[at-l] Re: Tinkham & Haas

[spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Rock Dancer -
Thank you.  I first saw it in the AMC magazine sometime  in 1994(?).    I 
wasn't real clear about the details anymore but I remember very well my 
anger at the attitude of the survivor (Haas).  I've written before that 
stupidity is very often fatal - but not necessarily to the right person.
Walk softly,
Jim


>From: agaudet@TheWorld.com
>To: at-l@backcountry.net
>CC: "'Jim and/or Ginny Owen'" <spiriteagle99@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Tinkham & Haas
>Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 16:03:13 -0500 (EST)
>
>Jim and/or Ginny Owen was refering to the death of Derek Tinkham on Mt.
>Washington on Jan. 15, 1994. His death, and the role played by his partner
>Jeremy Haas, has contributed a phrase to the lexicon of New England Hikers
>and Climbers " getting haased". This phrase has now mae it to a UK website
>on the internet, http://phrases.shu.ac.uk, where "haased" although
>misspelled is defined "to be left out in the cold to die while your more
>experienced partner takes off down to safety."
>
>The part about taking off _down_ to safety isn't correct either, Jeremy
>escaped by continuing to climb from Mt. Jefferson, over Mt. Clay and up to
>the summit building on Mt. Washington in order to save his own life.
>
>Another definition is "to be killed or maimed by following an incompetent
>leader." There are other mentions of the phrase in rec.backcountry dating
>to Feb. 1995 so the phrase might have it's origins with Nicholas Howe's
>article, published in Yankee Magazine, Feb. 1995.
>
>For those who are interested I was at Mt. Washington that Saturday morning
>in 1994 leading a group of AMC hikers (I'm a former Winter leader for
>AMC)in a summit attempt. At the base I decided that it was too cold to go
>up and instead we did a below-treeline hike. All I knew of the conditions
>up top was that it was expected to be blowing (40+ mph) and the daytime
>temps would be -20 or lower. My hard and fast rule is to stay out of that
>stuff although I've hiked several mountains at -20 (2 this past winter)
>but with no wind.
>
>More trivia: Derek was #111 on the Mt. Washington death list. By unlucky
>chance I met & talked with #112 & #113 in Feb. the same year. I was at
>Harvard Cabin, again leading a group this time to Mt. Moriah on the AT.
>Our companions for Friday night were Monroe Cooper and Erik Lattey who
>both fell to their deaths the next day while climbing in Huntington
>Ravine.
>
>I've taken the liberty to reproduce part of Nicholas Howe's article and
>post it in a separate email. It seems appropriate to the recent
>conversation
>and it's timely as we get closer to real Winter climbing/hiking in the
>Whites. The story is a grim reminder. --RockDancer AT'97, LT'01

_________________________________________________________________
Is your computer infected with a virus?  Find out with a FREE computer virus 
scan from McAfee.  Take the FreeScan now! 
http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963