Omayra Acevedo, Colorado Rocky Mountains. Sometimes I feel as if I am at war with life. I can only imagine that several of us feel this way. I had so many plans for 2020 and everything has been halted. This is particularly difficult for me because I don’t want much. Staying homebound is not a big deal for me either. It’s everything else that fell out of place as our pandemic progressed. I don’t feel the need to have the newest gadget, a massive home or any superficial riches. What I do want is a home of my own, where I can work from my home office as a full-time writer; far away from others with a garage and a fireplace. That’s it. Everything else I can do without.

In 1942, Camp Hale was built in the Pando Valley north of Leadville. That is after a few failed attempts to build in other parts of our country - like, Yellowstone and Montana. The US Army wanted to establish a mountain division where troops could train to fight in winter conditions and rugged terrain. Camp Hale served as the training grounds for the US Army’s Tenth Mountain Division (also known as the Tenth) during World War II. There, men learned to ski, snowshoe, and climb. According to history, many soldiers who trained at the camp later played a crucial role in developing the ski industry in America. 

After the war, veterans of the Tenth began forming ski resorts in Vail and Ski Cooper. Both are not too far from the remains of Camp Hale. The Tenth Mountain Division was the US Army’s first and only Mountain Infantry. At its height, the camp had more than 1,000 structures and housed roughly 15,000 troops. Since WWII, the Tenth has been deactivated and reactivated, in 1985. Camp Hale, however, is now a ghost town with a history that few know about or remember. For some people, war is something they don’t agree with. I can wrap my head around that. Nonetheless, in my humble opinion, those who make the choice to stand up for an entire country’s freedom deserve acknowledgement and respect. 

Many battles have been fought, won, and lost. I have no clue what it’s like to fight a real war or even fight with another human being. I don’t care for any sort of negativity. What I do care about is keeping peace in my life, my dreams, and my personal triumphs. I crave for success like I have never experienced it before. Whether it will come to fruition or not, only I can determine that. For now, I continue the fight between my head, my heart, and time. 

(Originally published in the December 10, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)