Latest News – October 21

Camp Hale Ceremony and Ski Cooper News

On Sunday, Oct. 30, there will be an historic ceremony at Camp Hale as the 157th Infantry Battalion from the Colorado Army National Guard is re-designated as a 10th Mountain Division Unit. The soldiers and Chief Executive Officers and officers of the first battalion 157th mountain infantry invite you to join them in an historic ceremony at Camp Hale at 1 p.m. as the Battalion aligns with the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), 10th Mountain Division.

Camp Hale was established in 1942 in west-central Colorado to provide winter and mountain warfare training during World War II (WWII). The site was acquired by purchase from private owners and by use permits from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Camp Hale was constructed in Eagle Park, east of Highway 24 between Leadville and Red Cliff, Colo. The camp was established here because of the natural setting of a large, flat valley bottom, surrounded by steep hillsides suitable for training in skiing, rock climbing, and cold weather survival skills. The size of Camp Hale varied between 5,000 and 247,243 acres during the time that it was an active military installation.

Military use of Camp Hale included the 10th Mountain Division, the 38th Regimental Combat Team, 99th Infantry Battalion, and soldiers from Fort Carson conducting mountain and winter warfare training exercises from 1942 to 1965. Throughout this time, the Army tested a variety of weapons and equipment at Camp Hale. From 1959 through 1965, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) secretly trained Tibetan soldiers at Camp Hale. In July 1965, Camp Hale was deactivated and control of the lands returned to the Forest Service in 1966. Source: Wikipedia.

The 2016/17 season at Ski Cooper is right around the corner! Photo: Brennan Ruegg/Leadville Today.

Ski Cooper Hosts Job Fair, Community Meeting

In other news near Camp Hale, it’s all about Ski Cooper this Saturday, Oct. 22. While it will be a few more weeks before Leadville’s ski mountain will be officially open for the season, it might look that way tomorrow as Ski Cooper holds its Annual Job Fair and Community Meeting.

If you’re looking to work local and be part of the Cooper 2016-17 team, then be sure to head out to the ski lodge this Saturday, Oct. 22 for their annul Job Fair from 9 a.m. – noon. From lift operators to instructors to ski patrol, whether you want to work with the little mogul-lovers or help out at the terrain park, tomorrow is your chance to check out all they have to offer.
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Then 1-3 p.m. Cooper’s management, staff and Board of Directors will gather to report to the community on the business and financial operations of the privately held ski area. The meeting will be held in the upper room at the lodge, starting at 1 p.m. Come and hear what’s in store for the upcoming season, but if you can’t make it, stay tuned to Leadville Today fro all the exciting changes in store for Leadville’s hometown ski mountain.