Jim Murray, May 15, 1961

May 15, 1961: Norman G. Dyhrenfurth, an old friend and a perfect dynamo of human energy, is a man who not only thinks Mt. Everest is a place to be but a place for the American flag to be sometime in June 1963. He has just gained the hard-won permission of the Nepalese government to mount an expedition to Everest, the summit of the world, has fired off a check for 1,000 rupees ($640 in 1961 -- $4,611.85 USD 2010) to cinch his place in line and is now about to dervish around the country seeking the additional $150,000 ($1,080,901.75 USD 2010) it will take for an all-American team to bring not only Everest but also the surrounding ramparts of Lhotse and Nuptse to their knees.