TheThe YodelYodel Volume 14, Issue 1 Jan 2007 Keep climbing mountains and don’t slip! In This Issue: Glacier Climbing Course Begins The Autobiographi- What’s it all about? cal Jim Hinkhouse by Louisa Peck —pg. 2 I signed up for the Glacier Climbing Course with Grand Canyon Trek OSAT for one reason and one reason only: I wanted —pg. 3 to climb Mt. Rainier before I got too old. Or, to be even more honest, I wanted to be able to say I’d Sahale Peak Trip climbed Mount Rainier, which meant I probably —pg. 4 ought to actually do it, which meant joining OSAT Climbing Safety because it was cheap enough, and in turn jumping —p. 7 through this silly hoop they had called the Glacier Climbing Course, so I could get on with it. I didn’t Thoughts on plan on learning anything. I knew plenty; after all Sobriety —p. 7 I’d been hiking in the Cascades and Olympics since I was a kid, so what’s to learn? Josh R. hangs out in a crevasse on Baker, GCC 2006 Reflections on OSAT —p. 9 In retrospect, my attitude bears a striking resem- Just as I am excited to continue my life as a sober blance to that I brought into my first AA meeting. I woman and discover what new situations and de- Return to Goat wanted to learn how to control and enjoy my drink- mands I’ll have to rise to, so am I excited to continue Rocks ing, plus maybe cut down a little on how often I climbing mountains and discover more of what’s out —p. 9 wanted to kill myself, but I certainly didn’t need to there and what I’m made of within. learn anything about living! I mean, I’d been doing Club Info Based on all I’ve learned since, I’d say entertaining —p. 11 that already for 34 years, had I not? the thought that I could can summit a glaciated vol- Calendar Well… in both cases, I couldn’t have been much cano like Rainier because I’d done some alpine hik- —p. 12 more wrong. And in both cases, worlds I never ing was about on par with believing I could sail solo knew existed were opened before me by generous to Greenland because I’ve taken the Bremerton ferry: Photo of the Issue I didn’t know how much I didn’t know. —p. 16 people passing on their experience — tools and prac- tices to which I’d previously been a total stranger. (Continued on page 5) ONE STEP AT How Old is OSAT? A TIME (OSAT) At a recent OSAT function, that first meeting in the spring with the wrong num- MISSION: one of our members referred ber on it! The GCC number is always one more “To provide a to last year as the 15th year than the age of the club, because the first GCC was clean and sober for the Glacier Climbing Class when the club was ZERO years old! environment for (GCC) and 2007 would be the In short, OSAT is 15 years old, and next March at members and 16th. friends of 12-step the first Thursday in Daylight Savings Time, OSAT recovery groups, The thing about birthdays is that they are always a will celebrate its 16th birthday. year behind, so when you are 59 years old, you are to participate in Keep Climbing Mountains, and Don't Let a Year Slip outdoor and social actually in your 60th year! So, OSAT got started in events in the spirit 1991, and the 1st GCC run by OSAT was that year; By Uncounted! § of conservation, thus 2006 was the 16th GCC and in 2007 we will be preservation, and running the 17th GCC. This has caused problems in —Rik Anderson ecology.” the past, and we've even had cakes atop Tiger for The Yodel 14.01, 1 The Autobiographical Jim Hinkhouse Our new editor, Louisa, reminded me that many current readers of the Yodel may not know the history of OSAT and Jim Hinkhouse. When Jim died on Denali in 1995, he left the draft outline for a book about the founding of OSAT, including full drafts for about a third of the chapters. We have been publishing Jim’s draft one chapter at a time (OCAT?) in the Yodel, beginning March 2004. Archived copies of Yodel are now available in the members section of the web site at http://www.osat.org/ members/MYodel.cfm, the March 2004 issue provides additional back- ground concerning Jim’s book. This month’s installment turns decidedly darker in tone, as Jim continues his autobiography with some thoughts as to why he became an alcoholic; anyone new to OSAT may want to refer back to web copies of the Yodel from the past three years for other sections that are more uplifting! Jim on Rainier, 1991 KCMADS, Rik Keep Climbing Mountains that these negative thoughts helped me to become an alcoholic. Part II. Jim’s Story How? I'll try to explain in a few words. Chapter 2: Garbage and Low Self-Esteem There are two necessary ingredients in the recipe for making an alcoholic: (l) a biological makeup that allows one to easily be- Chapter one recounted the bright prospects of Jim’s youth — a come addicted to mind altering chemicals and (2) ingestion of happy family, high grades, a natural gift for sports, being voted “best liked” in his high school, and a financial award for the lots of mind altering chemicals. college of his choice — in short, nothing a good case of alco- I think of alcoholism as analogous to heart disease. A person holism couldn’t devastate. may have a biological predisposition toward having a coronary heart attack, but will not necessarily have one if proper exercise But it was not as rosy as all that. Somewhere along the way I and eating the right foods become a lifelong habit. had collected some garbage in my head. I didn't believe that anybody liked me. Why should they? I didn't deserve to be There were probably lots of environmental reasons why I drank liked. I was ugly and I was a fraud. alcohol. Suffice it to say that alcohol assuaged my feelings of loneliness and despair that were a result of this low self-esteem In particular, women found me totally unattractive. After all, I garbage that lived in my head. Consequently, I drank enough had a grotesque jaw that jutted out below my upper teeth. My alcohol to become addicted physically and emotionally - past voice had a nasal quality that most people found unpleasant at the point where I could drink in moderation without problems. best. If girls (later women) were nice to me, it was because I was a good athlete and/or very smart. But these were gifts of Someone else who had less of a predisposition toward addiction nature — attributes which I did nothing to develop on my own, to chemicals (a genetic difference at the cellular level) may so therefore were undeserved. I was jealous of men who have drank what I did and not become an alcoholic. Others who seemed to attract women, but I kept my feelings secret — may have had a stronger predisposition might have become sometimes even from myself. addicted from less alcohol use. I got along well with most men because I was a good team player and had a sense of humor. But the terrible truth Whatever. I need to was that I had no strong opinions on anything. I just did- get on with my n't know what I believed in. I admired guys who knew story. Boring as it or pretended to know what life was all about, who should is to me, it may be be elected, who was the best actor, which was the best car, interesting to you, and so on. I didn't have a clue about such matters. I only knew the reader. § about math, and math wasn't important, because it wasn't real. Deep inside me, I thought I was a fraud. But this too I hid from myself and others. I was almost thirty years old before I became aware that "garbage" like this resided in my subconscious mind and directed much of my life. Where did this garbage come from? That's not important to this story. What is important is Jim and Rik, 1991 2 , The Yodel 14.01 L to right: Will A., Dan L., Rik A., Ken M., and Terri S. photo by Terri Steele. Grand Canyon Trek By Rik Anderderson. canyon. After setting up camp, Rik hiked 1.5 miles up the deep Bright Angel Creek canyon while the others explored the area Five OSAT climbers turned mountaineering skills to closer to camp. All enjoyed beef stew at Phantom Ranch that canyoneering in early December, spending five days in the evening with the mule riders and others who stay in cabins Grand Canyon. The hike was organized by Ken M, and largely there. Although a number of the ranch cabins were in use, followed the itinerary of his 2005 7-day winter trip as shown at there were only a few campers in the area. a club meeting program earlier this year. The fourth day hike followed the South Kaibab Trail up to the After spending a night in Flagstaff, Dan L and Rik A. warmed Tonto, and then west along the Tonto back to the Indian Garden up with a climb of Humphreys Peak, at 12, 633 the highest campground on the Bright Angel Trail.