The Trail to Recovery

There are a lot of reasons we hike.

Some of us go to relax. Some go for the exercise. Some of us go to be with friends, while others go to be alone.

And there are some of us who go to the mountains to heal.

Specifically, some of us hike to be with others who share their recovery from addiction.

In the March issue of Washington Trails magazine, editorial intern Ben Watanabe reported on the group One Step At a Time, (OSAT),which organizes hiking and climbing trips for people in recovery from alcoholism. The group was started in 1991 by the late Jim Hinkhouse. Hinkhouse, who died during a climb of Denali in 1995, envisioned a recovery support group that would tackle everything from Tiger Mountain to Mount Rainier. The guiding theme was to help and challenge each another, one step at a time.

Now, OSAT has over 200 members, and they organize a great series of training hikes, climbs, and many other outdoor activities--all geared toward providing support and encouragement to people conquering addiction. It's a great group, taking on a difficult problem.

For more information, or to help support OSAT visit their website, or call 206.686.2927.