NINETY POUND RUCKSACK: The Story of the 10th Mountain Division and the Dawn of Outdoor Recreation in America | Aspen Community Church
Discover the remarkable legacy of the 10th Mountain Division and its pivotal role in shaping modern skiing and outdoor recreation. This engaging presentation explores how a World War II unit of soldier-skiers transformed America’s mountains and inspired a culture of adventure that endures today.
Christian Beckwith is the founder and executive director of The Teton Climbers’ Coalition and has spent more than three decades immersed in the world of alpinism. He began his career in Jackson, Wyoming, launching climbing organizations and publications before becoming the youngest editor of The American Alpine Journal in 1996. In 2002, he co-founded Alpinist Magazine, hailed by Reinhold Messner as “the greatest climbing magazine in the world today.”
Christian has organized film festivals, developed public climbing spaces, and founded SHIFT, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing nature as a determinant of health. His expeditions span Kyrgyzstan, Alaska, Peru, and Tibet, and he has skied the Grand Teton multiple times. In 2023, he was inducted into the 10th Mountain Division’s Warrior Hall of Fame for his contributions to preserving its history. He lives in Jackson, Wyoming, with his wife and daughter.