The Pando Valley was originally homesteaded in the 1890s and had been used for ranching until the army acquired it in 1942. In March 1942 the army decided to build its mountain training camp in the Pando Valley north of Leadville. The army briefly considered a location near West Yellowstone, Montana, but it was rejected for environmental reasons (the camp would have disturbed the local trumpeter swan population). Soon it became clear that a larger training site would be needed. After the United States entered World War II, the US Army’s Eighty-seventh Mountain Infantry Regiment began to train near Mt. In spring 1941, the US Army began to consider establishing a mountain division trained to fight in winter conditions and rugged terrain. After the war, Camp Hale saw occasional military use but was officially deactivated in 1965 and transferred to the White River National Forest for rehabilitation and recreational use. Many soldiers who trained at the camp later played a crucial role in developing the ski industry in America. Troops learned to ski, snowshoe, and climb at the camp, allowing them to perform important operations in northern Italy in early 1945. Built in the Pando Valley north of Leadville in 1942, Camp Hale served as the training grounds for the US Army’s Tenth Mountain Division during World War II.
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