Trooper Traverse
Honoring the Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division

(Please contact Lou Dawson for available presentation)

[click here for route details]

In February of 1944, a small group of 10th Mountain Division soldiers made a winter crossing of the huge snow-covered mountains between Leadville and Aspen, Colorado. Their four day trip, on skis in the highest mountains in the Rockies, was an audacious statement of skill, poise, rugged self-reliance -- and the attraction of Aspen.

Louis Dawson skis from Darling Pass during the 2001 Trooper Traverse.

While legends of the trooper traverse circulated for years, details of the route remained untold. In 2000, well known ski mountaineer and writer Louis Dawson began researching the route by contacting surviving veterans and sifting through archives. He found a wealth of material, but realized that the only way to truly know the trooper traverse was to do it himself. Teaming up with photographers Brian Litz and Chris Clark, Dawson repeated the route in late winter of 2001.

Dawson's ensuing multimedia presentation, The Trooper Traverse, blends original historic photos of the soldier's trip with Brian Litz shots of his 2001 journey, for an unforgettable view of what Dawson calls "the perfect trip." What's more, in his presentation Dawson details the heroic combat of the 10th during W.W.II, and the immense influence the 10th Mountain Division had on the ski and outdoor industry in America when they returned from the war.

10th Mountain troopers crest the Continental Divide during their historic 1944 ski traverse from Leadville to Aspen, Colorado.

"From the start, it was obvious to me that one of the trooper's main goals was to enjoy the mountains before they crossed the sea to harm's way," says Dawson. "Trooper Richard Rocker later wrote that it was one of the more 'memorable occasions of the Camp Hale experience.'" "Indeed," says Lou, "our re-creation of the trip turned out to be one of the best times I've had in my career as a ski mountaineer. There is nothing like combining Colorado's mountains, snow, skis, good companions and rich history -- those are the ingredients for the perfect ski mountaineering trip."

(Exact dates for original Trooper Traverse: February 21-24, 1944. The soldiers arrived in Aspen on the 24th, spent the night in town and were trucked back to Camp Hale during the afternoon of February 25th.)

Please contact Lou Dawson to schedule a presentation of the Trooper Traverse. Previous venues have been very happy with this multimedia show. See bottom of this page for previous venues, and feel free to contact them if you'd like to know how the show went. The fee schedule for this presentation varies by travel distance, time, and type of venue. Lou can explain the details if you're interested.

[feature article]

[route details]

[Roster of men on original trip.]

[short media biography of Lou] [long media biography of Lou]

[sample publication article and press release, fill in the blanks for your own venue]

[another sample article about the Trooper Traverse and presentation, longer]

[sample short announcement article for newsletter, newspaper, etc.]

[Richard Rocker account of original trip.]

[Burdell Winter eulogy]

[90 Pounds of Rucksack, 10th Mountain marching song.]

following copyrighted downloads are for media use by permission only:
[download high-res print version of map]

[download high-res print version of ski photo]

[download high-res print version of Lou mug, credit Joe McBride]

[download high-res print version of Lou portrait, credit Brian Litz]

[download high-res print version of Ralph Ball photo, with caption, credit Ralph Ball Collection]
[download high-res print version of Ralph Ball photo, no caption, credit Ralph Ball Collection]

Sample of previous venues:
November 10, 2001 -- Local's screening at River Valley Ranch, Carbondale, Colorado
December 5, 2001 -- Summit Canyon Mountaineering, Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
December 13, 2001 -- Mountain Chalet, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
January 18, 2002 -- Aspen, 10th Mountain Huts event, Paepcke Auditorium.
January 24, 2002 -- Neptune Mountaineering, Boulder CO.
January 29, 2002 -- Crested Butte Center for the Arts.
February 1, 2002 -- American Alpine Club Annual Meeting, Cliff Lodge, Snowbird, Utah.
February 14, 2002 -- Private showing, Aspen, Colorado.
August 2006 -- Private showing, Squaw Valley, California