Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-02-24 | Page 4 | Battle Equipped Ski Troopers Complete Hazardous Trip

I Equipped Battle-Equipped Ski Troopers I Complete Hazardous Trip FORT LE LEWIS VIS Wash Feb 24 Fifteen Wi-Fifteen ff Fifteen officers and men of the Third divisions division's ski patrol completed at Naches pass Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day their seven-day seven trip over the southern crest of ot the Cascada Cascade Cascade Cas Cas- cade cada range to test the ability of the army's latest type of fightIng fighting fighting fight- fight Ing unit to maneuver under hazardous hazardous hazardous haz haz- mountain conditions Their trip which started at Snoqualmie pass last Monday took them over snow covered slopes seldom traversed even by bythe bythe bythe the most mOlt expert skiers They carried full battle equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment pound 40 packs and rifles I and sidearms They made in the snow cooked and ate their meals there and spent the night with only the protection protection protection tion of their sleeping bags The soldiers said these bags were ample in weather as all cold as 50 degrees below zero Alternate thaws and freezes which left many of the slopes so 80 icy the skis ski could not be edged into them added to the danger of the trip The soldiers carried out their maneuvers undetected by scouting scouting scouting scout scout- ing planes Finally the patrol spread black panels panel on the snow to reveal its position to the fliers s who dropped messages and newspaper to the skiers