Harrison "H" Hilbert

Harrison Stanley ("H") Hilbert was born February 10, 1942, in Carmel, California to Harry C. and Dorothy Benson Hilbert.

He grew up in Carmel, graduating from Carmel High School in 1960 where he played football and was awarded Most Valuable Player designation on his seni

or year's undefeated team.

He joined the U.S. Army in November 1960 served along the Korean DMZ as an infantryman with the First Cavalry Division for 16 months, being discharged as a Sergent in 1963.

In 1964, H moved to Pocatello, Idaho, enrolling at Idaho State University and choosing a major, Recreational Leadership, that reflected his insatiable appetite for climbing mountains in remote regions of the world. Already involved with the Sierra Club's mountaineering section, during summer breaks in 1968 and 1969, H served as an instructor for Outward Bound, strengthening his commitment to a career in outdoor recreation education.

After graduating in 1970, H organized ISU's Outdoor Program in cooperation with the ISU Student Union, seeking to help others experience the rich range of outdoor activities available in proximity to Pocatello, including backcountry skiing, river running, backpacking, rock/ice climbing, and caving. ISU's Outdoor Program was among the earliest to offer outdoor education in a university setting, serving as a model for other schools' similar programs.

To broaden his mountaineering and outdoor education knowledge, H spent a month at the Scottish National Mountaineering Center in the Cairngorm Mountains in 1973. Over many decades H joined like-minded outdoor enthusiasts on wild adventures in the Sierra, Cascades, Andes, Alaskan and Rocky Mountain ranges and on many river floats. He also spent time on Yosemite Park's warm granite cliffs and on environmental projects as well.

H left ISU's Outdoor Program in 1981 to become a full-time river and fishing guide working major western waterways, including Idaho's Salmon, coastal Washington's Olympic Peninsula winter fishing rivers, California's Klamath River and on many fabled Montana trout streams, often accompanied by one of his black Labrador retrievers.

Outdoor recreation/education was H's passion, and he often remarked that his mates in those adventures taught him about himself and the environment, just as he shared such insight with them.

H is survived by nephew David Hilbert and his wife Denise, of Salinas, CA; his sister-in-law Janet, of Carmel; grand-niece Aubry; and grand-nephew Hayden, wife Samantha, and baby Adalynne. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Clayton Hilbert of Carmel.

Prior to his death H joined 150 friends at a Celebration of Life on the Winter Solstice, December 21, 2023, at the Sandtrap in Pocatello. Everyone left laughing and smiling, including H.

H passed away on June 22, 2024 at the Veterans Home in Pocatello, after suffering from cancer. He will be cremated and his ashes spread near Carmel where family members are buried, and in other places around the west he especially loved.

Gifts in memory of H may be made to the "Harrison 'H' Hilbert Outdoor Endowment" managed by the Idaho State University Foundation. The purpose of the endowment is to continue H's innovative work in outdoor education by supporting the ISU Outdoor Adventure Center, the program he started in 1970. More information on the fund is found here: H's Endowment.

Two celebrations of H's life are planned. The first will be held in Pocatello, Idaho at Centennial Park on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, from 6-10 pm. Bring drinks and a dessert to share. The second will be held in Salinas, California on Saturday, August 24, 2024, starting 2 pm, at the following address: 19012 Fieldstone Ct, Salinas.

Illustration Below: One of H's artworks, created while in the Veteran's Home