UC Forestry Camp 1981
My first episode started during the summer. I was taking a series of summer school courses for my forestry major in Plumas county, California. I only drank alcohol a few times previously, but I started to drink a lot during this time. It got to the point where I was drinking at lunch and after dinner. I started a pyramid of my beer cans. Several times I got so sick that I threw up. Most of the time I was a very introverted person. When I drank, I became very manic.
One time just about everyone went to the lake and left me behind. Nobody wanted me along to ruin their trip. I walked 18 miles to the lake (didn't find anyone), drank a six pack and headed back to the forestry camp. On my way back I picked up a child's toy shovel, scooped up a dead squirrel with it, and walked into the camp singing with my shorts down.
During the forestry camp we were required to wear hard hats whenever we went on class assignments outside of the camp. Everyone else took their hard hat off as soon as they could. In contrast, I glued a beer can to the top of my hard hat, taped my self proclaimed nickname of "Spunky" on it, and wore it every chance I could.
I drew cartoons of myself in the rest rooms. Several people added their own comments to mine. Needless to say I was very obnoxious and juvenile. It reached the point where the other students would scatter when ever I approached.
I was drinking so much that I would stay up late and then nod off during the class. The instructor of the class took me aside one time to ask me if I needed some kind of counseling. I told him that I was okay. It still surprises me that they didn't call the white coats to whisk me away to the nearest looney bin.
The camp looks pretty much the same as it did when I attended. The UC Berkeley website has some good pictures which capture the flavor of camp life.