Former New Mexico Governor Climbs Everest

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson reached the summit of Mt. Everest early Friday, achieving a longtime goal.

Johnson’s wife, Dee, got a call from an official with the expedition shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday saying the team reached the summit at 7:45 p.m. That was 7:45 a.m. in Nepal.

“It’s a beautiful day,” Dee Johnson said she was told by the expedition member who called. “They’re the only ones up there.”

Johnson, 50, has also climbed Mt. McKinley in Alaska and competed in the Ironman Triathlon and other competitions.

He was New Mexico’s governor for two terms, from 1995 to 2002.