Jon Torsteinson Rue

I've digitized some more slides from my 2002 bicycle trip
of Norway and Sweden. List at:

http://www.dermott.ca/nord2002/fotos/index.html

Getting back to skiing topic:

On July 6 2002, I was descending from Hardangervidda (1200 m)
to Lake Tinn (200 m) and I saw a monument marking the
birthplace of Jon Torsteinson (from) Rue. Direct link
to photo:

http://www.dermott.ca/nord2002/fotos/torsteins.jpg

WHAT? You don't know who Jon, son-of-Torstein was!?

He was born in this remote dale of Telemark (with skis on his feet
of course!) in 1827. His father died and his mother and he emigrated
to USA about 1840. His mother re-married and he took the name
"John Thompson". Later in life, he delivered mail across the
Sierra Nevada in winter on skis. Since there was no word for "ski"
in the English language, they gave him the nickname "Snowshoe Thompson"

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David Dermott , Wolfville Ridge, Nova Scotia, Canada
email:
WWW pages: http://www.dermott.ca/index.html