Resorts across Colorado are gearing up to open their lifts in the coming weeks, Keystone and Loveland are projected to open as soon as Halloween.

But before the resorts, Colorado had the 10th Mountain Division — a U.S. Army unit that trained at Camp Hale near Leadville during World War II.

Soldiers there learned to fight, ski and survive in some of the harshest alpine conditions imaginable. When they returned home, many of them brought that same love of the mountains into civilian life, helping to start or grow some of the state’s best-known resorts, including Vail, Aspen and Arapahoe Basin.

The 10th’s influence can still be felt today. Backcountry skiers make use of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, a network of remote cabins stretching through the central Rockies. And at Ski Cooper, near the original Camp Hale site, visitors can ski the same slopes where soldiers once trained. (remove the hut association. Focus more on ski cooper)

For local skiers, the history just adds to the anticipation. Colorado’s ski season usually starts in late October or early November, depending on early snow and snowmaking conditions.

So while the leaves are still falling along the Front Range, the countdown is on. Soon, chairlifts will hum, coffee thermoses will steam, and the early-bird skiers will be carving down runs that carry nearly a century of mountain tradition.

In Colorado, ski season isn’t just recreation — it’s a return to something that’s been part of the state’s spirit for generations.

Whether you’re heading for the back bowls of Vail or a quiet run at Monarch, the excitement of a new season always comes with a little extra pride in Colorado’s mountain heritage.