John Day

Greetings, this is Nelson Olmstead. Today let's follow the trail of a famous adventurer from southern Oregon. Before we leave, here's Clint Hoover to say a few words in behalf of Pacific Power. Welcome once again to Stories of Pacific Powerland, a presentation of Pacific Power and Light, the company that has been serving the electric needs of the regions, homes, farms, and industries

through more than half a century of progress and growth. Now, with his story book open to today's chapter, here's Nelson. Some men perhaps are born to adventure. With John Day of Central Point in Southern Oregon, the lure of spine-tingling, death-defying adventure came along rather late in life.

John began climbing mountains and globe-drotting when he was 48 years of age. As he explains it, my theory is simple. Most of us spend the first 20 years building up our physical and mental capabilities.

The next 20 years tearing them down again, and then if you survive until the third 20 years, you get busy and try to salvage what you have left. Well, John Day, now past the 56-year mark, has plenty left.

You'll notice these days that he walks with a limp, which he explains this way. Well, that's a souvenir from Mount McKinley in Alaska, broke both ankles in the fall. Well, I thought I was a goner for a while.

This ankle never did knit right. It slows down the climbing somewhat, but doesn't seem to bother me on the skis. After his near-fatal accident on Mount McKinley, John spent three consecutive winters in Norway learning the fine points of cross-country ski running.

In the process, injured ankle notwithstanding, he managed to set endurance records for ski running for still stand. He says, I ski 10 to 20 miles every day in the winter. On a cross-country run, you encounter every conceivable type of situation to test physical and mental processes.