He was a double leg amputee who survived a Cessna crash in the spring of 1969 (April 15) it is the area where Kicking Horse Mountain Resort currently is.

He was in his early twenties when Gow was in a deadly place crash that killed the pilot.

He crawled for 5 days through the British Colombian wilderness to a nearby settlement and saved his own life.

He also ran Silver Star Mountain Resort for close to two decades.

John Gow lived to be 78 after an extremely accomplished life, he spent his last years in Canmore with his dog.