A History of Skiing in Colorado

Skiing in Colorado is more than a century old, and for much of that time skis were a tool before they were a pastime. In the 1800s they helped people get around and stay alive in mountain winters. Abbott Fay's A History of Skiing in Colorado follows that long shift from survival to one of America's favorite sports.

The book is a revised version of an earlier work of Fay's, published as Ski Tracks: A Century of Colorado Skiing. The author made many additions and changes for this edition, and the record notes new photographs and new information throughout. Western Reflections published it, and Open Library dates the edition to 1999.

A reviewer who read it in 2022 describes a conversational tone, twelve chapters arranged by theme rather than strict date, and about thirty pages of appendices covering people, places, awards and groups. Archival photographs, some from the 1800s, run through the text. It is nonfiction history, written for anyone curious how Colorado came to be ski country.

This book suits readers who ski Colorado and wonder how the resorts, runs and traditions got started. It also fits local history fans, teachers building a unit on Colorado, and libraries that collect state history. You don't need to be a skier. The writing is conversational, the chapters are organized by theme, and the appendices let you jump straight to a person, a place or an award. If you already own the earlier Ski Tracks book, this version adds photographs and new material, so it is worth comparing the two on your shelf.

Abbott Fay was a historian who taught at Western State College in Gunnison and wrote a shelf of popular Colorado history. This was one of his best known subjects, and he revised it from an earlier edition rather than starting over. We publish six of his books. You can read more about him, and see the others, on his author page.

More about Abbott Fay →

Colorado's ski story starts well before the lift towers. In the 1800s, skis were practical gear in mountain country. The Colorado Mountain Club, founded in 1912, later helped towns develop their industries. Skiing then grew into a sport with its own heroes and its own tragedies.

Some of that history is baked into place names. Mount Werner takes its name from Buddy Werner, who died in an avalanche in 1964. Hughes' Run is named for Berrien Hughes, who suffered the first non-avalanche skiing death in 1939. St. Mary's Glacier once offered skiing on 365 days a year and held a special Independence Day ski meet.

In the 1960s and 1970s Colorado also argued over whether Denver should host the Olympics, a story the book treats in its own chapter. Fay's account runs from the 1800s to 1999, so it covers the full arc from survival gear to a major recreation industry. These details come from a published review of the book.

Source: Left Hand Valley Courier review