Since the mid-1950s, Jon Kermit Fredland has excelled as an American mountaineer, ascending over 3,000 mountain summits since childhood. Considering himself an astute survivalist, he has always been well prepared for each of his mountain trips. Early in his professional career, he worked as a retail manager at K-Mart, which allowed him to travel to several states across the Western United States, such as Arizona, Wyoming and Oregon. Scaling numerous mountains during that time, he is incredibly proud of conquering Mount Orizaba and Picacho del Diablo, the latter of which translates roughly to “Hill of the Enchanted.”
To Mr. Fredland’s credit, other mountaineering ventures also include Trinity Mountain in Idaho, which marked his 3,000th peak just days after he turned 70 years old. He is also gratified by his climb of Humphrey’s Peak in the Sierra Nevada, which he notes has been his favorite adventure. Among the many highlights of his career, Mr. Fredland is also proud of becoming an Eagle Scout at the age of 13. He advises that the skills he cultivated through the Boy Scouts of America proved immensely useful to his passion for mountaineering.
Outside of his ventures in mountain climbing, Mr. Fredland is the noted owner of his eponymous business, Fredland Jewelers. Prior to his current appointment, he was a lead prep cook at Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, an air mechanic for MotivePower DBA Boise Locomotive, and a retail manager for K-Mart. He also draws upon an associate degree in geology from Weber State College, receiving his degree in 1973.
Mr. Fredland attributes much of his success to consistently being one step ahead and cultivating luck during his journeys. Living by the phrase, “Last peak on the list,” he intends to continue scaling mountains in the coming years. He aims to complete the scaling of Mount Evans and Pikes Peak, two of the most prominent fourteeners in Colorado. He also would like to climb the highest points of Nebraska and Kansas.