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This is the original large format 1965 Hal Shelton Ski country USA, which would later be re-issued over at least the next ten years, more commonly in a smaller 28 x 20 inch format.
The travel poster offers a panoramic representation of the Rocky Mountains, renowned for its detailed terrain depiction and artistic precision. Shelton, a Colorado native, was a pioneer in natural-color cartography, a technique that combined scientific accuracy with artistic realism. His extensive work with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies informed his approach, which emphasized topographical clarity, depth, and the natural beauty of the landscape. Recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the great contributors to American cartography, Shelton’s influence extended far beyond this map, but it was Ski Country USA that became one of his most enduring legacies.
The map provides a sweeping aerial view of Colorado's mountainous terrain, stretching from Denver and Colorado Springs at the foothills of the Rockies to the snow-covered ski resorts nestled in the high-altitude basins and valleys, reaching to western ski mountains including Crested Butte and Grand Mesa (but no Telluride, which was not opened until 1972). It prominently displays the names of mountains, passes, and ski areas, including both iconic resorts and those that have since disappeared, such as Geneva Basin and Squaw Pass.
For more than a decade, this map served as the definitive guide for skiers and tourism in Colorado. Its popularity earned Shelton a lifetime ski pass to all the resorts, a testament to the map’s impact and his contributions to outdoor recreation and cartography.
Shelton is credited as one of the inventors of the modern ski area trail map. An avid skier and trained cartographer, Shelton pioneered the use of the shaded relief map in depicting ski trails.
Shelton earned a degree in Scientific Illustration from Pomona College, before joining the US Geological Survey during World War II. After the War, he settled in Golden, Colorado. Shelton has been referred to a "cartographic populist . . .[who] thought existing map symbology was too abstract for general audiences, so he began experimenting with natural-color maps [indicating] topography with subtle terrain shading."
Shelton produced maps for airlines, classrooms and textbooks, before being discovered by the ski industry. Ultimately, he would produce the first "modern" trail maps for Alta, Jackson Hole, Aspen, Mammoth Mountain, Winter Park, Sun Valley, Purgatory, Waterville Valley and many others. One of his most famous works is an imaginary view of all of the Colorado Mountains and ski areas from 100,000 feet above Denver.
