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Chris was born in Duluth, Minnesota and moved with his family to Seattle in 1979. His love for the wilderness began with family hikes and sailing trips, the Bush Middle School wilderness program and the Hidden Valley Summer Camp where he climbed his first mountain- Mt. Pilchuk - in 1989. His passion for leanrning through the outdoors intensified during high school, when he provided leadership in the Lakeside Wilderness Program and the Mountaineers Youth Group, completed two Avalanche Awareness seminars and the Mountaineers Basic Course, and climbed Mt. Rainier at age 16, the first of nearly 40 summits. At Lakeside, he participated in cross-country, track, orienteering and the kayak club, took every available history course and excelled as a creative writer. After his senior year, he became a Rainier Mountaineering Guide in the summers. Despite the demands of mountain guiding, he came home as often as possible to run, kayak, rock climb, sail, and most importantly, to be with friends and family.
Chris was planning to graduate from Stanford in three years, with a concentration in Product Design within the interdiciplinary Engineering major Science, Technology, and Society. His first two years at Stanford were filled with cycling for the Stanford bike racing team, volunteering at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, performing with the Improvisation Group and providing leadership for the Outdoor Education Program. Taking the past year off from Stanford, he kayaked the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon, traveled and climbed in Guatemala, Mexico, the French Alps, the northern Sierras and the Mt. Fairweather range in Alaska and completed a month-long Emergency Medical Technician Course.
Chris viewed the McKinley climb as a transition to working with younger climbers through the Northwest Mountain School. He lived every moment with joyful enthusiasm, passion, kindness and compassionate responsibility to others, yet was always concerned about returning home safely. These qualities undoubtedly motivated him to try to aid a fellow climber when severe wind gusts swept him off the West Buttress of Mt. McKinley.
My ChoiceI chose the hard lifeOne of toil and strife, But I loved every minute for sure. I loved the tall cliff And the bottomless drift Because I found life's only cure. I found that hard work Is where success lurks And that sweat is my special path. It's the river that flows To where I will go And, well, few may laugh. But I know it's true Because I found a clue On the bounds of what some call insane. I call this place home And it's where I'll roam Until He comes and smothers my flame. Until that sad day All I can say Is that I love the man I became. -- Chris Hooyman, 1993 |
Take a LookI know damn wellthat I may smell and that there is sand mixed with my hair I see my shirt is covered in dirt, but I really do not care. There is grime on my face and I'm out of place amongst most anyone But you must know that I like it so and that I really do have fun You must see that I am free and that wherever I may roam, I can simply lie beneath the sky and call that place my home. -- Chris Hooyman, 1993 |