Camp Hale is located in a valley on the north side of Tennessee Pass between Vail and Leadville and was the spot where the 10^th Mountain Division trained during World War II before being deployed to Europe toward the end of the war. They were considered elite ski troops and especially well trained for winter combat in the mountains. Not much remains at the site of the camp, just some foundations and a few ruined buildings but historical markers along the road tell the story of the site.

Many of those who trained at Camp Hale returned to the area after the war and were instrumental in developing Colorado's ski industry and especially Vail, a story explained in the Colorado Ski Museum near the center of Vail . I decided for my last fall day in the mountains to check out the area around Camp Hale and the nearby town of Red Cliff, Sylvan Lake near Eagle, and a last stop for the day at Vail’s Oktoberfest. I’m sad to say it because Vail is usually such a pleasant town, but its Oktoberfest is pretty lame compared to the one in Breckenridge.