June 15, 2020
I am saddened to report the passing of Frank Hoover, a Sierra Club member who photographed 1950’s rock-climbers, led early Sierra Club trips to the Galapagos, among other places, pioneered non-commercial river trips around the American West, introducing white-water rafting to a whole generation of outdoor enthusiasts that included many, many climbers. I first met George Wendt, who founded OARS and Sobek on a Cataract Canyon trip with Frank & George in 1969; Chuck Wilt’s daughters were both on that trip. Frank’s professional career involved bio-medical research at UCLA where he was loosely associated with the Bruin Mountaineers where I got to know Frank apart from river trips. A small group of us are working to preserve Frank’s collections of photos, negatives, and other notable legacy items, so that they are not lost to posterity. I have not heard of a memorial for Frank, but perhaps some sort of Zoom, or other virtual gathering might be arranged. Please feel free to make suggestions about the best ways to preserve Frank’s and the climbing world’s legacy. The pic of Frank snoozing on the river was taken on the 1969 Cataract Canyon trip. The one of Pete Worth, a UCLA dental student at the time, shows the old airline life rafts that Frank had obtained at some obscure surplus sale. Frank had made wooden rowing frames with wooden oar-locks for them, but they were VERY HIGH MAINTENANCE bucket boats, such a far cry from the self-bailers we use today! The picture of Frank and the yellow truck was taken at the Lee’s Ferry put-in for Grand Canyon, in 1975, I think. So many stories to tell! More soon!