Remembering Robert Stone "Bob" Balch (1909-1944)
Memorial Day is a federal holiday honoring and mourning U.S. military personnel who died while serving their country. This weekend, we want to remember the life of Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame member, Robert Stone Balch, who served with the United States Army Air Forces. Inducted in 1978, Robert is the only inductee who died while courageously serving our country, in addition to making an impact on our state’s snow sports industry before his enlistment. Next time you’re at Winter Park Resort and sliding down the Balch Trail, you might have a deeper appreciation for the person this run was named after.
The following takes a deep dive into the life of Bob Balch.
SGT Robert Stone "Bob" Balch (1909-1944)
Robert “Bob” Balch was born on May 9, 1909, in Jamaica Plain, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Bob was a Harvard architectural graduate. Through school, he participated in the 1931 Hochgebirge Cup ski race on Mt. Moosilauke, New Hampshire. This was the first year this race took place. Today, it claims to be one of the oldest continuously operating downhill ski clubs in the United States. We do know, however, that the Colorado Arlberg Club came to fruition a few years before in 1929.
In 1934, Bob first came to Colorado to compete in the National Ski Championships in Estes Park. Through Bob’s ski connections, he was contacted by a group of Denver businessmen to evaluate the Jones Pass area for skiing potential. Jones Pass is at an elevation of 12,454 feet and is a mountain pass that crosses the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. His familiarity with the Continental Divide evolved into a characteristic love for guiding visitors on ski-touring trips into its many cirques and valleys.
Bob also played a significant role in the development of skiing infrastructure in Colorado. When the Moffatt Tunnel through the Continental Divide made the deep snow of the Western Slope available in the late 1920s, Denver's Arlberg Club began cutting the Mary Jane Trail near the West Portal of the tunnel. Bob became caretaker of the club's lodge there and was on hand when George Cranmer began developing Winter Park in the late 1930s to lay out its first runs. Around 1938, Bob supervised the development of Denver's Winter Park at West Portal.
In 1940, Bob was appointed Winter Park's first manager and was responsible for the installation of its first famous T-bar. Bob designed ski tows and several trails that still exist today such as Hughes, Parkway Run, and Bridge Run (now Larry Sale). Bob operated as Winter Park’s manager until he enlisted in the Army. Furthermore, Bob was also one of the innovators who frequently introduced skiing turns at Colorado's jumping areas.
Enlisting from Colorado in 1942, Bob served with the United States Army Air Forces. Tragically, Bob was killed when his troop transport was torpedoed in the Mediterranean during World War II. He served with the 32nd Photographic Squadron, 5th Reconnaissance Group (Service #17100727). He has been listed as missing in action since the transport he was on was sunk in the Mediterranean on April 20, 1944. He was 34 years old (Source: Find a Grave Memorial ID 56245446).
Bob was on board the SS Paul Hamilton (Hull Number 227), which was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Paul Hamilton, the third United States Secretary of the Navy. On her fifth voyage, the SS Paul Hamilton left Hampton Roads, Virginia on April 2, 1944, as part of convoy UGS 38, carrying supplies and the ground personnel of the 485th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces to Italy. On the evening of April 20, it was attacked thirty miles in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Cape Benguet near Algiers by twenty-three German Ju 88 bombers. One aerial torpedo struck the Paul Hamilton and detonated the cargo of high explosives and bombs, and the ship and crew disappeared within 30 seconds. The crew and passengers, who included 154 officers and men of the 831st Bombardment Squadron, were all lost. Of the 580 men aboard only one body was recovered.
Robert Stone Balch received a Purple Heart. He was buried at the North African American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia. Today, and this Memorial Day weekend, let us take a moment to honor Bob and thank him for all he did for our country, making the ultimate sacrifice, and for all he did for the snow sports industry in his hometown of Colorado. Although he never returned to his beloved Colorado mountains, Bob’s legacy is marked by a lifelong commitment to the sport he loved and a lasting influence on the skiing community in Colorado.
The Balch Trail at Winter Park was named in Bob’s honor and cut in 1945. Balch is a steep black-diamond mogul run that begins near the top of Zephyr Lift and comes out into Village Way, running parallel to Bradley’s Bash. Next time you’re at Winter Park, take this run in honor of Bob and his sacrifice.
Balch trail is shown at the center. It’s a steep black-diamond mogul run off of Hughes at Winter Park.
About the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame:
Founded in 1975 and located in Vail, Colorado, our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. The priceless artifacts we collect and display tell the story of the birth, rise and explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. The Museum features displays including Climb to Glory about the 10th Mountain Division, Vail's DNA, The Colorado Snowboard Archive, and The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, among many others. Learn more and consider supporting the Museum by becoming a member: https://www.snowsportsmuseum.org.