The Life of Don Wilson: … Elite Rock Climber... Adventurer

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BooDawg

Social climber
Polynesian Paradise
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 16, 2010 - 04:32pm PT
Here is the link to a poster about Don Wilson created by Scott Currie, which he is presenting at some Neuro-Science academic gathering. He may also be working on an article about Don that he will submit to the Journal of the History of Neuroscience.

http://faculty.ucr.edu/%7Ecurrie/wilson.pdf

Here’s a link to another thread about Don Wilson:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1084204&msg=1084750#msg1084750

Perhaps Scott will post up here and give us the latest on Don’s contributions. One thing that this poster has that doesn’t appear on the Taco thread is a first hand account of Don’s drowning by Frank Hoover who organized that Middle Fork trip tho the account reveals nothing really new.

Edit: Thanks, Clint.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Dec 16, 2010 - 04:48pm PT
Replace the ~ with %7E to make the link clickable on supertopo:

http://faculty.ucr.edu/%7Ecurrie/wilson.pdf

Very nice poster.
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
Dec 16, 2010 - 08:15pm PT
Thanks BooDawg- Never met Wilson but certainly heard a lot about him and what a portfolio of first and second ascents! I guess we were using the same dogshit WW2 rafts of Hoover and team when we did the Colorado the following year? I remember the discussion about never ever entering the water while tied in.

And the relation to Mario Savio. Mario was picketing Mel's Drive-In and Rowell was holding court there in his James Dean era. How the climbing world spins!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Dec 16, 2010 - 10:06pm PT
Thanks for posting this material!

A shot of the early days from Summit August 1956.

PhilG

Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
Dec 16, 2010 - 10:47pm PT
Steve:
That picture says 1000 words about the history of rock climbing: the coiled ropes, the ball-pean hammer, the 1 inch white webbing, and loops and loops of cord.
And their climbing shoes and approach shoes are one and the same.
Jan

Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
Dec 16, 2010 - 11:32pm PT
I immediately recognized Don's face from the photo as familiar, but didn't know the name. Now I realize I had seen him around Camp 4 though and the UC hiking club although I didn't know him personally. I think his antiwar efforts in Berkeley and Stanford had a big effect on Frank Sacherer's antiwar stance as well.
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Dec 16, 2010 - 11:52pm PT
Gee Ward...weren't you a little hard on the beav....?
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Dec 16, 2010 - 11:56pm PT
PhilG- I love the photo for all the same reasons...so hardware store!

It appears that the Beav likes a dimp, too!
BooDawg

Social climber
Polynesian Paradise
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 13, 2011 - 04:49pm PT
There is a new website now that offers more insights into the life and death of Don Wilson. One can find it by following this link:

http://faculty.ucr.edu/%7Ecurrie/donald-wilson.htm

This website brings him more to life, and the photos are much larger and viewable than on the poster in the OP.

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