a life threatening mishap. Some perished in the line of duty. Others lost toes and limbs to frostbite.
 Mail carriers like Al Johnson (Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Member) are legendary heroes. Johnson carried the mail from Crystal City, a ghost town above Marble, over Schofield Pass to Gothic, Crested Butte and Irwin. He was known far and wide as one of the best skiers in the Elk Mountains. When the gentlemen of Irwin formed a ski club, Al Johnson became a member.
People in the Colorado mountain towns from Telluride in the southwest to Steamboat Springs in the north kept on skiing. Winter ski outings were popular; young people organized ski parties; winter carnivals featured cross-country ski races, skating and tobogganing. For the next 25 years Coloradans would ski to school; to work; to mend fences; but they would remain largely unaware of the improvements in equipment and technique being made in the Scandinavian countries and in the Alps.
 All that would change in 1911 when Carl Howelsen, (Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Member) a great Norwegian champion, skied down the western slope of Rollins Pass and into Hot Sulphur Springs. There he found a winter carnival in progress and proceeded to demonstrate ski jumping to an awe-struck group of spectators. It was the beginning of the ski-sport in Colorado and it was to change the state forever.
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-Written by Pat Pfeifer
Much of the Museum is comprised of the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, which is dedicated to those men and women who helped Colorado make great advances in the sport of skiing. Some of the inductees are the great racers of their time, while others are teachers, instructors, innovators, physicians, and more. You can learn more about the Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame inductees at the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum - Hall of Fame in Vail.
The Legacy of the 10th Mountain Division
 One of the biggest influences on Colorado skiing history was the 10th Mountain Division. The 10th Mountain Division of World War II trained just 30 miles south of Vail at Camp Hale. Known as the “Ski Troops,” the toughened soldiers learned to survive at high altitudes in sub-zero weather. They traveled with 90 lb. packs on their backs; scaled sheer cliffs and skied across treacherous mountain passes. The 10th suffered heavy causalities in Europe, but became one of the most decorated divisions in World War II.
It was a great day for Colorado when the 10th came marching home. Scores of ski troopers came back to the high mountains of Colorado to live. The veterans served in every aspect of the sport from mountain operations, to patrolling, teaching, coaching, and manufacturing equipment. There is scarcely a ski area in the state that did not benefit from their expertise.
Their vision shaped new ski areas and their innovative improvements lured skiers from around the world to Colorado slopes. In a few years time they had laid the foundation for Colorado’s multi-million dollar ski industry. Sadly, Camp Hale is gone now, but the memories of the camp and all of the dedicated people who trained there live on at the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum.
Many films run continuously at the Museum, and there are lots of exhibits to see. When you are in Vail, please make sure you stop by and say hello. You'll love the Museum...it's an amazing trip through skiing's past that you'll never forget.
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