John P. Bushfield was born March 19, 1924 in Canonsburg, Penn., to Paul A. Bushfield and Gladys Lowmiller-Bushfield. As a young boy, the family moved to Boise where John attended school and discovered his passion for skiing and the outdoors.

John served his country in WWII as a proud member of the U.S. Army's original 10th Mountain Division, or "Ski Troops". He was assigned to the 2nd Headquarters Company, 86th Infantry Regiment. The 10th saw combat for only four months, but had one of the war's highest casualty rates. The 10th Mountain's hard-fought victory at the Battle of Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere helped turn the tide by driving the Germans out of Italy and breaking the German "Gothic Line". John was wounded in battle and returned to the states where he spent many months in Army hospitals on the West Coast.

After his release from the hospital, he returned to Boise and attended Boise Junior College as it was called in those days. As a member of the college ski team he took home many trophies, an amazing feat considering he was told that he may never be able to use a leg that he nearly lost to a mortar round in the Battle on Mount Belvedere!

At Boise Junior College, he met his true love, Darlene Self. They were married on September 4, 1949. He then attended Utah State where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. With a love for the forest and concern for its management, he became a forester with the U.S. Forest Service. During his career John, Darlene and family lived in several small towns across Montana - Libby, Troy, Eureka, Noxon and Idaho - Orofino and Coeur d' Alene.

Always close was a nearby ski hill where he could share his life-long passion for skiing with his children, their friends, and others in the community. He was a willing teacher and chauffer to anyone who had the desire to learn to ski. He skied late into his life and to his pleasure was able to ski with all his grandchildren and a few of his great grandchildren. After 32 years with the U.S. Forest Service he retired and settled in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. Shortly before his death, he had returned to Eureka to be closer to loved ones.

John died at the age of 94 in 2018.

His son, Mike Bushfield, shared further insight to his father's life with numbers to correspond with the above clues and these we didn't quite make it to before John Cummings got the right answer:

16. Bamboo was used in the early days.
17. Winner of many trophies.
18. Bogus Basin.
19. Got free skiing on Bald Mtn.

4# Dad built his first pair of skis out of whiskey barrel staves when he was a young boy. I don't know if he taught himself how to ski but he used to walk from where he lived in Boise to a place called Camels Back Park and would hike up the hill and ski down … when it had snow.
#9. He skied on Northland wood skis most of his life.
#10. Dad was an entomologist and dealt with the Blister Rust issues in the Idaho White Pine.
#12 #17. Ski poles back in the day were made of bamboo with big baskets.
#13. Ski boots were leather lace ups.
#15. Cable bindings were used to attach the skis.
#19. Dad taught ski lessons at Bald Mtn. up between Pierce and Headquarters ... not at Sun Valley and our family didn't have to pay to ski.

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