Jim was born and raised in Scappoose Oregon and graduated with a degree in mathematics from the University of Oregon. He worked for Boeing, Wharton Econometrics, and Weyerhauser before returning to Boeing in 1987. In 1994 he retired from his career as an economist at the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group marketing department to pursue his interests in mountaineering, writing, and addiction recovery counseling.

Throughout his life Jimmy was a multi-talented athlete, sometimes playing two sports during the same season at Scappose High. At the U of O he ran track (specializing in the 220 yard dash) under the leggendary Bill Bowerman during the early 1960s. He became interested in mountaineering when he moved to Seattle, where he was a member of the Seattle Mountaineers, eventually becoming an intermediate level climber and climb leader for the group. He also was a member of Boeing Alpine Society (BOEALPS) and the American Alpine Club. He summitted literally hundreds of mountains, primarily in the Washington Cascades but also throughout the northwest, and in Mexico and South America. He spent more Saturday nights in his sleeping bag and bivvy sack in the mountains than in his apartment, and regularly logged his alpine exploits on his computer, tracking the amount of elevation climbed which in some years amounted to over 300,000 feet per year.

In 1990 Jim began combining his interests in mountaineering and substance addiction recovery. For Jim, mountain climbing was a metaphor for life, a metaphor for recovery from difficulties and personal weaknesses, a metaphor for taking on goals that appear unachievable. He saw many parallels between climbing and recovery, and began formulating the means by which he could apply his interest in mountaineering to his commitment to achieve as much as possible in following the direction of the twelfth step of AA, to serve others. Jim, who was a smoker at the time, also bemoaned the fact that many of the AA meetings he was familiar with took place in smoke-filled rooms. Thus was born the idea of an AA group whose distinguishing characteristic was twelve-step meetings in wilderness settings.

Jim was unable to attain his goal of arranging an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting atop Mt. Rainier in 1990, when the AA national convention was held in Seattle, but the following year he organized a group of climbers who made an ascent of the mountain for the first of many AA meetings conducted in high alpine settings. The group included experienced mountaineers, but over half were neophytes who spent the previous months in an alpine climbing training program with Jim and his friends--all but two in the group were people recovering from alcohol or drug dependencies.

In conjunction with the climb Jim established One Step At A Time (OSAT) , "an outdoor club for members and friends of 12-Step Recovery programs." Under his leadership and guidance OSAT grew to include climbers from throughout Washington, sponsored an annual alpine mountaineering class, Mountaineering Oriented First Aid courses, a full schedule of alpine and rock climbs as well as skiing, running, and kayaking activities, and regular weekly 12-Step meetings conducted in wilderness settings in the Seattle area. At the time of his death, OSAT numbered nearly 200 active members, with several hundred more benefiting from the OSAT 12-step meetings and activities.

In recalling a frightening climb of the Leuthold Couloir on Mt. Hood, one friend observed that "Jim knew just how far behind you to be: not too close, so you knew you were accomplishing it on your own; but not so far back that you felt alone." A non- climbing friend whom Jim saved from alcoholic suicide commented that the same characteristic made him and invaluable friend to people striving to establish lives free from the suffering of alcohol or drug dependency. His skill in knowing just how much support was needed also was demonstrated in his easing away from running OSAT's affairs after the first three years of getting it going. Although always active in OSAT's activities, and ready to provide advice and counsel both to individuals and the group, Jim was making certain that the organization could survive even when he was not there.

Jimmy "Jim" Dean Hinkhouse died with climbing companions (and fellow OSAT members) Scott Hall and Tom Downey during a storm at Windy Corner on Denali May 23, 1995. The 1995 OSAT Denali Expedition was retreating from the base camp at 14,200 feet together with other groups totalling fifteen climbers, when all were caught by horrific conditions and forced to bivouac near 13,300 feet. Circumstances led the three OSAT climbers to attempt establishing a camp above Windy Corner while other parties took shelter below. While specific circumstances of their deaths are unknown, it is possible they were struck by the collapse of a snow bridge over the crevasse in which they were setting up their tent. The other climbers described conditions as unbelievably severe, with winds lifting fully loaded sleds three feet off the snow. In May of 1995 barely 10% of registered climbers were successful on Denali, and many spent days stuck in tents during the waves of bad weather described by old-timers as the worst May weather in memory.

Jim died with over sixteen and a half years of sobriety. He was survived by his two children, two grandsons, and a multitude of climbing companions and others whom he inspired and taught about recovery, climbing, and enjoying a life of service to others.

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Last update: 6/17/96