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Colorado
Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame  Father John Lewis Dyer 1812-1901 Inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame 1977 | Home | Back to Alphabetical List | Year of Induction List | Back to Athlete | Back to Ski Sport Builder | Back to Inspirational |
John Dyer, a hearty man of God, skied his preaching circuits in pursuit of his religious commitments.
Dyer was one of the first Methodist ministers to tour Colorado's high country mining camps. He came to Denver, Colorado, from Minnesota in 1861. In Denver, he received orders to take over the Blue River Mission in Summit County, Colorado, in 1862. The following year, 1863, he received new orders and a new circuit. The new circuit encompassed Park City (Alma), Fairplay and Leadville. John Dyer was 50 years old when he began the mining camp circuits and he became acquainted with Norwegian snowshoes from split pine logs. The tips were boiled and turned up for his trips over 13,188 foot Mosquito Range where snow often drifted 20 feet deep.
For 20 years, Father John Lewis Dyer preached the circuit traveling from mining camp to mining camp. As a result, he became known as the "Snowshoe Itinerant." The title "Father" was given to him because of his concern for the people.