MWLSAP

mark@mwlsap.org

Midwest Lost Ski Areas Project
MEMBERS OF THE10th MOUNTAIN DIVISION IN THE MIDWEST

 

Camp Hale, Eagle County, Colorado

Denver Public Library

 

In October, 2022, President Biden created his first national monument at Camp Hale in Colorado (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/). This is where the US Army's 10th Mountain Division trained to prepare for mountain warfare during WWII.

After the war "[a]t least 62 ski resorts have been founded, managed, or employed head ski instructors that were 10th Mountain Division veterans. " (https://thestormking.com/Sierra_Stories/10th_Mtn_Division/10th_mtn_division.html). "Overall, 2000 Tenth Division veterans moved to ski areas where they worked as instructors, patrolmen and managers, according to unit historians." (The_Wichita_Eagle_Mon__Apr_8__1996_.pdf).

How many of these 10th Mountain Division veterans influenced ski areas here in the Midwest?

This is what I found:

GEORGE NELSON JR., developed LUTSEN MOUNTAINS, Lutsen, MN.
https://www.cavallinfuneralhome.com/obituary/GEORGE-NELSONJR

PEPPI TEICHNER  " . . . After serving as a non-commissioned officer in the 10th Mountain Division during World War II, Teichner was involved in the early development of Aspen as a ski resort. In April, 1948 he moved to Leland, Michigan to manage the SUGAR LOAF Winter Sports project. A man of inexhaustible energy, Peppi was responsible for overall supervision and development. This included laying out the ski area and constructing tows, running the ski school, organizing ski races, coaching, promoting skiing and publicizing Sugar Loaf." (https://www.skihall.com/hall-of-famers/hans-peppi-teichner/)  

GLEN STANLEY, helped Chuck and Nancy Stone create BUCK HILL, MN near Minneapolis.
https://www.skimag.com/ski-resort-life/buck-hill-minn/

RICHARD BRESNAHAN who trained in Pando Colorado whill serving in the tenth Mountain Division created the PANDO SKI CENTER in Rockford, MI
https://www.mwlsap.org/michigan/mi.htm#pandoskicenter   

EDWIN FOSS, helped develop MADCAP WINTER SPORTS PARK near Clare, MI, along with Russell Foell and Dan Burdomi.
https://michigansforgottenskiareas.wordpress.com/2016/12/18/madcap-winter-sports-park/
http://www.mwlsap.org/michigan/mi.htm#madcap

FRED LONSDORF, managed MONT RIPLEY in Houghton MI.
https://snowbrains.com/10th-mountain-division-history-fire-mountain/ see comments, search “michigan”

ERNIE MARESKE - ski instructor at SUNDOWN Ski Area, Dubuque, IA.
Peak Performers - Retiree / Ski Instructor - The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) · Sat, Feb 28, 1998.

LAVERNE TREPP and IRVINE JOHNSON purchased PINE MOUNTAIN, Iron Mountain, MI.
Skiers and Snowboarders of the Midwest Facebook Group
https://www.pinemountainresort.com/our-resort/

JACK MURPHEY directed the MONT DU LAC, Superior WI, ski school.
Chicago_Tribune_Sun__Feb_3__1952_mondulac.pdf

 

Do you know of any others?

 

Granite Peak honors World War II veterans - Wausau Daily Herald (Wausau, Wisconsin) · Fri, Nov 10, 2006

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