ST. GEORGE — After a lifetime filled with adrenaline-pumping adventures, daring rescues and a successful career managing a renowned outdoor retailer, Bo Beck is bidding farewell to the thrill-seekers’ world as he embarks on retirement.
“It’s been a little more than 15 years,” Beck said about managing The Desert Rat. “My favorite part has been the people, the customers. It’s really enjoyable to get to know people and hear their experiences and relate through my own experience.”
With a passion for rock climbing, river rafting, skiing and a commitment to helping others, Beck’s journey has left a mark on the Southern Utah outdoor community and inspired countless individuals to embrace the spirit of adventure.
Most known by locals and visitors alike for managing The Desert Rat, he also co-wrote the book “Favorite Hikes In & Around Zion National Park,” a year-round hiking guide for all ages and skill levels that covers 50 notable hikes within a 100-mile radius of Zion’s east side.
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Beck developed an early interest in skiing and bicycling. He took a job with the outdoor retailer Mountain Sports Limited before joining the military in 1975.
He was first introduced to climbing and rappelling when he became a survival instructor in Washington State. He then moved to Florida and became a water survival instructor. His most notable student? Sally Ride – the first American female astronaut to go to space, he said.
Beck retired from the military in 1979. When his parents retired, they bought a sailboat to sail around the world. They got as far as Hong Kong, but with the political strife in the Middle East, they chose not to continue. Instead, they asked Beck’s help to sail back. He agreed, joining them in Hong Kong and sailing throughout the North and South Pacific, the Philippines, New Guinea and more.
While docking in Fiji, Beck was eating at a local Indian restaurant one day when he overheard a conversation that switched his trajectory. The man said he needed someone to navigate his sailboat back to New Zealand, and Beck jumped at the chance.
Shortly after returning from the trip, the man asked him to navigate for the Inaugural Sydney-to-Rio Yacht Race. He agreed, and they sailed for 41 days to Rio de Janeiro. When flights were too expensive to return to Fiji, he found himself stuck in the area for an entire month.
But it was far from a travesty. It was in Rio de Janeiro that he met his wife of 40 years, Maria. The couple married in Durango, Colorado, in 1983. There, he helped implement a ski program at the store the Outdoor Outlet. The outlet’s original store opened in St. George in 1983, and when they needed help at that location, Beck accepted.
After working in St. George for six months, he moved to Vermont to open another location, then returned to Southern Utah, where he’s lived ever since.
Beck was at the forefront of Southern Utah’s canyoneering growth. He put up rock climbing first ascents throughout the St. George area including Snow Canyon, and has ascended some of the tallest and most challenging peaks in the United States. He’s shared the rope with some of the biggest names in climbing, such as Jeff Lowe and Ron Olevsky.
“And I got involved in big wall climbing,” he said. “Climbing the bigger walls like in Zion that sometimes are multiple days of climbing and you camp out on the walls. Super fun.”
Because of his knowledge, he was asked to help train Zion’s high-angle rescue team. As the team was hiking out after his first day of training, they received an emergency call for a rescue in The Subway. He was invited to attend with the rescue, and the following morning was formally invited to join Zion National Park’s high-angle search and rescue team. He began his career in June of 1996 and remained on the rescue and recovery team until 2012.
Meanwhile, when the Outdoor Retailer closed, he approached Jason Hurst, owner of Hurst Ace Hardware, hoping to get a job.
“I said, ‘Hey Jason, can I come scrub your toilets and sweep your floors?” Beck said. “And he said ‘No, build me a store.’ Hence, the Desert Rat.”
Together, they opened the doors to The Desert Rat in April 2009. Beck said Hurst made it possible for him to continue rescue efforts at Zion while managing the store, and he’s thankful.
Hurst said Beck is the “OG” of the outdoor/climbing scene. Not only do they have a great professional relationship, but he said he’s been fortunate enough to experience outdoor adventures with Beck over the years.
“I would feel comfortable saying our working relationship and friendship has been a value add for both of us,” Hurst said. “He’s like a brother, so we’ve only had a few good fights.”
Beck’s favorite rescue story begins with a Salt Lake man and his two children who went missing after attempting to hike Fat Man’s Misery, a technical hike that requires rappelling. As the team searched for the family, Beck rappelled over Labyrinth Falls. Still no sign of the hikers, Beck suggested the team do a sweep by trekking 10 miles to Springdale instead of hiking back the way they came.
“We started hiking out and just a few hundred yards, I heard this faint yelling and I looked up, and up in a cliff, about 600 feet up, there was a guy waving his arms,” he said. “They had flown helicopters multiple times but didn’t get low enough to see in this diagonal cave.”
But the story doesn’t end there. While working at The Desert Rat one day, a woman approached him, asking if he was Bo Beck. He said yes, and what happened next was a surprise he’ll never forget.
“She said ‘I love you,’” Beck said. “And she started hugging me. She said, ‘You saved my life. Well actually, you saved the life of my kids and husband.’ That’s gratifying to have someone come up and thank you for something like that.”
Beck said one of his favorite adventures to date was his time working for the park. Some days it was bittersweet, but it was always gratifying.
As for his retirement, he plans on enjoying time with his wife and doing plenty of river rafting on his 14-foot catamaran boat.
“It’s always hard when something good comes to an end,” Hurst said. “Bo has lived a life of adventure and service and it’s been a pleasure to spend the last 15 years building The Desert Rat together. Because of Bo, The Desert Rat is on a solid foundation to continue to serve the outdoor community of Southern Utah and our visitors for another 15 years.”
The community is invited to join in expressing gratitude and congratulations during the upcoming months leading to Beck’s retirement in April. Visit him at The Desert Rat at 468 W. St. George Boulevard in St. George, next to Hurst Ace Hardware.
Photo Gallery
Bo Beck hikes solo in the Southern Utah snow, at Zion National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Bo Beck, St. George News
Bo Beck hikes solo in the Southern Utah snow at Zion National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Bo Beck, St. George News
A photo Bo Beck took while sailing is pictured in a scrapbook, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Bo Beck, St. George News
Bo Beck smiles for the camera with his colleagues at Cowboy Ridge in Zion National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Bo Beck, St. George News
Bo Beck rappels down a mountain next to a waterfall in Zion National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo by Bo Beck, St. George News
Bo Beck rappels down a towering sandstone mountain, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Bo Beck, St. George News
Bo Beck rappels a canyon made of red sandstone, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Bo Beck, St. George News
Bo Beck, who has become a pillar in the outdoor community, is set to retire from The Desert Rat in April, St. George, Utah, Jan. 29, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
The Desert Rat offers outdoor gear for hiking, climbing and more, St. George, Utah, Jan. 29, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
The outside of The Desert Rat welcomes outdoor adventurers, St. George, Utah, Jan. 29, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Bo Beck, who has become a pillar in the outdoor community, is set to retire from The Desert Rat in April, St. George, Utah, Jan. 29, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
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