CAST
IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Ninety-Pound Rucksack recounts the 10th Mountain Division’s tale from the perspective of the climbers, skiers and military leaders who helped shape it. To keep track of who’s who, we update this page with each new episode, providing an overview of the characters introduced.
EPISODE 1: THE WINTER WAR
How the 1939 Soviet invasion of Finland catalyzed the creation of the 10th Mountain Division… with a little help from the National Ski Patrol System, the United States Army, and a couple of twenty-something climbers from The American Alpine Club.
![Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole (April 18, 1899 – March 14, 1976). Born in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, Dole learned how to ski in the Boy Scouts, attended Andover, and enlisted in the US Army during World War I, which finished before he completed his basic training. Following the war, he graduated from Yale University in 1923. In 1938, Dole and Roger Langley, the president of the National Ski Association of America, had conceived of the National Ski Patrol System, influenced both by Dole’s January 2, 1936, ski accident at Stowe that resulted in a broken ankle, and the March 8, 1936 death of Dole’s best friend, Frank Edson, during a ski race held under the auspices of the Amateur Ski Club of New York, of which Dole was a member. Dole became the NSPS’s first director, a capacity he retained until 1949. Dole is often credited with the 10th Mountain Division’s formation. His lobbying efforts on behalf of the NSPS influenced the inception of the Army’s experimental winter training during the winter of 1940-41 and the November 15, 1941, activation of the First Battalion of the 87th Infantry Mountain Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington. It also resulted in the retention of the NSPS as the Army’s central civilian partner in the Division, advising the Army on training and equipment and heading up recruitment and vetting of applicants. Following the war, under Dole’s leadership, the NSPS continued to expand throughout the US and influenced similar models around the world.](https://christianbeckwith.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Cast-Test.png "Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole (April 18, 1899 – March 14, 1976). Born in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, Dole learned how to ski in the Boy Scouts, attended Andover, and enlisted in the US Army during World War I, which finished before he completed his basic training. Following the war, he graduated from Yale University in 1923. In 1938, Dole and Roger Langley, the president of the National Ski Association of America, had conceived of the National Ski Patrol System, influenced both by Dole’s January 2, 1936, ski accident at Stowe that resulted in a broken ankle, and the March 8, 1936 death of Dole’s best friend, Frank Edson, during a ski race held under the auspices of the Amateur Ski Club of New York, of which Dole was a member. Dole became the NSPS’s first director, a capacity he retained until 1949. Dole is often credited with the 10th Mountain Division’s formation. His lobbying efforts on behalf of the NSPS influenced the inception of the Army’s experimental winter training during the winter of 1940-41 and the November 15, 1941, activation of the First Battalion of the 87th Infantry Mountain Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington. It also resulted in the retention of the NSPS as the Army’s central civilian partner in the Division, advising the Army on training and equipment and heading up recruitment and vetting of applicants. Following the war, under Dole’s leadership, the NSPS continued to expand throughout the US and influenced similar models around the world.")
This episode provides a sweeping overview of the history of skiing in America as told through the experiences of one of the 10th Mountain Division’s greatest unsung heroes, John Andrew McCown II.
![](https://christianbeckwith.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Hannes-Schneider.webp "Johann "Hannes" Schneider (24 June 1890 – 26 April 1955). Often referred to as the “Father of Modern Skiing,” Schneider was the inventor of the Arlberg Technique, which helped displace Norway's dominance of the sport in the 1920s in favor of the form of skiing as we know it today. An outspoken critic of the Nazis, Schneider was stripped of his ski school and imprisoned in 1938 following the Anschluss, Germany’s annexation of Austria. A masterclass in international relations brought him to North Conway, New Hampshire, where he reopened his school, teaching Americans to ski the Arlberg way until his death in 1955. During World War II, he helped train the 10th Mountain Division to ski; his son, Herbert, was in the 10th as well.")
EPISODE 2, PART 2: THE STATE OF THE ART – CLIMBING
Episode 2, Part 2 delivers a deep dive into the state of American and European climbing before the war, as well as how the rise of the Third Reich caused some of the best German and Austro-Hungarian mountaineers to emigrate, influencing climbing and skiing in America and contributing to 10th Mountain Division’s fighting skills.
The Drumbeats of War: Episode 3 explores the 10th Mountain Division’s backstory in the lead-up to America’s entry into World War II.
![Lesley James McNair (May 25, 1883 – July 25, 1944) was a senior United States Army officer who in World War II became the commander of Army Ground Forces. The "unsung architect of the U.S. Army,” he played a leading role in organizational design, equipping, and training of Army units. Much of the resistance to a mountain division is attributed to McNair, who had been tasked with growing the Army from some 200,000 soldiers before the war to an eventual force of more than 8 million men.](https://christianbeckwith.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Brigadier_General_Lesley_J._McNair_1919.jpg "Brigadier General Leslie McNair: Lesley James McNair (May 25, 1883 – July 25, 1944) was a senior United States Army officer who in World War II became the commander of Army Ground Forces. The "unsung architect of the U.S. Army,” he played a leading role in organizational design, equipping, and training of Army units. Much of the resistance to a mountain division is attributed to McNair, who had been tasked with growing the Army from some 200,000 soldiers before the war to an eventual force of more than 8 million men.")
A deep dive into the US Army’s experimental ski patrols of 1940-1941, and the world events leading up to the activation of the 1st Battalion (Reinforced), 87th Mountain Infantry at Ft. Lewis, Washington—the unit that would later evolve into the 10th Mountain Division.
Episode 5, Paradise, follows the 87th Infantry Mountain Regiment as it prepares to train in Paradise Valley on the flanks of Mount Rainier.
![Walter Prager (1920 - 1984) (HQ 3RD 87TH INF) was one of the best skiers of his generation, and one of the most famous Born in Bonn, Germany, he grew up in Arosa, Switzerland, in the Swiss Alps, where he taught himself to ski and began competitive skiing as a boy. In 1931, he became the first World Champion in downhill skiing when he won the World Championship in Mürren. He won the race again two years later; he also won the Alberg-Kandahar slalom race three times, the Parsenn Derby twice, the Grison combined jumping and cross-country skiing race five times, the Hahnenkamm, Lauberhorn and a string of other premier alpine races and was the Swiss cross-country and jumping champion. Prager served as coach and trainer of the cross country team of the Swiss Ski Association and was running a successful ski school at Davos when he was discovered by Dartmouth college officials who were on the lookout for a new coach. After serving several months in the Swiss Army, he arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he succeeded Otto Schniebs as Dartmouth’s ski coach. He would coach the team for 17 seasons, from 1936 through 1957, with the exception of 1941-1945, when he served with the 10th Mountain Division. After joining the Army in 1941, he was temporarily discharged to work with famed Dartmouth skier Dick Durrance as a civilian ski instructor training army units in Alta, Utah. He returned to Ft. Lewis in time to help instruct the troops of the 1st Battalion (Reinforced), 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment in Mount Rainier National Park’s Paradise Valley. During this time, he placed second in the Silver Skis race on Mt. Rainier. He continued to instruct with the mountain troops all the way through their deployment to Italy in late 1944. In 1945, he won the Bronze Star for valor in action in the Apennine mountains. In 1948, he was named head Alpine coach of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team for the games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, coaching all four events: downhill, slalom, cross-country and jumping. Back at Dartmouth, his teams won the Dartmouth Winter Carnival Cup 13 times, while individual Dartmouth skiers became Eastern and National titlists in every event except jumping and a total of 18 of his "boys" skied on U.S. Olympic teams. Any pre-season estimate of collegiate standings had to include Dartmouth simply because of Prager’s ability to teach, coach and bring forth the maximum effort from his skiers. Over a dozen of Prager’s Dartmouth skiers went on to earn Olympic team spots. He is credited with having consistently developed some of America's finest collegiate ski teams and individual skiers, many of whom won national titles, All-American honors, and skied on U.S. Olympic teams.](https://christianbeckwith.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Screen-Shot-2023-06-07-at-10.41.07-AM.jpeg "Walter Prager (1920 - 1984) (HQ 3RD 87TH INF) was one of the best skiers of his generation, and one of the most famous Born in Bonn, Germany, he grew up in Arosa, Switzerland, in the Swiss Alps, where he taught himself to ski and began competitive skiing as a boy. In 1931, he became the first World Champion in downhill skiing when he won the World Championship in Mürren. He won the race again two years later; he also won the Alberg-Kandahar slalom race three times, the Parsenn Derby twice, the Grison combined jumping and cross-country skiing race five times, the Hahnenkamm, Lauberhorn and a string of other premier alpine races and was the Swiss cross-country and jumping champion. Prager served as coach and trainer of the cross country team of the Swiss Ski Association and was running a successful ski school at Davos when he was discovered by Dartmouth college officials who were on the lookout for a new coach. After serving several months in the Swiss Army, he arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he succeeded Otto Schniebs as Dartmouth’s ski coach. He would coach the team for 17 seasons, from 1936 through 1957, with the exception of 1941-1945, when he served with the 10th Mountain Division. After joining the Army in 1941, he was temporarily discharged to work with famed Dartmouth skier Dick Durrance as a civilian ski instructor training army units in Alta, Utah. He returned to Ft. Lewis in time to help instruct the troops of the 1st Battalion (Reinforced), 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment in Mount Rainier National Park’s Paradise Valley. During this time, he placed second in the Silver Skis race on Mt. Rainier. He continued to instruct with the mountain troops all the way through their deployment to Italy in late 1944. In 1945, he won the Bronze Star for valor in action in the Apennine mountains. In 1948, he was named head Alpine coach of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team for the games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, coaching all four events: downhill, slalom, cross-country and jumping. Back at Dartmouth, his teams won the Dartmouth Winter Carnival Cup 13 times, while individual Dartmouth skiers became Eastern and National titlists in every event except jumping and a total of 18 of his "boys" skied on U.S. Olympic teams. Any pre-season estimate of collegiate standings had to include Dartmouth simply because of Prager’s ability to teach, coach and bring forth the maximum effort from his skiers. Over a dozen of Prager’s Dartmouth skiers went on to earn Olympic team spots. He is credited with having consistently developed some of America's finest collegiate ski teams and individual skiers, many of whom won national titles, All-American honors, and skied on U.S. Olympic teams.")
EPISODE 6: NINETY POUNDS OF RUCKSACK
Episode 6 follows the mountain troops to Mount Rainier National Park where, in the middle of February 1942, they began their ski training at one of the best places a soldier could ever learn to ski—a place called, appropriately enough, Paradise.
EPISODE 7: MOUNTAIN INTELLIGENCE
Episode 7 details the life and contributions of H. Adams Carter, father of American mountain warfare doctrine, to the mountain troops.
![Charles Snead Houston (August 24, 1913 – September 27, 2009) was a multifaceted American figure known for his roles as a physician, mountaineer, high-altitude investigator, inventor, author, filmmaker, and former Peace Corps administrator. He played tangential roles in the 10th Mountain Division, assisting in the American Alpine Club’s initial efforts to launch a mountain unit and helping his lifelong friends H. Adams Carter and Bob Bates with various facets of its development. Born in New York in 1913, Houston grew up in Great Neck on Long Island and received his education at The Hotchkiss School and Harvard University. He further earned a Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Houston's mountaineering journey began in the Alps alongside his father, where they met Scottish mountaineer T. Graham Brown. His early climbing experiences extended to expeditions in Canada and America, including the second ascent of Mount Foraker in 1934. In 1936, he joined the British–American Himalayan Expedition, reaching the summit of Nanda Devi in India. Houston led the first American Karakoram expedition to K2 in 1938, mapping a route later used by the Italian team that successfully summited in 1954. In 1950, Houston and H.W. Tilman led an expedition to the Khumbu Glacier, examining the Khumbu Icefall, a route later taken by Sir Edmund Hillary in Everest's first successful ascent. He attempted K2 again in 1953, facing a dramatic event known as "The Belay," one of the most famous incidents in mountaineering history. Following the 1953 K2 expedition, Houston shifted his focus to medical practice and teaching. He practiced internal medicine in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Aspen, Colorado, eventually becoming a Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont. Houston's expertise in high-altitude medicine led him to study the effects of high altitude, contributing to research on altitude-related conditions like High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and High Altitude Retinal Hemorrhage. He organized the International Hypoxia Symposia in the Canadian Rockies, earning the King Albert Medal of Merit in 1996 for his "singular achievements" in the mountain world. In addition to his medical contributions, Houston was involved in early attempts to construct an artificial heart, influencing later developments like the Jarvik-7 model. From 1962 to 1965, Houston served as the first Country Director of the Peace Corps for India. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in expanding the volunteers in India and was instrumental in developing a doctors' division within the Corps.](https://christianbeckwith.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_1824.jpeg "Charles Snead Houston (August 24, 1913 – September 27, 2009) was a multifaceted American figure known for his roles as a physician, mountaineer, high-altitude investigator, inventor, author, filmmaker, and former Peace Corps administrator. He played tangential roles in the 10th Mountain Division, assisting in the American Alpine Club’s initial efforts to launch a mountain unit and helping his lifelong friends H. Adams Carter and Bob Bates with various facets of its development. Born in New York in 1913, Houston grew up in Great Neck on Long Island and received his education at The Hotchkiss School and Harvard University. He further earned a Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Houston's mountaineering journey began in the Alps alongside his father, where they met Scottish mountaineer T. Graham Brown. His early climbing experiences extended to expeditions in Canada and America, including the second ascent of Mount Foraker in 1934. In 1936, he joined the British–American Himalayan Expedition, reaching the summit of Nanda Devi in India. Houston led the first American Karakoram expedition to K2 in 1938, mapping a route later used by the Italian team that successfully summited in 1954. In 1950, Houston and H.W. Tilman led an expedition to the Khumbu Glacier, examining the Khumbu Icefall, a route later taken by Sir Edmund Hillary in Everest's first successful ascent. He attempted K2 again in 1953, facing a dramatic event known as "The Belay," one of the most famous incidents in mountaineering history. Following the 1953 K2 expedition, Houston shifted his focus to medical practice and teaching. He practiced internal medicine in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Aspen, Colorado, eventually becoming a Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont. Houston's expertise in high-altitude medicine led him to study the effects of high altitude, contributing to research on altitude-related conditions like High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and High Altitude Retinal Hemorrhage. He organized the International Hypoxia Symposia in the Canadian Rockies, earning the King Albert Medal of Merit in 1996 for his "singular achievements" in the mountain world. In addition to his medical contributions, Houston was involved in early attempts to construct an artificial heart, influencing later developments like the Jarvik-7 model. From 1962 to 1965, Houston served as the first Country Director of the Peace Corps for India. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in expanding the volunteers in India and was instrumental in developing a doctors' division within the Corps.")
EPISODE 8: GEAR HEADS, PART 1
Episode 8: Gear Heads, Part 1 is the first segment of our two-part mini-series that examines the equipment, clothing and food developed, at great expense, for the 10th Mountain Division.
![Richard Manning Leonard (October 22, 1908 – July 31, 1993) was an influential American rock climber, environmentalist, and attorney who served in the Office of the Quartmaster General during World War II, where he contributed to the development of equipment such as the nylon rope to the mountain troops. Born in Elyria, Ohio, Leonard graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his law degree from the same institution. In 1932, Leonard co-founded the Cragmont Climbing Club in Berkeley, California, alongside notable climbers such as Jules Eichorn and Bestor Robinson. Renowned for his systematic and experimental approach to rock climbing safety and technology, Leonard conducted pioneering tests on climber falls and belaying techniques, earning him the title "the father of California rock climbing" from Steve Roper. The Cragmont Climbing Club later merged with the Sierra Club's Rock Climbing Section. In 1934, Leonard, along with Robinson and Eichorn, achieved the first ascent of the challenging Eichorn Pinnacle on Cathedral Peak in Yosemite National Park. This marked a significant milestone in the development of climbing in the region. During World War II, Leonard served in the U.S. Army, contributing his skills to the Office of the Quartermaster general, where he collaborated with Bestor Robinson on improving equipment and clothing for the army's mountain divisions. His efforts earned him the Bronze Star, and he actively participated in the fight against the Japanese in Burma. In 1948, Leonard became a founding director and general counsel for Varian Associates, a pioneering scientific instrument company in Silicon Valley. This role showcased his versatility and contributions beyond the realms of climbing and conservation. Leonard's commitment to environmental causes was evident in his extensive involvement with organizations such as the Sierra Club, the Save the Redwoods League, the Wilderness Society, and the American Alpine Club. Serving on the Sierra Club's board of directors from 1938 to 1972, he assumed the role of its president from 1953 to 1955. Leonard's impact reverberates through the mountains he climbed, the conservation efforts he championed, and the innovative spirit he brought to the world of rock climbing and beyond. His dedication to preserving natural spaces and advancing climbing safety has left an enduring mark on both outdoor enthusiasts and environmentalists alike.](https://christianbeckwith.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_2184-scaled.jpg "Richard Manning Leonard (October 22, 1908 – July 31, 1993) was an influential American rock climber, environmentalist, and attorney who served in the Office of the Quartmaster General during World War II, where he contributed to the development of equipment such as the nylon rope to the mountain troops. Born in Elyria, Ohio, Leonard graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his law degree from the same institution. In 1932, Leonard co-founded the Cragmont Climbing Club in Berkeley, California, alongside notable climbers such as Jules Eichorn and Bestor Robinson. Renowned for his systematic and experimental approach to rock climbing safety and technology, Leonard conducted pioneering tests on climber falls and belaying techniques, earning him the title "the father of California rock climbing" from Steve Roper. The Cragmont Climbing Club later merged with the Sierra Club's Rock Climbing Section. In 1934, Leonard, along with Robinson and Eichorn, achieved the first ascent of the challenging Eichorn Pinnacle on Cathedral Peak in Yosemite National Park. This marked a significant milestone in the development of climbing in the region. During World War II, Leonard served in the U.S. Army, contributing his skills to the Office of the Quartermaster general, where he collaborated with Bestor Robinson on improving equipment and clothing for the army's mountain divisions. His efforts earned him the Bronze Star, and he actively participated in the fight against the Japanese in Burma. In 1948, Leonard became a founding director and general counsel for Varian Associates, a pioneering scientific instrument company in Silicon Valley. This role showcased his versatility and contributions beyond the realms of climbing and conservation. Leonard's commitment to environmental causes was evident in his extensive involvement with organizations such as the Sierra Club, the Save the Redwoods League, the Wilderness Society, and the American Alpine Club. Serving on the Sierra Club's board of directors from 1938 to 1972, he assumed the role of its president from 1953 to 1955. Leonard's impact reverberates through the mountains he climbed, the conservation efforts he championed, and the innovative spirit he brought to the world of rock climbing and beyond. His dedication to preserving natural spaces and advancing climbing safety has left an enduring mark on both outdoor enthusiasts and environmentalists alike.")
EPISODE 9: GEAR HEADS, PART 2
Episode 9: Gear Heads, Part 2 reveals the collaborative efforts of America’s leading mountaineers to equip the 10th Mountain Division for war.
