COSTA MESA, Calif. — On any other day, the trip to Nordstrom with his wife and daughter would've been almost mindlessly routine, his pre-shopping breakfast a simple plate of bacon and eggs.

But on that morning recently, Bill Burke was just one day removed from an adventure so epic that it left him finding new meaning in the mundane. So Burke's eggs tasted better than usual; his time with family was sweeter, more meaningful.

Less than 24 hours before picking out new shirts, Burke had been on the other side of the world, in Nepal, wrapping up a trip in which he'd gone to the top of the world's tallest mountain.

And, as he shopped, Burke was adjusting to something new — attention. Reporters soon would ask him for details of his adventure. Mountain climbers would call, seeking his advice. School kids, some of whom had followed his itinerary on line, wanted to hear his story.

At 67, Burke had become the oldest American ever to climb Mount Everest.

But he was — and is — uninterested in records. Climbing, for Burke, is about listening to his heart.

Burke has always had an adventurous spirit, but comparatively few opportunities for adventure.

He married his wife, Sharon, 47 years ago, shortly after they both graduated from Burbank High School. They had their first child, Lisa, while Burke was in college, and their second, Lori, was born when he was at Stanford Law School.

Life zoomed. The Burke family moved back to Burbank, Calif., had two more children, (Danny and Amy), and Burke's career as a corporate attorney blossomed. In 1972, they moved again, settling in Costa Mesa, Calif.

In the mid '90s, Burke worked at a law firm in Asia. There, after climbing in country parks near Hong Kong and twice getting to the top of Japan's Mt. Fuji, he discovered a new passion — mountain climbing.

"I've always been up for adventure," Burke says, "and for challenging, and pushing myself, to see how I can perform under stress."

But Burke didn't pursue serious mountaineering until he was nearly retired. His kids were no longer little; his career no longer needed building; his income was no longer a huge issue.

"I wondered what the big mountains would be like."

His first successful high-altitude climb was Mount McKinley, in 2002. McKinley is one of the more difficult mountains on earth, and Burke climbed it at age 60, older than most serious climbers.

He was hooked.

"It was really a great feeling because I realized after I finished the mountain, this was something I was capable of doing."