The Trapp Family (10:56)

seg_thetrappfamily The singing legacy of the Trapp Family Singers, who favored Austrian independence from Germany and thus opted to flee the Nazi takeover of their country, is well known and documented; however, what is less known is that upon immigrating to the United States the family created a significant skiing legacy. The two older brothers, Rupert and Werner, served in the 10^th Mountain Division, America’s first division of mountain troops, while later the younger brother, Johannes, created the first cross-country ski resort in the Americas, alongside the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. That the Trapp Family Lodge cross-country center is still in operation today is a testament to the success of Johannes',and the Americas’ first, commercial cross-country ski resort. This story is told primarily by Johannes von Trapp, originally well known as a member of Trapp Family Singers, but now better known as the owner and head of the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.