Volume 10, Issue 5 Keep climbing mountains and don’t slip! NOVEMBER 2001 This history of the first four years of OSAT is based Contents: on a series of articles (“Five Years Ago in OSAT” OSAT Timeline published in the Yodel from 1995 to 2000. P. 1 Early Spring 1991 OSAT celebrates its birthday on History of Hink- the first Thursday of Daylight Savings Time every house Peak year. Why? Well, the handout that Jim H distributed p. 2 at the first meeting of the “1991 AA Mt. Rainier Ex- Quick-Reference pedition” on March 20, 1991 scheduled a condition- p. 3 ing hike up Tiger Mountain for Thursday, April 11. Calendar By the time the first newsletter went out on April 3, it p. 5 had been suggested that this Thursday night hike be- From the BIOTS come a regular Twelve Step meeting. The following P. 6 April 24 about a dozen people met at Coulon Park in Leadership Com- Renton to discuss the structure for an ongoing club. mittee Among the names suggested were: P. 6 Finance News - Getting High P. 6 - Getting High on High Marketplace - More than Twelve Steps p. 8 - Recovering Alcoholics Mountaineer Society (RAMS) Recollections The group decided to adopt the same name as the Thursday night AA meeting, and the rest, as they say, is history! P. 9 Even at this early date, a substantial calendar of activities was scheduled. There were conditioning hikes on Mt. Si Thoughts on a every Tuesday, two Pilchuck climbs (one for ice ax practice), a Camp Muir conditioner, and an overnight to Park May Afternoon .. Butte and two to St. Helens planned. Clearly the combination of dedication and foresight got OSAT started with a P. 13 full head of steam. Safety Corner The first OSAT volcano climb was an unsuccessful attempt by seven members on St. Helens in late April of 1991. P. 15 "The weather turned us around at about 7000'. but a good time was had by all." The first successful summit (other About Jimmy than Tiger and Si!) was by twelve members on Mt. Pilchuck the following weekend, and five summited the North P. 19 (Continued on page 4) Gratitude Dinner ONE STEP AT WHY, WHEN & WHERE A TIME Why? Because we are grateful. This year’s Gratitude Dinner is going to be held on Saturday, November 17th starting at 6:00pm at the Epiphany Parish of Seattle. The Epiphany is located east of downtown Seat- (OSAT) tle. The address is 1805 38th Avenue. For more info go to www.epiphanyseattle.org for directions and MISSION: the map. “To provide a DIRECTIONS clean and sober From The North and South - I-5 to the James St. exit. Head east on James. James becomes Cherry just environment for after the top of the hill. Turn left on 34th, and continue on 34th which becomes East Denny. The church is members and on the right, on Denny, between 37th and 38th Avenues. The address is 1805 38th Avenue. friends of 12-step WHAT TO BRING recovery groups, Bring yourself, family, and friends. OSAT will be providing the beverages. For the potluck we have split it to participate in up according to your last name. outdoor and social A-F Desserts events in the spirit G-P Main Dishes of conservation, Q-Z Salads/Breads preservation, and WHAT TO EXPECT ecology.” Fun and fellowship. We will be announcing the new BOTS members and the OSAT Annual Service Award. There will be presentations of certificates to this year’s Glacier Climbing Course graduates and there may be a surprise or two. Come join us for the festivities. If you want to volunteer to help out at the event contact Lori U. If you have other questions contact a BOTS member. (p.3) The Yodel v10.05, p. 1 The History of quadrangle as 7371. It is located in the North time could we see more than 150 feet but the Hinkhouse Peak Cascades Scenic Highway Area of the Oka- climbing was enjoyable and not very strenu- On December 8 2000, the Washington State nogan National Forest. A survey control ous. From northwest to southeast are Pinky, Board on Geographic Names unanimously point identified as “Cutthroat” with an eleva- Ring, Fickle, and Index. Fickle had been accepted the application to name the peak on tion of 7046 is about .8 miles west of the ascended by the Mazamas via the south slope the north side of Washington Pass summit. The USGS does not indicate a sur- in 1968...” In a Washington state gazetteer, “Hinkhouse Peak”. The location affords as veyed elevation for the summit; from con- Exploring Washington by Harry M. Majors dramatic a mountain vista as exists anywhere tours on the USGS topo the peak has an esti- (1975, (pp. 39-40 ref. No.44) there is refer- in the Cascades -- with a fabulous view of mated elevation of 7560+ ft. The land sur- ence to the mountain as Fickle Peak, claiming some of the most notable rock climbing rounding the peak is used exclusively for it was first climbed in 1926 by Lage peaks in the state. Following the approval in recreation. The scenic overlook at Washing- Wernstedt.” Olympia, the application was sent to Wash- ton Pass is immediately to the south, and the In an interview in the fall of 2000, long-time ington D.C., and on June 14, 2001, the Cutthroat Creek Campground is immediately Washington mountaineer John Roper of Seat- United States Board on Geographic Names to the north. US Highway 20 (The North tle said he was with Fred Beckey in the late added its approval. Cascades Highway) passes to the south and 1970s when Fred “... pointed up to the peak The application process began over a year along the eastern foot of the peak at eleva- as we were driving across Washington Pass prior to the state approval. There were some tions of 4000 to nearly 5600 ft. The first as- and noted that it did not have an official unexpected challenges along the way. The cent of what is now Hinkhouse Peak is attrib- name.” Roper recalls Beckey saying some- nomination of a lesser peak had to be with- uted to Lage Wernstedt in 1925 or 1926. It is thing like “Since this is State Creek, I’m go- drawn because it abutted a wilderness area. not known if he gave the summit a name. ing to call it ‘State Crag’.” State Creek runs After OSAT proponents with assistance from Wernstedt was an Associate Topograpic En- ” to the southeast, draining the entire south the Board staff identified a substitute peak for gineer for the US Forest Service. The USGS side of the ridge running from Cutthroat Peak the application, research indicated it had been Washington Pass 7.5 minute topographic to the Hinkhouse Peak. Indeed, the Cascade known by four unofficial names in the past. quadrangle map published in 1963 indicates Alpine Guide by Fred Beckey (1981) refers Many letters of support were sent to the no name for the peak, nor does the current to the peak as “State Crag”: “This formation Board from friends in OSAT, so they got a map distributed by the Okanagan National is a gently sloping asymmetrical peak whose true picture of how Jim Hinkhouse's ideas Forest. The 1968 Mazama annual register northern crest is a group of our towers continue to affect the lives of people who mentions a couple of climbs of “Washington dubbed “Index” (the highest point), “Fickle,” never knew him. Support for the proposal Pass Peak” as it is identified on a map by Jim “Ring,” and “Pinky,” with a generic name also came from Chelan and Okanogan Nieland accompanying the article by Don Towers of the Throat Gripper. The highest County officials, and the Boeing Alpine Soci- Eastman. “Saturday was a day of light, inter- point was reached by Lage Wernstedt in 1925 ety. Thanks to the support expressed by mittent rain. Its main event was the first of or 1926.” The various finger names: “Index”, many, the Board and its chairman, Jennifer our two climbs of Washington Pass Peak.” “Fickle”, “Middle” and “Pinky” would lead Belcher, seemed genuinely impressed with Later in the trip Eastman mentions “Our only one to believe, by physiologic metaphor, that the impact Jim had on the Washington climb- climbers that day were [Bob] Stites, [Harold] “Fickle” is the highest point. The gazetteer ing and recovery communities. Comments Deery, and Nancy Duckering on Washington reference to the peak as a whole as “Fickle” both on and off the record indicated that the Pass Peak.” The 1971 The Mountaineer also suggests that the the second crag from Board believed Jim was extremely worthy of climbing notes (p 88) makes reference to a the southeast is the highest. Beckey’s claim this honor, and they seemed genuinely confi- June 1970 climb by John Bousman and Earl that Index (the southeasterlymost) is the high- dent that this was the right thing to do and Hamilton under the heading “Washington est has been confirmed. Reports by the first they were pleased to be a part of it. The sum- Pass Peak, Towers of the Throatgripper”. OSATers to visit the peak in October 2000 mit is 1 mile north of Washington Pass, near “[We] set off on a cloudy, threatening day... indicate Hinkhouse Peak is a climb that will the east end of a ridge running 2-1/2 miles after sitting through a day of rain at the newly appeal to day hikers and rock climbers alike.