Annual Report 2001
Contents
DOC Reports
President
This past year, the DOC has experienced much change. Earl Jette, Director of Outdoor Programs, retired after 29 years of loyal service to our college, Outdoor Programs and the DOC. After a long search for the perfect person, Kathy Doherty took over his position in January of 2001. Then, in February of 2001, David Hooke announced that he would be leaving OPO for a teaching position in the local community. The search is still on for who will be filling his shoes.
Flora and I, when taking office, originally hoped to open the DOC to a greater variety of people and interests. Through increased beginner programs and more diverse activities, we hoped to make the DOC more approachable by the entire campus community. By the end of term of office, we felt that we had succeeded in influencing a large number of students and getting them excited about enjoying the outdoors. The following is a summary of the DOC's most successful events during the year.
Spring 2000
Flora Krivak-Tetley was off during Spring term so Kenny Gillingham took over as the term's Vice President. We kicked off Spring in the proper fashion with Spring Weekend. Riverbed played a Bluegrass festival at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge and the DOC saw many new faces. The trail work trip on Saturday was quite successful and was well attended by both experienced members and many who had never helped out before. On Sunday, the forestry team held a demo at Moosilauke and had everyone from sorority sisters to active DOC members out there, taking a swing with the ax. The whole weekend was absolutely wonderful and went, for the most part, without a hitch. I say for the most part, as one of the DOC vans slid off the Ravine Lodge Road and needed assistance getting back on the road. Fortunately, there was no damage and more importantly, no one was hurt!
Summer 2000
Summer term started off with a big bang. On July 4th weekend, the DOC sent over 110 sophomores out on the second annual Sophomore Trips The goals of the program were to provide an experience comparable to First-Year DOC Trips for those who never had a chance to attend and to provide the opportunity for a wide range of students to take a break from campus to enjoy the New Hampshire outdoors with a group of fellow '02s. Trips included mountain biking, road biking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing, hiking, organic farming and trail work. Each trip went out for two nights and ended with a group dinner at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge followed by many group games and the usual salty dogging and Schlitz. According to the participant surveys, everyone who went on a Sophomore Trip loved the program. The surveys also revealed that over half of the participants were not DOC members and were not "regular outdoorsy type people." It was great to see so many new faces around Robinson and Moosilauke. For a more detailed description of Sophomore Trips weekend, you can refer to the report that Molly Redmond and I put together.
Another important Summer term project, once again with the goal of opening the DOC to a larger community, was my submitted proposal for a "Trips Coordinator." This new proposed position would oversee and administer beginner trips and work to make the DOC, as a whole, a more open environment. The position/intern would also work to allow Dartmouth students to enjoy the outdoors within their comfort zone by creating a variety of programs. The programs' participants would thereby be introduced into the DOC, helping the club to prosper with an increased and more diverse membership. The DOC Board never formally voted on the Trips Coordinator Proposal because of much opposition and consequent discussion. It did, however, meet to address the proposal on multiple occasions and eventually decided to organize a committee responsible for analyzing and fixing possible issues with the DOC's "diversity" or lack thereof. The committee was guided by Wayne Hare, a temporary OPO employee. At the outset, interest in the committee was extremely high and participants attempted to work towards defining the DOC's future goals. However, as the summer passed by, people became less interested in discussing the topics and as interest dwindled, the committee meetings were discontinued.
Fall 2000
I was off Fall term and so Flora Krivak-Tetley took over as the DOC's President with Rachel Goldwasser acting as vice president. Before Fall term even began, the DOC held a welcoming event during orientation for all the incoming First-Year students. Free Ben and Jerry's brought out countless (over 500 people according to ice cream) First-Year students. Some chatted with club representatives, others watched little skits by each club, but mostly, people danced on the Robo lawn and hung out. As the fall term began, member clubs reported a stronger recruitment than in years past, perhaps due to this early visibility of the club.
The first large event of the term was Fall Weekend where students had the opportunity to spend a day outside with DOC clubs and then convene at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge for dinner and entertainment. Rachel Goldwasser did a stellar job of organizing the event as all the trips had waiting lists and both the 50-mile hike and the Moose hike went quite smoothly. Rachel displayed her cooking prowess by producing dessert: two large cakes in the shape of hiking boots.
The second large event of the term was modeled after last year's Halloween event, Morbid Madness. Working with Casque & Gauntlet and Amarna to coordinate transportation, the DOC once again created a haunted forest in Pine Park. DMCers swung out of trees as anonymous bodies groped at one's legs from the sides of the path. A good number of people came out to Pine Park to participate in some good old clean outdoors fun that cold Fall night.
Winter 2001
Winter came with a return to the normal leadership. It started off with Winter Weekend Fun II. Flora Krivak-Tetley, Dan Greninger and Rebecca Lothrop stepped up big time to help organize this event. Designed to get more people outside during winter enjoying the snow, this beginner weekend, went without a hitch. Snowboarding, Skiing and Telemarking events had over 125 people experiencing free lessons, lift tickets and transportation. Cross-Country Skiing, Ice Skating and Snowshoeing had over 75 people participating with free rentals and numerous guided trips. Ice Climbing filled up in two minutes and the waiting list was so long, we had to start turning people away. Everyone who participated got a little taste of how much fun winter in Hanover can be. Hopefully next year, the program can once again be expanded to allow an even larger number of people to experience just how great Hanover and its surroundings are during the winter (especially this winter with its numerous powder dumps).
Conclusion
Throughout the year, there were media events including the Banff Film Festival, Conrad Ankor, Dave Hamlin and many more people giving slide-shows and other awesome presentations. These events brought in many community members as well as new student faces. Flora and I hoped that these events provided a gateway for students to begin experiencing the outdoors and to learn from the people we look up to, respect and read about in magazines and see in movies. From the looks of the numbers in attendance at each event, the whole program was an awesome success.
Overall, I think that we were successful in opening the doors to a whole new group of people. We were also successful at helping people to enjoy the outdoors within their own "comfort zones." However, it wasn't easy and along the way, we were met with resistance by some DOC members and by various people within OPO. Much more could and hopefully will change especially in terms of the availability of the DOC and its programs to the entire campus community. The changes taking place within OPO have and will hopefully continue to foster the new paradigm of campus wide outdoor appreciation and enjoyment. I hope that the future brings a similar administrative interest and generosity in fostering these paradigmatic changes. After all, the campus' surrounding outdoors should be experienced, enjoyed and respected by the whole Dartmouth community as our school is situated in one of the most pristine areas of the entire country.
In talking with Adam Joel Sepulveda, the 2001-2002 DOC President, it sounds as if he has similar plans for the DOC concerning campus-wide DOC events. Just as I do, Adam also recognizes the benefits of promoting a more inclusive and diverse DOC community and its potential contributions to a new DOC with a greater number of interests, opinions and ideas.
The year I spent as DOC president was filled with both scintillation and frustration. I wished and worked towards rapid changes for a new, more inclusive and more inviting club. I was frustrated with the amount of resistance that I met when it came to instituting change. I was and still am scintillated by the amount of growth that Flora and I were able to facilitate during our time as DOC officers. We both hope that we have helped to shift the DOC's goals towards becoming a more inclusive, diverse and inviting campus organization. Good luck to Adam and may he be able to lead our club through another successful year. Also, I would like to wish Kathy Doherty luck, strength and perseverance when creating and promoting change for a better Dartmouth Outing Club and Outdoor Programs Office.
Thank you for a wonderful year.
Eli Diament '02, DOC President
General Manager
As I think many of you now know, I am in the process of leaving full-time employment at Dartmouth after 10 excellent years.
This past year was one many experiences and a lot of good reflection about what is important in life. My wife Kathy '85 and I were fortunate to travel to Ladakh, Northern India, for five months this past year. We taught in a Tibetan refugee school, traveled to monasteries, visited remote nomad settlements, and talked to a huge number of people. The country's Buddhist heritage and intense high-altitude desert environment has created a culture where hospitality, compassion and acceptance are the foundations of life. We were aware of being in a place where the web of community is extraordinarily deep and resilient. And I came home gradually more and more aware of the gap between the place where I live (Vershire, VT) and the place where I work. Kathy and I have put down some good roots in Vershire and are eager to stay. And moreover I have realized that the things I have learned while being here at Dartmouth--about trails, facilities management, and administration--are things that I could bring home. So I decided to make the move. Already I am overwhelmed by the opportunities for good work and good projects at home. Biggest on my list is the creation of a 35-mile Cross-Rivendell Trail--spanning the Connecticut Valley and the new Rivendell Interstate School District from Mt. Cube to the west edge of Vershire, and bidding fair to be a project that will try this new school district together.
Yet certainly this move was not an easy one to make. The connections I have made with this place over 20 years are deep and abiding. I have learned a tremendous amount from Earl Jette and the students, staff and alumni/ae of Outdoor Programs and the DOC over that time. The sense of giving up a known role in the middle of a culture of the outdoors that stretches back over the decades and around the world is certainly not easy to give up. I hope however that this web of connections will remain, even if they don't get quite the same daily maintenance. Kathy Doherty and I have spoken of a number of specific projects that I might undertake. And most of all I look forward to finding ways to build connections between Dartmouth, Rivendell and Vershire for our mutual benefit. There is a lot that could happen.
Appalachian Trail
We continue to have excellent relations with the US Forest Service in New Hampshire and Vermont. Last year's major project was big erosion-control work in the Atwell Hill Road area in NH and Thistle Hill in Vermont, and completion of loose ends at Ore Hill Shelter. We scouted a site for a replacement for Moose Mountain Shelter, high on the ridge with a fine view of Cardigan; assuming we pass all the review hurdles C&T will be able to begin work on this in the winter of 2002. This summer's project will be the start of a reconstruction of treadwork on the north side of Smarts Mountain, plus continued brushing to deal with new growth after the Ice Storm.
Support
There are a lot of other people who give generously of their time and energy to make things happen. Here are a few:
DOC Advisory Council
Dean Dan Nelson '75
Stuart Lord
Susan Folger
Professor David Kotz '86
Jeanie McIntyre
Professor Terry Osborne
Randy Spydell '73
Karl Furstenberg
Gail Zimmerman
J. T. Horn
Bernard Haskell
Michael Hanitchak
Kevin Peterson '82
LCC Board and Overseers
Creigh Moffat
Tom Hietzman
Dean Dan Nelson '75
Alan Brooks
Daniel Johnson
Jay Evans '49
Walker Weed '40
Vail Haak '49
Chris Wilson
Marc Lessard
Bernard Haskell
Safety Review Board
Jim Mason, Chair
Dr. Alex Reeves
Marcia Colligan
Dr. Michael Mayor
Earl R. Jette '55A
Sean Gorman
Club Advisors
Sally Boillotat, Boots and Saddles
Dr. Alex Mamourian, Biathlon
Professor Andy Friedland, ESD
Professor Leslie Sonders, DMC
Richard "Pokey" Low, Ski Patrol
Thank you, one and all, for your dedication to this organization. It really wouldn't be the same club without your support--moral, physical, and otherwise.
Other Notes
As it has been since Fred Harris's day in that long-ago winter of 1909-1910, the thing that makes it all work is the dedication of the central core of leaders, and the Outing Club is the measure of their devotion. It has truly been a privilege to work with these women and men, and to watch them mature into their leading roles. To avoid leaving out some worthy names I will simply express my gratitude to you all. You have truly given more than was asked. On behalf of the College and the DOC past, present and future, I will extend my many, many heartfelt thanks. The entire staff of the Outdoor Programs Office continues to support the Outing Club in many ways and deserves recognition for that. I extend my personal thanks to them, particularly Kathy Doherty who left UNH to dive into our complex and inscrutable culture and history with complete abandon and who will now lead Outdoor Programs into the final decade of DOC's first century.
Throughout the year there are many that serve Dartmouth out-of-doors. Members of the faculty, administration and alums volunteer countless hours in the interest of the Outing Club. Some serve as advisors to special programs and clubs, while others serve as officials and otherwise provide expertise, and still others serve on one or more of the many committees and boards. All take their role seriously and are to be commended for their valuable input to the DOC.
This bonding together of students, friends, and all the other players makes the DOC such a special organization. All are working together toward the fulfillment of the club's purpose. Always striving to do just a bit moreÉand just a bit better. I leave you knowing that this club is in excellent hands, hoping we stay in touch, and feeling sure that we will.
David Hooke '84, General Manager
Trainer
Van Driver Training
In order to provide clubs with safe and competent drivers Outdoor Programs provides a safety protocol talk and a road test for qualified club members. These services provide both safety training to reduce the chance of accidents, and orientation so club drivers know how to use the vans and what to do if they break down.
Basic Leader Training
The BLT program continues to grow with over 30 students enrolled this term in two different sections. The program has expanded to include an overnight and expanded curriculum. It has attracted students from all over campus and is improving the quality of trip leaders. Many thanks to Alex Monopolis, Remy Wildrick, Pat Leslie, Allan Washington, Ryan Owens, Jaime Musnicki, and others who volunteered their time to make this program a success.
Leadership and Training Fund
This fund allows us to bring in experts and resources to teach outdoor skills, including leadership training, for the DOC and it's affiliate clubs. In November and April we brought Alain Comeau, climbing guide from North Conway to run a top rope certification program for the DMC. This certification is instrumental in allowing DMC student instructors to head up student run PE climbing classes. Last spring we also held a stance management workshop for climbers and chainsaw seminars were provided to C&T members. This Spring we will sponsor a whitewater raft guide workshop in order to increase our pool of trip leaders.
First Aid Training
Both SOLO Wilderness and Red Cross basic first aid and CPR are offered every term to student leaders. Trip Leaders are encouraged to take the Wilderness First Aid, which is a two day program focusing on wilderness emergencies, and the Red Cross First Aid courses are designed as a recertification for students whose two year SOLO certificates have expired. The Red Cross First Aid is a six-hour program offered from 3-9 PM on a weekday afternoon. Wilderness First Responder Courses are offered at the Ravine Lodge every summer for students and the public who want in-depth first aid training; some students take this advanced course to gain the skills necessary to be Safety Director for DOC Trips. Scholarships for the above programs are provided for active club leaders.
Brian Kunz, DOC Trainer
DOC Trips
DOC Trips is one of the most broad-reaching traditions at Dartmouth. In a short period of time, it seems to shape almost everyone's first impression of the college, with a full-spirited student body welcome to the first year students by means of the outdoors. The 2000 Trips program was a remarkable success thanks to all of the hard work and enthusiasm of the student and faculty volunteers. The format of the program has remained relatively the same over the past few years, with a few alterations in trip types introduced both last year and this year. The final statistics are as follows:
- Number of trip sections: 9, Sections A-I
- Types of trips: Hiking (Leisurely, Easy, Moderate, Strenuous, Advanced), Canoeing, Kayaking, Nature Photography, Fishing, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Road Biking, Organic Farming, Rock Climbing, Trailwork
- Number of trippees: 937 (after 43 cancellations), including 17 transfer students and 4 exchange students
- Number of trips in total: 99
- Cost of Trip: $100
- Financial aid: $6,140 distributed among 98 trippees
- Number of External Bus Users: 217 trippees
- Numbers of leaders: 189: 97 women, 92 men
- Leader distribution: 54 Class of '03, 50 Class of '02, 77 Class of '01, 5 Class of '00, 3 faculty (including 1 Class of '75)
- Numbers of crew members: 1 Director, 1 Summer Assistant, 2 Leader Trainers, 2 Safety Crew, 4 Grant Crew, 3 Climbing Crew, 14 Lodge Crew, 14 Hanover Crew
Sections A, E, F, G, H, and I were the most popular trip sections this year, and kayaking was far and away the most popular specialty trip choice. This year 45 more people participated in trips. The percentage of African American students in the incoming class participating in DOC Trips increased by 17%. Exchange students were invited to go on a trip for the first time and five accepted while one canceled.
There were several changes made to the program this year. The initial mailing was gone over with a fine-toothed comb to make it more clear and inviting. This was done through input collected from several on-campus minority groups--primarily the AAm. Wayne Hare also provided a ton of valuable input. The old and new versions are included in the appendix. A new trip was also added, "Nature Photography," which was intended to draw a more urban set of students by minimizing the focus on the woods and wilderness. These changes are thought to be partly responsible for the 17% increase in participation of African American students.
Along the same lines the number of minority students applying for crew and trip leader positions increased marginally. Last year there was very limited minority representation among the crews and trip leaders. This was identified as a problem by various minority students on campus. This year there were two black trip leaders. There were none last year. This year there were three black students who applied to be on a crew. Two were accepted. Last year there was only one. This is most likely due to more active recruiting of minority groups on campus during the winter.
The food system was reworked this year also to reduce food waste and cost. The primary source of both of these problems was the trail food ordered for each trip. In the past trail food was ordered in two amounts: a regular box and a supplement. The regular box was designed to feed nine and the supplement to provide about nine people with some extra energy food. This made it possible to order food for nine people or eighteen people. The smallest trips generally have at least six people while the largest never have more than fourteen. The formula that was followed in ordering the food was one regular box per leader, and supplement boxes for strenuous hiking trips. In recent years as the number of co-led trips has increased to almost 100% this old formula was inefficient.
Another food ordering option was created: the "half box" which was judged to be enough food for five people. This created more flexibility in food ordering. It is now possible to order food for a trip of five, nine, or fourteen. This automatically eliminates a significant amount of waste food. The actual number of people per trip was used this year in calculating the amount of food to order for each trip. This reduced large amounts of waste considering so many of the co-led trips this year were fewer than nine people.
These two changes reduced the amount of food waste significantly. The exact amount of reduction cannot be calculated since the amount of food waste has never been measured. Based on general guesses the food waste was halved from last year. There is still some fine tuning that could be done: fewer oranges, oatmeal, and beans; more cheese and bagels.
The other areas of Trips ran, as they have in the past, amazingly well. Feedback from trippees and leaders was very positive as usual. More importantly several areas for improvement were discovered during trips. Addressing these problems during the fall and winter could make the program much stronger next year.
Using the Choates lounges for the first night in Hanover has become an unquestioned hassle over the last few years. There are several problems with the Choates.
- They are hard for trippees to find to drop off their packs.
- Trippees must be split up between two lounges which creates an organizational headache (minimal).
- There is inadequate space to perform the evening show.
- The maximum occupancy of the lounge is exceeded on busy nights.
- In order to provide costume changing space one of the fire exits must be blocked off.
- Ventilation in the lounge in poor, especially with so many people packed in.
- The Choates is also home to many preseason football players. They get very aggravated being woken up at 5:45AM along with all the trippees every morning. This exacerbates the bad feelings that already exist between the football players who are not allowed to go on a trip and DOC Trips.
- The Choates are a very unattractive place to spend your first night at Dartmouth. The ideal location for the first night in Hanover would:
- Have space for all of the trippees in one location.
- Have room to accommodate the show and audience.
- Be easier to find.
- Be isolated from interim residences to be less obtrusive.
- Be a showcase of the Dartmouth residential system.
One option that fits most of these criteria would be one of the gymnasiums. A better option that fits all the requirements is Brace Commons in the East Wheelock Cluster.
The next problem that was identified is Hanover Crew housing. Each year they are bumped from one location to the next. This year they were told that there would be no college owned property available to them. Initially Hcroo was supposed to stay in Sig Ep. They spent the first three nights in the Choates since finals were not over. They moved into Sig Ep and stayed one night. That one night made it apparent that it was not an option. They were then moved to the basement of Hitchcock where they were very excited to have some carpeted floor space to sleep on (seriously, this is not sarcasm). Hitchcock still had no cooking utensils making group dinners difficult.
Every fall Hanover Crew needs a place to stay. All they need is a room big enough for 16 people to sleep on the floor, a furnished kitchen, and a place where they can all eat dinner together. The last two years it has been difficult to get this necessary space. Considering that their needs can be determined so far in advance, the lack of space seems out of place. The Hanover crew puts in such dedicated hard work and asks for so little that it often breeds some discontent in the crew to be pushed off to some basement. If there is someway to make sure in advance that Hanover Crew will have an adequate space set aside for them in the fall, or will have the same space each year it would be a benefit to the program.
Communication with the grant crew was also difficult during one crucial instance this year prompting a discussion on changing the way Grant crew and Hanover can communicate. Beepers now work in a large part of the Grant and it would make sense for Grant crew to carry a beeper. If at all possible at least one Grant crew member should be an EMT.
The location of the 24-hr safety line should be moved from the noisy and crowded director's office to the safety office if space is available.
This year's Trips went off without a hitch. Next year's Trips could run exactly as this year's and be incredible. This shouldn't happen. If even one of the above problems can be addressed for next year Trips will run that much smoother and be that much better.
Ben Miller '00, DOC Trips Director
Dartmouth Ski Team
A Banner Season
|
Highlights
|
This team will be remembered among the strongest since the glory years of the 1960's. No question it was the strongest Men's and Women's Eastern Carnival team effort since Men's and Women's Skiing joined forces in 1983. This season Dartmouth won three of six Eastern Carnivals splitting with traditional powerhouse University of Vermont. The Cross Country Women's Team went undefeated in Eastern Carnival Team scoring. Our six place finish at the 2001 NCAA Championships appears disappointing unless you look more closely. Alison Keller injured a knee in training two days prior to her first event. Ace Brad Wall fell in two events. Both had tremendous seasons leading up to the Championships. Scott McArt's 4th place finish was the best performance by a Dartmouth cross country skier since Max Rabinowitz 2nd place finish in 1994 and Ned Gillette's Championships victory in 1967. The Women's Cross Country contingent of Erin Quinn-Hurst, Kate Pearson and Anna Harrington continued to pile in Team Points. In the end, it turned out to be an exciting week of racing for the Dartmouth Team.
Program
Rather than focusing on an athletic scholarship based program, our Team focuses on providing an environment where top skiers can excel. There's no question our program is nationally recognized as one where dedicated students and impassioned as skiers can actively pursue their dreams in both areas. At Dartmouth it is possible to combine an education at one of the nation's top colleges with one of the best ski racing programs in the country. The Dartmouth Ski Team is interested in individuals who are serious about their education and committed to becoming the best ski racers they can.
The Dartmouth Ski Team supports a wide range of individual skiing goals for its members. Dartmouth skiers are presently members of the U.S. Ski Team and have competed on every Olympic Team since skiing became an Olympic event! Others, through a committed approach to skiing, have found the lessons learned through their skiing years equally rewarding. Regardless of individual aspirations, one goal of the Dartmouth Ski Team is constant, and that is the commitment to the continued development and improvement of all our athletes.
The two main components of the program are racing and participation. Our program is composed of four disciplines (Men's Alpine Skiing, Women's Alpine Skiing, Men's Cross Country Skiing, Women's Cross Country Skiing). Each discipline or team has one head coach. Up to ten people ski on each varsity team.
In addition to the collegiate schedule, Alpine varsity team members also compete in FIS, FIS-University and USSA races while Cross Country varsity skiers compete in FIS, USSA, NENSA and national level races. Dartmouth is one of the few colleges supporting a three season training program for cross country skiers. Members of our Development Team regularly compete in USSA or NENSA racing.
Teams
| NCAA Championships | ||
| Team Results | ||
| 1 | Denver University | 649 |
| 2 | University of Vermont | 605 |
| 3 | University of Colorado | 595 |
| 6 | Dartmouth College | 449 |
| Dartmouth All-Americans | ||
| First Team | ||
| 4 | Scott McArt '01 | Men's XC |
| Second Team | ||
| 6 | Roger Brown '04 | Men's Alpine |
| 7 | Erin Quinn-Hurst '02 | Women's XC |
| 8 | Gusty Swift '01 | Women's Alpine |
| 8 | Kate Pearson '02 | Women's XC |
| 10 | Jeannie Eisburg '01 | Women's Alpine |
| EISA Championships | ||
| 1 | University of Vermont | 910 |
| 2 | Dartmouth College | 891 |
| 3 | Middlebury College | 805 |
| EISA All-East and Rankings | ||
| First Team | ||
| 2 | Gusty Swift '01 | Women's Alpine |
| 2 | Erin Quinn-Hurst '02 | Women's XC |
| 2 | Scott McArt '01 | Men's XC |
| 3 | Kate Pearson '02 | Women's XC |
| 3 | Brad Wall '02 | Men's Alpine |
| 4 | Anna Harrington '02 | Women's XC |
| 5 | Allison Keller '02 | Women's Alpine |
| Second Team | ||
| 5 | Roger Brown '04 | Men's Alpine |
| 7 | Sara Donahue '02 | Women's XC |
| 9 | Emily Chanel '04 | Women's XC |
| 10 | Matt Holsington '04 | Men's Alpine |
| 10 | Tom Temple '03 | Men's XC |
| 11 | Dawson Brown '02 | Men's Alpine |
| 14 | Matt Cleveland '02 | Men's XC |
| Ranked Skiers | ||
| 12 | Eric Reinhardt '02 | Men's Alpine |
| 15 | Louisa Hunker '02 | Women's XC |
| 17 | Joran Elias '01 | Men's XC |
| 17 | Lindsay Lockhart '04 | Women's Alpine |
| 18 | Brayton Osgood '03 | Men's XC |
| 19 | Andrew Biggs '04 | Men's Alpine |
| 19 | Emily Copeland '04 | Women's Alpine |
| 21 | Erin Morrissey '02 | Women's XC |
| 22 | Tracy Wilson '02 | Women's Alpine |
| 24 | Nick Koshnick '01 | Men's XC |
| 27 | GW Watts '02 | Men's Alpine |
| 28 | Andy Hunter '04 | Men's XC |
| 28 | Megan Ganong '01 | Women's Alpine |
| 32 | Matt Stephenson '04 | Men's XC |
| 32 | Kristine Lund '03 | Women's Alpine |
Women's Cross Country
Not enough can be said for the mind boggling depth shown by the Women's Cross Country Team this season. As a team they went undefeated in team scoring during Eastern Carnival racing. All Americans Erin Quinn-Hurst '02, won two Carnivals this year, and Kate Pearson '02, scored twice in the top 10 at NCAAs and eight times in the top five in eastern carnivals. Both return next year. Teammate Anna Harrington '02 scored a win at the Dartmouth Carnival and scored among the top five an incredible eight times. This group of Women's Cross Country standouts which also include Sara Donahue '02 and Emily Chenel '03, scored a resounding twenty seven top five Eastern Carnival finishes. Even more exciting is the fact that none will be lost next season. What more? Coach Cami Cardenali quickly points out that this carnival group was built on a solid foundation of skiers which also include Erin Morrisey '02, Louisa Hunker '02, Eileen Carey '03 and, even more, another thirteen Development skiers.
Whew!
Women's Alpine
Three time All-American Gusty Swift capped off her Dartmouth career with a pair of 8th places at the NCAA Championships and three Eastern Carnival wins. She will be sorely missed next year. Alison Keller '02 also had a great year which included six finishes among the top 5 in Eastern Carnival racing. The bad news was, after qualifying for the NCAA Championships, she injured a knee and was unable to compete in the NCAA Championships. She will return next season with a vengeance. Jeannie Eisberg '02 turned some heads with a All-American, 10th place NCAA Championships Slalom performance and a victory at the season opening St Lawrence Carnival Slalom. Although Gusty and Jeannie will graduate this Spring, the returning team of Alison, Tracy Wilson 02, Kristine Lund '03, Lindsay Lockhart '04 and Emily Copeland '04 will continue to mature toward a bright future under the capable hands of Head Alpine Women's Coach Bruce Lingelbach.
Men's Cross Country
Scott McArt '01 ended his collegiate skiing career with an All American 4th place NCAA finish which was the best single finish by a Men's Cross Country skier since a 2nd place finish by Max Rabinowitz in 1992, and a 1st place finish by Ned Gillette in 1967. Scott's career record included being named to four All East teams, three 2001 Carnival wins, and a 7th place Freestyle Sprint finish at the 2001 US National Championships which qualified him for his first World Cup start in Park City, UT this winter. There's no question that he will be missed following graduation this Spring. This year's Men's Cross Country team is based on a rock solid foundation of hard training skiers. Joran Elias '01 is a perfect example of a skier arriving at Dartmouth as a freshmen with a lot of interest and little in the way of competitive results. Season by season, Joran improved at a incredible rate leading to a 5th place Dartmouth Carnival finish and an Eastern Ranking of 17th place his final season. To put this in perspective, his goal was to attend one or two Carnivals this year! Nick Koshnick '01 is another example of a hard working skier who will graduate this Spring after progressing from an avid skier to a Carnival racer in four years' time. The future is bright as this Team will continue to develop with new Captain Matt Cleveland 02, Brayton Osgood '03, Tom Temple '03, Andy Hunter '04, Matt Stevenson '04 and 13 hard charging Development skiers.
Men's Alpine
In recent years, the Dartmouth Ski Team has been known for it's powerful Men's Alpine contingent. This year was no exception featuring Australian skier Brad Wall '02 who qualified for the 2002 Olympic Games after his World Championships performance this winter. Brad also found time to compete for Dartmouth and did so with three Carnival wins and five top five performances. What made this Alpine team more special this season was the rapid development of a young team. Homegrown Hanover skier, and Dartmouth freshman, Roger Brown '04 burst into an All-American 6th place NCAA finish at Middlebury. He also scored four top five Carnival finishes including a win at the Dartmouth Carnival. Dawson Brown '02 narrowly missed the All American Team with an 11th place NCAA performance at Middlebury. Matt Hoisington '04 and Eric Reinhardt '02 , next years Captain, scored among the top five this season. Along with talented skiers Andrew Biggs '04 and G.W. Watt's '02 coach Peter Dodge anticipates great things to come next season.
Development Program
The Dartmouth Ski Team's development program provides a forum for competitors who share the same enthusiasm for skiing as the varsity athletes. Development athletes, while officially not on the varsity roster, compete at the USSA national, regional, and state level and help to create a momentum, which perennially puts Dartmouth skiers at the top of the results. Development athletes, both alpine and cross country, train with the varsity teams during the fall preparation period and then embark on a separate race schedule during the winter term months. Each of the development teams accommodate up to 15 athletes and follow a competition schedule similar to the varsity's with races every weekend and training during the week. Dartmouth's unique development program contributes immensely to the Dartmouth Skiing family. Chris Shaner '99 gained valuable coaching experience as Cross Country Development coach this season. The Alpine Development group continues under the capable guidance of veteran coach Vince Gross. This program is indeed very lucky to have a guy like Vince around who's become a fixture in our program.
Staff
The success of the entire program rests on the talent and hard work of the current staff. Peter Dodge, Cami Cardenali, and Bruce Lingelbach all manage growing families while burning more than their share of midnight oil in order that this program continue in a fashion that it's so well known for. There's absolutely no question that Dartmouth Skiing continues to be what it is based on the output of these people. A major step two years ago were new coaching job descriptions. Each coach has individual responsibilities for administration of their own teams. Each is involved with recruiting, planning, preparing, etc. Management of the Team occurs as a group with the recently revised Director acting as "Chairman of the Board". Most decision making is done through the group with the Director, that's me, making the decision when consensus can't be reached. Given the number of years that this group has been together, along with it's vast ski world experience, the current plan appears to be the most efficient. Maggie Sullivan should be commended for bearing the brunt of balancing a fast moving staff, new home, retirement investment and committed golf game. We're lucky to have her!
Events and Projects
Friends of Skiing
Our Friends program has been responsible for the realization of the dreams of literally hundreds of Dartmouth skiers. Our Friends have grown to include over eleven hundred members, whose recent donations have been used for development team vans, alpine gates and cross country grooming equipment. It should be noted that, as this report is being written, funds continue to come in and the reported figure for 2001 is premature. Their knowledge and assistance is also invaluable in running our Carnival races. We remain eternally grateful!
Special Events Program
Through endowment funds created in the name of Al Merrill and Walter Prager, a limited amount of financial resources are available annually to:
- Make available for outstanding Dartmouth skiers new skiing opportunities not covered through the normal budgetary process.
- Make a special skiing experience available for Dartmouth skiers who are not necessarily outstanding but are conscientious and dedicated student athletes who would benefit from such an experience.
As this report is being written, we are in the process of evaluation our 2001 requests. We are expecting to award roughly $6,000 toward these requests thanks to return from this endowment. Last years awards are described in the included chart.
Robinson Hall
Renovated in 1995-96, Robinson Hall is the "home" of the Dartmouth Ski Team. Our facilities here include tightly squeezed men's and women's locker rooms, a ski room and coaches work rooms as well as our expanded office space. Due to increased equipment needs, we are rapidly outgrowing our ski and work rooms. Most ski team activities radiate out from this centrally located spot on campus.
The Ski Team's location in the Outdoor Program Office is often questioned. Commonly, people will ask why it is not in the athletic department "with the other teams." The question is understandable and, given the recent focus on the Student Life Initiative, bears careful scrutiny. This potential for change is expected to have direct consequence for the Dartmouth Ski Team in future years. It's important that change in "our Robo" home is met with a perspective fitting the Ski Team's past and it's unique fit with Outdoor Programming and the Dartmouth Outing Club. I feel the following piece written by David Hooke puts this in perspective and hope it can be referred to in future years as the Student Life Initiative gradually moves toward a new campus face lift.
Unique History of Dartmouth Skiing
"The Dartmouth Outing Club was founded by a student who came to Dartmouth with a strong skiing background. In 1909, he gathered about 75 students and faculty and created the club to foster outdoor winter sports. Students learned to ski quickly and in 1911 the Outing Club hosted the first Winter Carnival. Although there were no organized teams at other colleges, individuals representing their respective schools competed against Dartmouth along with members at non-collegiate ski clubs from around northern New England. By the mid-teens, the D.O.C. saw the need for a coach and the club president was authorized to hire one. From that time on until the late 30's, the ski coach answered to the President of the D.O.C. Despite the lack of ski programs at other colleges and the corresponding lack of any collegiate league, the Dartmouth Ski Team grew in size and prestige. Also, by competing against ski clubs such as the Nansen (Berlin, NH) Ski Club, Lebanon Outing Club, Newport Outing Club, Brattleboro Outing Club, and Lake Placid Outing Club, the DOC was instrumental in creating the Eastern Ski Association, which eventually became the U.S. Ski Association (USSA). From its earliest year, "club" competition has been the backbone of the Dartmouth Ski Team's competitive programs.
Gradually, collegiate skiing became organized. It did so at other colleges in the absence of a strong outing club, and therefore, developed as part of the athletic departments. Until the mid 50's, whatever collegiate competition existed was connected with ESA. Then the NCAA was created and collegiate skiing took on a life of its own. The Dartmouth Ski Team found itself with two competitive outlets: ESA (club) and NCAA (collegiate). It has been that way ever since, continuing to provide and participate in more non-collegiate than collegiate events, but always representing the Dartmouth Outing Club, in which all skiers are members.
This combination of club and collegiate programs makes it unique, both nationally and among sports at Dartmouth. This uniqueness is what draws so many top-level athletes. They know that Dartmouth considers the development of individual skiers through the club program to be as important as maintaining a position of preeminence in intercollegiate skiing. The benefit of this two-track approach is that it provides such a wide range of opportunities for Dartmouth students.
Currently there are eighty athletes participating at four levels on the Dartmouth Ski Team: development, junior varsity, varsity, and elite. Support for this program is present because Dartmouth believes in it as a crucial part of the culture of this place. Indeed, Dartmouth exploits this special nature of the skiing program in its outreach to the perspective students and to its alumni/ae. The Ski Team never would have developed to this unique level without the D.O.C., and it is difficult to believe that a program of this nature could exist without the continuation of an outing club connection." David Hooke, Outdoor Programs Office
Dartmouth Skiway
Since 1957, the Skiway has served as home to Dartmouth alpine skiers. Located just fifteen minutes from campus, with varied terrain and FIS approved slalom and giant slalom hills, the Skiway serves as the training site for the Ski Team and plays host to Dartmouth Carnival races as well as FIS and USSA competitions throughout the season. The original Brundage Lodge was built in 1956. Since then the number of annual skier visits has increased from 5,000 to over 50,000 in this record breaking year. The new McLane Family Lodge, at 16,000 square feet, provides for over four times the space of the Brundage Lodge. A leadership gift given by Linda and Andy McLane '69 of 1.5 million dollars has kicked off the drive to raise the necessary 4 million dollars, which includes 1 million for snowmaking, to complete the project. There's now be room for everyone to find a comfortable seat with a great view of the races during the Dartmouth Carnival, and possibly, the 2003 NCAA Championships!
In the winter of 1986 snowmaking made its debut at the Skiway. Steady improvements to the snowmaking and lift systems over the past 13 years have provided Dartmouth skiers with outstanding training and racing conditions regardless of the whims of New Hampshire winters. The increased snowmaking will allow for more trails to open earlier in the year to provide even better training for the Ski Team and more variety for all the other community and Dartmouth skiing programs.
Oak Hill & Silver Fox Cross Country Center
Extensive bulldozing on "the back loops" last summer and design and course modifications on the "downhill sections" by John Morton two years ago led to current cross country skiing trails which now provide daily side by side classical and freestyle tracks complying with modern standards. Dartmouth Outdoor Programs, in cooperation with the Hanover Improvement Society, grooms over 25 kilometers of these trails for its programs and to enhance public recreation. Located two miles from campus, the Silver Fox Trails at Oak Hill serve as the site for the Dartmouth Carnival cross country races as well as dry land and on snow practices. In addition, purchase of a new Pisten Bully groomer and tilling hardware brings track setting to a new level.
Endowments
Our current budgets and incremental increases are not keeping pace with increasing costs. Without the support of two recently established endowments we would not be able to maintain our current program. The Alpine Excellence Fund approaches it's 4th year and according to Peter Dodge:
"Thanks to the Alpine Excellence Fund the Men's Alpine budge has gone from $10,000 in 1997 to about $16,000, an increase of 60%, yet the program has not changed. Without this funding the Men's Alpine program faced a 35% cut in program including cutting the team size from 10 to 6, eliminate all funding for non-collegiate racing and a cut back in on snow training." Peter Dodge, Men's Alpine Coach.
The Ned Gillette Adventure Fund also provides funding desperately needed to meet the rising costs faced in modern racing.
The Ned Gillette challenge for Excellence Fund ("the Fund") is established by Janet and Robert Gillette in honor of their son Ned, Class of 1967. Ned became an extreme adventurer and was renowned for many of his unprecedented global expeditions. Part of his love for the outdoor adventures which made him famous was nurtured through cross country training and racing. It is hoped that this Fund will also nurture future cross country skiers at Dartmouth and instill in them the pure joy of classical skiing which never left Ned.
The Fund is designed to provide support for student athletes in the sport of cross country skiing, and to enable the ski team to provide the highest level of training and competition possible for a program of this stature. The income from this fund will be used to maintain the size and scope of the cross country program, while improving its quality and reducing the costs to the individual student-athletes. Specifically:, Annual racer fees (FIS, USSA, NENSA, etc.), Athletic equipment, Non-collegiate racing fees, Non-collegiate training equipment, Team equipment (waxes,É), Uniforms" Gillette Adventure Fund Statement of Understanding (1999)
Other Projects
- Dartmouth Carnival. Every year the quality of the event continues to improve. Our eyes are beginning to focus on hosting the 2003 NCAA Championships!
- Annual Ski Team Equipment Swap. This event continues to provide valuable funding to supplement our budget in team uniforms and major equipment purchases.
- Annual Moosilauke Time Trial
- Friends of Skiing NCAA Reception
- Annual Awards Banquet
- Annual Press Guide
Ruff Patterson, Director of Skiing
Club Reports
Cabin and Trail
First off, we couldn't have had such a great year without the extremely devoted and ever growing council. Thanks, bonafide Chubbers, for making things run so smoothly.
Spring 2000 opened new avenues for CnT as we took a stab at the "diversity" issue, by pooling together as a club to craft a CnT mission statement of inclusion and a plan for making the club more outreaching. However, as the DOC diversity quest fizzled, so did CnT's, making it a topic for later discussion once again.
Thanks to Earl's deep pockets, five council members attended the ATC biannual conference in Harper's Ferry, WV, in late June. Kenny Gillingham '02, Zach Goldstein '02, David Weissberger '01, and a couple chairs came back with more enthusiasm than ever before for giving our 75 miles of the AT the attention that it needs to make it less "primitive" and more meticulously crafted. The ten-hour van ride back to Hanover turned into a brainstorming workshop--through this, we decided to make the current "Heeling" program more instruction oriented and virtually eliminate the term "Heeling" from our Fall program in hopes of reducing exclusivity; we started the T-shirt volunteer recognition program for those student trail-maintainers that have donated at least ten hours of their time on our worktrips; and we decided to make training council members in trailwork (and how to lead trailwork trips) a top priority.
The summer was a bit atypical for our club as we had a full schedule of activities because nine of the council members at the time were '02s in Hanover for the summer, and four '03 council members were based at the Lodge for the summer trailcrew. In early July, J.T. Horn of the ATC led twenty active chubbers in a trailwork seminar on Atwell Hill. The summer was incredibly successful with our only regret not making the desired trip to Katahdin.
CnT had an especially great fall. In the first week of the term, the largest budget in CnT history had been approved, van requests for planned activities had been made, and the activity bulletin was in ASE's inbox. Recruiting efforts led to our blitz list being shut down by Kiewit for its fear that our 570-member list would be the end of the world. (We migrated to a server-side list which puts an automated listserver in charge of our list management and archival. While we're on the dorky side, an unnamed source, Zach Goldstein '02, worked hard on developing the CnT website, too.)
The 2004 class proved to have amazing energy for whatever activities we offered, and almost every trip went out completely full. The rehabilitation of Miller Cabin brought many new members to this largely forgotten treasure. Impressive numbers of hours were logged in the new trailwork database from four huge Moose Mountain worktrips, and on the administrative side, the process was started to hopefully begin construction of a new Moose Mountain shelter in Fall 2001. The more instructional heeling program worked to draw in many underclassmen, and the new focus on openness through a fellowship director reminds us all to welcome curious vagrants to the club.
The beginning of winter term saw a burst of enthusiasm from many folks who had never before been involved with CnT. Forty people were out skiing and snowshoeing the first weekend of the term, and the PEMI Winter Camping trip went successfully the second weekend. We had a fantastic weekend in the Grant as well, but later in the term trips were hurting for participants. Interest shifted more towards daytrips and away from cabin overnights. A Miller worktrip to dismantle the chimney and an Alcott-led tracking seminar went beautifully, but only a few folks wanted to stay in John Rand or Great Bear and hike Moosilauke. Social activities were well attended as were the more instructional heeler activities. An open meeting to assess the success of CnT's attempts in the last year to be more open to newcomers, train leaders more effectively, help promote DOC unity, and take better care of the Appalachian Trail turned out positively.
This year has been a year of "farewells" and "hellos". In the spring we were prepped a bit for change when David Hooke took a brief sabbatical to teach school in India. That helped us remember how much we depend on David's knowledge on a daily basis. We were fortunate to work directly with Earl Jette as he returned to his role of student interaction with David's absence, but after working with us, retirement must have been the only option. A special thanks goes to David and Earl for so many great years and stories. With the arrival of Kathy Doherty and the next search committee starting, we look forward to more great relations with OPO.
For the next year, we plan to arrange co-trips with other DOC clubs, really reach out to other campus organizations, and continue to run fun and rewarding trips for all ability levels and interest not forgetting the very easy and very strenuous trips that are in demand from some of our members. With a great group of freshmen ready to take leadership roles, and dedicated upperclassmen to guide them, the next year in Cabin and Trail should run even more smoothly than the last.
YITOOD,
Erica Close '02 and Joe Cloyd '02
Heelers
The Heelers program was stronger than ever this past year as Cabin and Trail's leadership core continues to grow. We had an incredibly successful spring term with Devon Bonady '00 leading the way as Heeler Director for her final term at Dartmouth. Not only did our instructional repertoire expand with the addition of the van cleaning seminar (one participant), but the six spring Heelers perfected the newly formed technique of holding all of their overnights within a week and a half period.
After many discussions and a bit of remodeling in the summer, the Heelers program came back with full force in the fall as Zach "I lead four trips a week" Goldstein '02 took the helm. Hannah Jacobs '02 co-led an epical trip to the Second College Grant before she and co-ascendee Dominic Stanculescu '01 treated the Cabin and Trail faithful to scrumptious meals on their overnights. With amazing participation from the '04 class, all of the instructional events (even the weekly sign seminars) were very well attended.
The core faithful '03s and '04 returned for an awesome winter--David Hooke shared his amazing tool sharpening skills, Brian Kunz taught us all how to orienteer, and the Heelers learned about winter camping, fire building, and how to accomplish the daunting task of resupplying cabins with firewood. Another strong group of three '03s ascended, keeping the number of council members continuing to rise to 21 members. We are looking forward to increasing our numbers even more with the enthusiastic '04 class ready to join the leadership ranks.
Zach Goldstein '02
Cabins
Cabin work this year was mostly focused on Miller cabin. After years of neglect and abuse, Miller cabin received a lot of attention this year. In the past year a new roof has been put on. Unfortunately, the stone fireplace and chimney had to be demolished in order to insure that the new roof was watertight. Although not yet completed, a wood burning stove will be installed as a replacement for the fireplace. More cleaning and other repairs are scheduled for the spring and the cabin should soon be ready for use.
John Rand cabin also received some much needed attention this year. The summer trail crew replaced some of the wood on the porch that had been rotting. Also new to the cabins are the first aid and burn kits that were provided for each cabin by the college's Environmental Health and Safety department.
Although the trail crew supplied the cabins with plenty of firewood during the summer, by the end of February both Ritchie Smith and Hinman were burning up their last pieces. Trips were made to both cabins and we quickly cut up enough wood for the remainder of the winter.
Philip Marvin '03
Trails
Trail maintenance became an increasingly significant activity for Cabin and Trail as the year 2000 progressed. In the spring of 2000 the weather was not very conducive for trail work, as the skies were always gray, and it rained almost every day. The net result of this weather was an unending mud season, which made trail work fairly challenging. So instead of digging waterbars and placing rock steps, CnT made an effort to blaze the AT in the Hanover area. The blazing was a success. Interestingly, we learned a couple of days later that a few ignorant police officers saw us in the act of blazing the AT, and had come to the conclusion that we were defacing Hanover. They contacted then-council-chair Joe Cloyd with their concerns. Fortunately, Joe handled the situation well, by not only informing the police officers of the existence of the Appalachian Trail, but also by mocking them in such a subtle way that they failed to pick up on it. Good work, Cloyd!
The most substantial trail work in the summer of 2000 was done on the Atwell Hill portion of the Appalachian Trail. J. T. Horn, a guy from the AMC, agreed to take a group of chubbers out to Atwell Hill to teach us how to do trail work the right way (he wasn't a firm believer in the "done poorly still done" doctrine). During the course of the day, we constructed rock steps, dug water bars, cleared blow downs, learned how to build bog bridges and did some turnpiking. We finished our work on the Atwell Hill section on subsequent trips.
The fall of 2000 was a crazy term for trail work. CnT focused almost exclusively on Moose Mountain. There were numerous work trips, especially to the south side of Moose. Some of the larger trips included DOC fall weekend (approximately thirty volunteers), and a work trip with twenty adults from across the nation who were not at all affiliated with Dartmouth (they just happened to be in the area and wanted to help out). Members of the class of 2004 were super-psyched to help us out on the trails and they made great contributions. There was a lot of brush clearing, water bar digging, and rock step placing. Atwell Hill and Moose Mountain now both look great!
Justin White '03
Forestry
Forestry (UGH!). Since I began participating in Cabin and Trails last winter term, Forestry has been my main venue for aggression-venting, fun-having, and time-spending. I realized quickly upon joining the team that Forestry was, for me, NOTHING like freshman crew, that is to say, it was wonderful. After reading past year's annual forestry reports, it seems as though the forestry club is currently enjoying a period of high enthusiasm and participation. In just over a week, we will be hosting the 55th annual Spring meet here at "Dear Old Dartmouth:" canoeing in Storrs Pond and tearing the s*!# out of the Green.
But since this report must be completed before Pierre the giant Woodsman cutout graces the Green, I'll just give a brief (hopefully) synopsis if Dartmouth Forestry from this time last year to the present. Last year the spring meet was in Truro, Nova Scotia, hosted by NSAC (Nova Scotia Agricultural College). We discovered in the strange, foreign land of Canada the joys of Tim Horton's doughnuts and med-dub-dubb coffee, as well the fact that Truro is nearly the windiest place on earth, second only to the peak of Mt. Washington. The first day was devoted to canoeing, packboard, log roll, pulp, and other events I can't distinctly recall. It went fairly well for the Dartmouth crew; we left at the end of the day with several firsts and several other nearly-firsts. The girls won doubles and portage canoeing and packboard, and the guys won singles and portage canoeing.
The next day saw the less-important events of chopping, sawing, etc. I think that, on the whole, we didn't do too badly. We may not have won many (or any?) events that day, but we didn't get whooped too badly in many, either. Actually, I think we may have come home with a first in the Women's Pole Climb. All in all, the meet was a huge success-we cheered, we had fun, and we came away with only one minor injury. The girls placed 2nd overall, and the boys didn't. On to the next meet.
Spring meet #2: University of Maine, Orno. That's probably not how Orno is spelled. In any case, we headed out to UMO for a more relaxed, one-day meet. Because UMO is obsessed with chopping, (a skill we see as largely superfluous in the forestry world) we didn't take home the gold, but David Weissberger '00 won the axe throw, and many others also won their events. The meet was a blast, and we came away with only two injuries, both non-fatal, both due to the devious salmon-speckled competition M-tooth crosscut saw.
Which brings us to the summer. Nothing much remarkable occurred in the summer with Dartmouth Forestry, but at a Demo at the Lodge, we did manage to get a bunch of sorority girls to chop, probably a first anywhere.
On to the fall. We practiced moderately hard and our minimalist approach actually worked (for a change) as the Girls came away with first place overall. The boys had a good showing, and the only injury suffered was due, not to any forestry events, but to some over-zealous wrestling among the team members.
The seasons progressed, and it was then winter. We tried the minimalist approach once again, but realized upon arrival at Ste. Anne's de Bellevue that it only works with some American Teams. In other words, we got whooped. But we stayed mostly unfrozen, and nobody died from the neo-cubist "eggs," so I think the meet was overall a victory. The most notable features of this winter meet were Chester Areson's '04 winning of the axe throw event with three bullseyes, and the fact that no injuries were sustained, other than nausea from the food.
So we have come full circle and arrive now back at the spring. We've been practicing harder than I've heard of forestry ever practicing, mainly because Put Blodgett '53 has decided to coach us in the land events. Between him and Hookester, we have received, I believe, the most coaching of any Dartmouth Forestry team since Porkroll left. I'll wrap up now with a few sincere hopes: 1) that Storr's pond thaws in time, 2) that the meet is a success in every way, and 3) that next year is as great as this past one has been.
FTD,
Kim Iwamoto '03
Trail Crew
If I could sum up this past summer's activities on Trail Crew in one word, it would be this: "Strategery." Or was it "Lockbox?" OW! Ok, ok... Firewood.
Lots of it.
In inconvenient places, like John Rand. A day of carrying big ol' logs down that slippery, rocky, and narrow trail really makes you think twice about whether you really need a fire in that stove after all.
Actually, pile on those logs--we're entitled, and we're not the ones that have to restock next summer.
Other highlights included demolishing the kitchen of the Fish and Game Camp at the Grant (fun with sledgehammers, crowbars, and rock bars!), scooping the incredibly abundant blueberries and raspberries and blackberries by heaping handfulls into Nalgenes, July Fourth, Old Home Days, Fat Bob's, Tubestock, backpacking trips on weekends, the sky at night (yes, even Hanover suffers from light pollution... compared to Wentworth Location. My God, it's full of stars), rolling impossibly huge boulders around to build rock steps, turnpiking, grunting, mosquitoes, black flies, deer flies, horse flies, ticks, and DEET (lots of it). And blisters. And sore muscles. And frost in August.
Plus introducing Lodge Crew to some snakes we found at the Grant and who looked like they'd be much more comfortable in the underwear drawers of the crew loft.
And speaking of Lodge Crew, of course the cooking and such was nice (the bread was fantastic!), and breakfast was very, very good... the one week we didn't have to leave before breakfast to get to work on time. In fact, that one week was a great week in general. We didn't get much accomplished, but then we didn't have to. Note to future trail crews: Always be sure to negotiate a week's worth of porch repair on John Rand into your schedule. It is a thoroughly worthwhile, enriching, and fulfilling experience.
Plus it's really, really easy work.
So yeah, fun stuff, most of the time. Good times, some not-so good times, but we were copiously fed (I love the feeling of eating just as much dinner as you can stand to shovel down (if not a little more, at the behest of one's tablemates who clearly are concerned that three helpings isn't enough for a person of one's hulking stature), settling back and listening to Dinner Talk, and then attacking the dessert. I like food. I even managed to put on a few pounds this summer, and that is clearly miraculous), fairly well-entertained, and generally taken care of.
Also: Honey is the sweetest dog you will ever meet.
Zach Keane '03
DinerToure
DinerToure has continued to be one of the most popular regular CnT events, drawing eating-motivated folk from all corners of campus. Many say that they found DinerToure so attractive this year due to the addition of the "e" at the end of the name. Though we sampled fine diner cuisine up to two hours away, the traditional favorites of the Hungry Bear in Bradford and Doodles Diner in Grantham provided culinary delight again and again. Blanch and Bill's Pancake House in Bridgewater Corners, VT still provides an epical pancake trip for the really dedicated attendant. As always, DinerToure supplied a time and a place for good conversation and a painfully-full stomach, and will continue to do so long into the future.
Jen Butcher '02, a.k.a. "DinerQueen"
Trips
The 2000 Spring term brought a host of exciting cabin work trips, day hikes, trail work trips, and far too many heeler overnights in too short a time period, but the highlight was the historic Millennium Portage of Schlitz (Hinman Cabin's aluminum canoe) up Mount Washington. Led by legend-in-his-own-time the great Daha (David Hastings '00), a large group of dedicated Chubbers made the long drive on an early Green Key Sunday to be greeted at Washington by, surprise, not the greatest of weather conditions. It was chilly and foggy, but that proved no deterrent to the dedicated Chubbers. The Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail was selected as the way to go, because of its high goofer (definition: a misplaced person from Massachusetts a. wearing high heels, b. carrying a camcorder, c. wearing a fanny pack and/or d. purchasing the Mount Washington Story video at the gift shop) to mileage ratio.
The event was built up by heroic stories of the three previous Schlitz portages. The first portage was completed by a much smaller group in '76. And again in '89 two men decked out in C&T shirts and tuxedo tails and two women completed the feat. Perhaps the most amusing story was from the summer of '92 portage. Not only was the group followed by a WMNF ranger all the way up the trail and written a citation for hiking in a group without an outfitter's permit, but at the AMC's Lake of the Clouds hut, the hut-master refused to allow the Chubbers to paddle in "his" lake.
The canoe was generally carried by two Chubbers, one on each end, but some of the burliest among us (Hawkeye King '00, Erica Close '02, Daha '00) portaged alone. Having so many fresh muscles the portage proceeded at a speedy pace and the first goal of Lake of the Clouds was successfully attained. Lunch was eaten while most of the group took turns on a leisurely paddle around the part of the lake that wasn't still frozen. At this point, Hanna "Wait I'm Coming!" Breetz '02 caught up with the group after leaving Hanover a solid two hours after the van!
Though paddling around Lake of the Clouds was fun, the summit was yet to be reached. The group packed up and said goodbye to the last body of water large enough to hold a canoe and pressed on. The terrain got steeper, the goofers less plentiful (most goofers planning for the summit opt for the Smog Railway or the Autoroad) but the Chubbers' determination never faltered and the summit was reached. The only thing left to do was go to the summit gift shop to buy the ever-present "This Car Climbed Mount Washington" bumper sticker for good ol' Schlitzie. Schlitz was portaged into the summit house, down the narrow winding staircase to the gift shop, only to be told, "Naw, they only sell those bumpah stickahs at the visitor's center by the base pahking area!"
Emily Lesher '02
Cycling Club
Spring 2000
The Cycling Club's activities in the spring of 2000 consisted of three major categories: races, access issues and trail building, and trips.
The Cycling Club attended two races during this season. The first was the Wrath of Sun Valley. Member Christopher Root '00 took second in the men's sport class. Joe Levine '00 and Elizabeth French '99 also participated in the race.
The club next attended the Coyote Hill Classic in Fairlee, Vermont. The Dartmouth men swept the field in the men's beginner class race. Christopher Root '00 took first place, Peter Ostendorp '03 took second, Adam Kaplan '03 took third and Joe Levine '00 took fourth. Sally Annis '97 TH took first in the women's beginner class, and Elizabeth French '99 took fourth. Having personally participated in the race, I can say that it was an extremely fun activity that created a lot of club unity among the group that attended.
The club also began to show concern for the trail access controversy that is currently being debated in the Upper Valley. In particular, Cycling Club members took interest in the Boston Lot trail access issue by attending Upper Valley Mountain Bike Association meetings and Lebanon Conservation Council meetings to debate the situation and try to reach a compromise with the town of Lebanon on trail access. As of today there has still been little mention of a concrete decision to limit mountain biking in the Boston Lot Lake area. The Lebanon Conservation Council is still hearing the issue. The consensus among mountain bikers as of the spring was that we would stay off of the trails in the area until the end of mud season and then wait for some sort of a verdict from the conservation camp.
Joe Levine '00 began an investigation into the possibility of the Cycling Club cutting its own trails on Dartmouth College property in the near future. Maps were obtained from the authorities, and a trail building plan was considered at the Oak Hill site. No trails were cut as permission had not yet been granted.
Group rides to local riding venues such as Oak Hill and the Copper Mines were held during the spring as well. To my knowledge, there were no large-scale trips.
Summer 2000
The Cycling Club was under the leadership of Russel King-Jones '02 for the summer of 2000. The club did not run any large-scale trips during the summer. Most of the activities revolved around smaller group rides in the local area.
Fall 2000
I apologize in advance for the disproportionate amount of material contained in this section; however, this is the season about which I have the most information because I took over the presidency of the Cycling Club during this term.
A meeting was held during the first week of the fall term to decide on new club leadership. This meeting took the form of a feed. Peter Ostendorp '03 was chosen as the new president.
Prior to the above meeting, a club budget and trip agenda had already been planned. The club had decided to do a Killington downhill biking trip in addition to three races, one at UVM, another at Attitash, and still another at UVM late in the season. Unfortunately, due to a lack of interest only the Killington trip was realized.
The Killington trip occurred during the second weekend of the term and was a huge success. Twelve members were in attendance. The weather was phenomenal, the riding challenging, and a good time was had by all. I highly recommend that future Cycling Club presidents plan this trip into the budget for every term when the lifts are open to mountain biking.
Several other trips were run including a day trip on Homecoming Weekend to the Copper Mines area and the fifty-mile ride to Moosilauke for Fall Weekend. Both of these rides were extremely well-attended.
Despite the fact that our races fell through due to a lack of club interest, the club created several other valuable ride opportunities that were well-attended. The first was the Friday beginner rides. These were mostly mountain rides, although Brad Leneis '03 led several road rides on Thursdays. The rides catered to newcomers and were successful at getting out large crowds of beginners. The locations varied from Oak Hill to the Copper Mines to fourth class roads in Norwich. Attendance varied from five riders to a whopping fifteen. Jenny Hubbard and Mike Silverman assisted in finding new terrain for us to explore.
Another weekly program that was not as well-attended was the repair clinic. This had been done in the past, but not on such a regular basis. We tried to promote good maintenance habits by having free bike tune-ups in DOR. Club members could pay $5 to have their bike fixed and learn how to do the repairs themselves.
The trail building initiative from last spring was continued. Several survey rides were done at Oak Hill to determine a proper spot to cut a trail. Permission was granted by the OPO to create a minimal impact trail on the northern face of the hill. Removal of fallen limbs and leaves began. The trail was never fully realized due to a lack of man power. We hope to continue this project during the summer to get our own piece of single track built on the face of Oak Hill.
In regards to the trail access issue, the general statement of the Upper Valley Mountain Bike Authority has been that mountain bikers are allowed to ride on the trails surrounding the Boston Lot Lake. The Dartmouth Cycling Club followed their lead and told its members that riding on the trails directly adjacent to the lake was permitted until further notice. Riding in the Mink Brook and adjoining areas is still off limits.
An initiative was started to get a Cycling Club web page developed. We hoped to get a ride directory published on the web to give club members access to information and maps about good, legal riding in the Upper Valley.
Winter 2001
Development of the Cycling Club web page continued this term. Our most current efforts can be viewed at:
The club also called a meeting to decide on a new president for the spring. Brad Leneis was chosen to lead the club in the spring.
Peter Ostendorp '03, President, Winter 2001
Environmental Studies Division
In 2000-01, the decades-old Environmental Studies Division (ESD) reasserted its force in promoting environmental awareness on campus. The spring of 2000 marked the thirtieth anniversary of Earth Day, and ESD made sure that Dartmouth took the time to reflect on the planet. Colder than normal temperatures in Hanover failed to stop the Full Moon Celebration, which featured poetry by Professor Ernest Hebert and a campout at Storrs Pond. Earth Week 2000 also featured an Energy Awareness Day, where the Honda Insight hybrid car was available for demonstrations on the Green. Students and faculty were amazed at the creature comforts of this 70-mile per gallon car. Another on-campus celebration of the Earth featured the popular band Green Room playing while students tabled on issues such as the White Mountain Forest and global climate change. Capping off the week was a final Earth Day event at the Dartmouth Organic Farm, where students and community members took tours of the facility and had a potluck dinner to the sounds of the band, The Well.
In the fall of 2000, ESD took a retreat to Armington Cabin where Chairperson Erica Mintzer '02 helped the group rewrite its mission statement. The newly formed ESD goals became:
- To educate ourselves and others about environmental issues
- To increase awareness on campus
- To enjoy and to appreciate our natural environment
- To be visible, known, and to have a presence on campus
- To provide support to other environmental organizations (networking)
- To serve as the environmental voice of the students and to influence the administration
As the year 2001 began, ESD got to work on its primary goal, educating the campus. Speakers and activists from the Upper Valley and beyond visited Hanover to explain how students could get involved in protecting the places around them. On February 27, ESD welcomed environmental author and scholar Bill McKibben. Best known as the author of The End of Nature (1989) and Hope: Human and Wild, McKibben spoke to over 450 students and community members on the subject, "The Environment as the Moral Challenge of Our Time". Other speakers would follow, including Southern Utah Wilderness activist Dave Pacheco, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge activist Lenny Kohm, and Predator Conservation Alliance spokesperson Sara Folger. All of these presentations were collaborative efforts between ESD and the Upper Valley Sierra Club, allowing for an audience of students, faculty and community members from New Hampshire and Vermont.
ESD stayed true to its DOC roots and sponsored trips for its members to enjoy their natural environment. The annual winter trip to the Second College Grant always seems to fall on the coldest weekend of the year, but everyone enjoyed the snow and the quiet at Peaks Cabin. The record-breaking snowfall in Hanover made for more than a few ESD sledding trips, too, not to mention snowball fights.
Outside of Dartmouth, ESD helped send students to national conferences to bring what they learned back to Hanover. Sasha Earnheart-Gold '04 and Alex Monopolis '03 attended the Sierra Club/Amnesty International Youth Summit in Washington, DC, entitled "Human Rights and the Environment in the Age of Globalization". Eight other ESD members attended the Greening of the Ivies Conference over Winter Carnival weekend. Held at Yale University, this annual meeting allows the Ivy League environmental groups to brainstorm ways to energize campuses. Dartmouth played a prominent role at the conference and is planning to host the event in February of 2002. Finally, Karsten Barde '04, Matt Kemp '04, and Benjamin Phillips '04 represented ESD at the Sierra Student Coalition Summit on Public Lands. These first-year students traveled to Washington, DC, to learn about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Southern Utah Wilderness, and other public land issues.
Like the environmental movement that it belongs to, ESD has changed a great deal since its early days. Many people feel that the movement was strongest during the Rachel Carson/Earth Day period in the 1960s and '70s. Critics also claim that students are apathetic and do not work for any causes these days. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no question that the level of student activism on campuses across the country rivals anything that took place during the 60's or 70's. Today's students care about the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the places they live. More importantly, students want to preserve their environment for their children and grandchildren, so that future generations might enjoy all that students do today. ESD is working to do just that, and we will not stop.
Oliver Bernstein '03
Ledyard Canoe Club
The Ledyard Canoe Club has witnessed great changes with the start of the new century. These changes include the multiple LCC-based international adventures that have been made possible by the DKAF, the clubs renewed interest in flatwater and whitewater racing, and an incredible increase in whitewater kayaking and club activity. At the same time, Ledyard has maintained its numerous traditional activities through the enthusiasm of club members.
Thanks to the magnificent Dave Kirby Adventure Fund (DKAF), members of Ledyard have organized an amazing number of international adventures in the last year. During the spring break 2000, Colin Keenan '00, Tim Neuschwander '00, and Rusty Cheney '03 joined up with Dwight Aspinwall '84 to explore the whitewater of Ecuador. Noish (Tim) created an incredible 45-minute film showing both the amazing whitewater creeks and the rural Ecuador culture they encountered on their trip. Immediately after finals in June, Ryan Owens '01, Jeff Cooney '02, and Robert Hallenbeck '01 led a nine-day, eleven-person Sea Kayaking trip to the Saguenay Fjord in Quebec. In September, Kristen Podolak '01, Tom Campbell '01, and Nick Koshnick '01 explored Costa Rica's white-water playboating and culture. As part of his trip to the Arctic circle in March of 2001, Alex Monopolis '03 planned a expedition to Sea Kayak with a few natives from Svalbar. Currently in April 2001, Rusty, Scott Cushman '03 and Miguel Licona '03 are paddling the whitewater in Honduras. Unfortunately, not all DKAF plans were supported by the fund; most notably, financial support for a 460-mile canoe race in the Yukon was withdrawn due to one member (Andrew Martin '00) graduating just a few weeks before the scheduled start of the event, rendering him ineligible for the grant money.
Within the last year, Ledyard has also begun to renew its focus on racing. Community marathon canoe racers, Marc Lessard and Chris Wilson have teamed up with Rob Hallenbeck and others to organize a successful bid for the 2002 Marathon Canoe Nationals. There has been a general increase in marathon paddling, supported by the new race C-1 that we purchased last spring. At the same time, Rusty has developed Whitewater Slalom racing, providing interested Ledyardites with race training and instruction. This year, we purchased a second slalom race boat (the "big boy") to support this interest.
The theme for Spring Trip 2000, led by Trip Director Jolyon Rivoir-Pruszinski '00 was "Boot and Rally." The trip was difficult because it had a low leader-follower ratio, but we still had a great time. While Rusty organized a successful Mascoma race, he was not so fortunate with his dirty laundry challenge, and started a new tradition by doing the laundry of the top three boaters to beat his time (Rusty swam in the C-1). With the high water (about 1200 cfs) and difficult gate placements, the race was much more challenging than previous years. In the spring of 2000, Ledyard also tried to organize a second Race To The Sea, but after much work, our overseers convinced us that it would not be possible because of liability and safety issues. Trip to the Sea occurred in May, led by Devon Bonady '00. While it was smaller than usual (eight paddlers) the group bonded and really enjoyed their time together.
The summer of 2000 saw the start of a new tradition, the first sophomore trips, which were a great success. Sadly, Sophomores from the Source did not happen this summer. However, overall the paddlers were incredibly psyched, with numerous trips occurring and five full PE classes were held.
Matt Hood '00, Jamie Salem '02, Adam Sepulveda '02, and Clarissa Werre '01 headed up Grant Crew, and soon after, a few Ledyardites headed to Canada for Fall trip, reporting big water and great surfing. This year, we held the LCC classic in the fall instead of the summer. Although it was well organized and a success, there was a low turnout so we have decided to move the race back to the warmer months. The enormous success in recruiting freshmen can be partially attributed to Rusty Cheney and Andy Schmidt '02 efforts as Freshmen coordinators. Over 150 people attended the Freshman Feed, Friday Hartlands trips were filled each week, and up to eight people at a time were teaching at the free rolling sessions before each feed. Ledyard continued to enjoy its video camera, and Matt Hood '00 created the video "Gone Boating" of Ledyard's escapades over the past half year. For the first time, Ledyard offered a sea kayaking PE class this term--while the number of participants was low, we hope to increase the ranks of sea kayakers through these classes in the future. There is a demand for more sea kayaking trips than currently is occurring (about once a term).
We put in a lot of hard work in the winter of 2001 to improve Ledyard for the future. We completely updated our fleet of kayaks by selling many of our old boats and buying ten modern designs. Rob Hallenbeck completed a massive personal project to revamp the club's website, adding sections about DKAF, trips, pictures, and much much more. The council and board also made a major proposal to the college and ADA board to make the club handicap accessible and make the space more usable for the campus' student life. Both OPO and the administration are very hopeful that the renovation will take place soon. In the winter, we were also were excited to purchase a custom-made trailer to hold our smaller playboats. Although the dimension we suggested were not quite right, and the trailer broke on spring trip, it is now being repaired to our new specifications.
Spring Trip 01, led by Trip Director Nick Koshnick, "Mack and Smack Tour" set a record with 35 participants and 14 leaders. Although it was challenge logistically, we managed to send out up to four trips a day. Gabby Miller-Messner '01 again hosted Ledyard (yes, all 35!) at the Red Rocker with her father, Dan Messner. Now spring term 2001 is already off to a great start. It appears that this year's trip to the sea will be well attended. PE is still massively popular and although we were initially concerned about low water levels, Allison Forbes '04 organized a successful Mascoma Slalom race in the snow. Volunteer support was amazing, and was partially attributable to help from other groups in the DOC. We were asked to host a national qualifier race two weeks after the first race and the Allison again did a fantastic job coordinating the race. The water levels are up and we're looking forward to a great spring!
Cohaereamus!
Nick Koshnick '01 and Karyn Brudnicki '01
Mountaineering Club
The winter included a number of beginner climbing days in the gym, where new climbers could learn some basic skills and get a feel for the sport. The club took a full van down to the climbing competition at Middlebury College, where we had won, year after year, because of the depth and strength of our climbing "team." This year, the University of New Hampshire gave a strong showing, culminating in a finals game of add-on between UNH's Tim Kemple and Dartmouth's Matt Holmes. Both climbed extremely well, and Matt was just barely beat. The club ran a number of skiing and winter mountaineering trips that term--to Mt. Moosilauke, Franconia Ridge, and Mt. Washington--as well as a couple beginner ice climbing trips. The highlight of the term was Dartmouth's Intercollegiate Competition, which began with Saturday's Dartmouth-only competition. John Joline and the crew of faculty and graduate students set a day's worth of interesting, challenging routes. Excellent performances were made by Matt Holmes, Jonny Waldman, Tom Pasquini, Kevin Tomspett, Page Kyle, Evan Skow, Jill Haynie, Flora Krivak Tetley, Morgan Heater, and Brian Garton. At the end of the day, Brian set to work, and with the help of many other climbers created hundreds of routes for the intercollegiate competition the next day. Brian stayed up all night organizing and setting routes- and the competition went off without a hitch. Climbers from schools all over New England came for the day. The prizes were abundant, thanks to Colin O'Farrell and his efforts at attracting sponsors. Overall, the competition was a huge success and everyone promised to return the next year.
A few trips to Rumney as the snow melted geared us up for the long trip to Red Rocks, Nevada, for spring break. Our leaders Jonny Waldman and Matt Holmes packed two vans full of eager climbers and headed west. After forty-two wonderful hours of cramped space, great tunes, and gas-station snacky-cakes, we pulled in to Las Vegas. We enjoyed two weeks of sunshine, spectacular climbing, roaring campfires, and showing off on streets of Vegas. Several DMC alumni joined us in the desert, including Thadeus Law and Brian Stavely, as well as other undergraduate friends. We returned home, our skin tan, our fingers hard, and our spirits high.
Spring was in the air when we returned to Hanover. So we started off the season with a trip to Cathedral Ledge, for multipitch trad climbing on a wonderfully exposed granite wall. A couple trips out to Winslow and Rumney in the following weeks psyched people up for the weekend trip out to the Gunks. The weekend started out for trip members with a night slept out two pitches up, on the High-E ledge. The club ventured west for a weekend and climbed at Poke-O-Moonshine in the Adirondacks and a week later drove east to explore the seaside cliffs in Acadia, Maine.
As the summer began, so did the rain, but it didn't slow the DMC down as much as it made for some interesting adventures. With only the sophomores on campus Fred Wilkinson and Bart Paull made it their objective to introduce the wonders of Cannon to more of the DMC. Many trips were taken there, as well as a few to other Northeast trad climbing areas such as Cathedral and the Gunks. However the wet and rainy nature of the summer resulted in more than a few trips being rained out, normally (and cruelly) just as the leader was first touching rubber to rock. Even when the day started out clear it often refused to stay that way, no trip to Cannon was complete without the sudden and unexpected mid-afternoon thundershower. The poor temperament of Earl and Valerie notwithstanding, a lot of climbing was done this summer. Many club and private trips were taken to Rumney, and most other nearby cliffs were visited as often as possible. There was even a pilgrimage out to Sundown Ledge--an odd occurrence given that while DMCers are willing to drive far for good trad, the proximity of Rumney has spoiled them so that most refuse to travel farther than an hour if they're "only going to be sport climbing". The DMC also took greater advantage of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge after we discovered that the food and service was excellent and that it served as a great staging point for trips to Rumney and Cannon. All in all it wasn't so much that the weather kept us from climbing, rather it kept us from climbing as much as we would have liked.
Tragically, our beloved spring co-chair Page Kyle broke his heel in a ground fall over the spring term interim. Luckily, Page is the stoic type and promptly refused to follow any of his doctors orders--he ditched the crutches as soon as he could and proceeded to lead 5.11 sport climbs at Rumney with only one foot! He even made it out to Cannon a few times--tackling the hour long talus field approach (for those of us with two working legs) in a mere hour and a half. His injury did hold him back, except that his various climbing partners insisted that all the 5.12s he attempted had to be done on top rope.
Other goings-on in the DMC (aside from frequent and rainy trips to Cannon) included the final departure of Bobby Hardage '99 for the wild lands of the University of Utah. Bobby made every effort to introduce as many people as possible to the bouldering potential he had discovered and developed here in New Hampshire. He even left pages of carefully handdrawn maps with anyone who asked. When Bobby left so did one of the club's greatest supporters of bouldering--as well as the DMC crashpad he accidentally took with him. Bobby has since apologized and promises to return it on his next visit to New Hampshire.
Summer term ended with the departure of practically every sophomore climber for some strange and exotic land. DMC members spent fall term in Nepal, Africa, Mexico, the American west, and many other locations. However, we probably did enough damage over the summer that the Northeast needed a breather anyway.
The fall began as a surge of new climbers stepped onto the scene. Many just coming off climbing for the first time on their DOC freshman trip. Others arrived, experienced and eager to check out Dartmouth climbing. With several beginner trips to Winslow and Rumney, many new members got into the sport. During a long weekend at the Gunks, John Joline and others explored the beautiful climbs in the Lost City, tested out several boulder problems, and completed many classic climbs, despite the rain. Several members also spent a number of weekends trad climbing at Cathedral Ledge. Meanwhile, Bart Paull, Freddie Wilkinson, Adam Wilson, Ty Garland, and Mike Breen spent the term in Nepal, climbing and trekking. Bart, Freddie and Adam first climbed Lobuje East. Then Bart and Freddie summited the West Rib of Cholatse and made a summit attempt on the South Ridge of Kusum Kanguru when they were forced down from the summit ridge by dangerous winds. The crew returned home safely however, along with many other veteran climbers who had been off that fall. With the close of the fall season and the coming of winter, DMC climbers took to the ice and snow of the White Mountains.
Nira Salant '03
Ski Patrol
The 2000-2001 season was an amazing year for the Dartmouth Ski Patrol. Record snowfalls, the new Patrol "Palace" in the newly constructed McClane Family Lodge, and the beginnings of a new plan for our Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) course made this a year of note.
Fall was organizationally our busiest term, as usual. Despite a more selective application process, we still ended up with a class of nearly fifty Apprentice Patrollers. As in years past, we offered the needed CPR/First Aid, Blood-Borne Pathogens, and Lift Evacuation workshops to all of patrol during the fall, and ran the two-day OEC refresher course in the days just before winter term. This was also our OEC challenge exam. This allowed us to both let a select few students with EMT training join patrol directly, and refresh existing members of our patrol who would be off in the winter due to the D-Plan.
Winter term went very smoothly. The final call count was 128 over the course of the winter, of which 19% ended up being transported from the Skiway by ambulance. It was also a real pleasure getting acquainted with our new facilities in the new McLane Family Lodge. Our new space contains three real medical beds (one of which is in its own trauma bay), a gear closet, a changing room, a bathroom, and a reception area. It is an incredible step up from the facilities in the old lodge, and we thank the McLane family for the generosity that made it possible.
This year's Apprentice Patrollers were surprisingly strong and dedicated. So strong, in fact, that when it came time to pare down to eighteen for the OEC class in the spring, the choices were too difficult to make just based on the hours of attendance and experiences of the winter. We decided that it would be fairer to use the OEC class as a measure of people's dedication to learning the skills needed for patrol; to have tests and quizzes and the possibility of failure. Because of this, we began the class with larger numbers than usual: twenty-four students and two community members are currently in attendance, as of Spring 2001.
We will be trying a new format for the OEC class next year, one that we could not consider, for lack of space, until the construction of the new lodge. We will run the OEC class during the winter, with one class one evening a week held on campus, and the other held all day on Saturday up at the Skiway. This will allow for more on-slope practice of the practical skills of OEC, as well as more opportunity for sled training. I am confident that this change will make patrol a much tighter and cohesive unit.
Unfortunately, the time has come for me to graduate. Being an engineer, I of course don't plan to leave this year, but I have passed the reigns of Director into the capable hands of Eli Diament, former president of the DOC.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Campbell '01, Patrol Director
Winter Sports Club
Winter Sports is shifting its focus to become more active and more backcountry oriented, and this year saw the beginning of some really great things. Although hampered early in the winter by a lack of drivers and leaders, we managed to run successful trips to Whaleback for night skiing, and to Sugarbush.
Later in the winter we ran some great trips--a backcountry ski clinic taught by Jed Eliades and a traverse of Franconia Ridge on a gloriously clear day. The Franconia trip filled up in about five minutes, showing how much interest there is in challenging trips. We had to exclude a lot of people who were interested but did not have snow school--in the future, we should run a snow school early in the season to prepare those who are interested for such trips.
The DOC-Alpine Rideshare list has been very active, with people blitzing out about skiing every weekend and every time it snows. For this reason, we're going to run fewer lift-served ski trips, and focus on activities that aren't so readily available.
We've noticed a considerable lack of serious backcountry activities in the DOC, and we're working to make this Winter Sports' niche. Next year we're hoping to do a lot more winter mountaineering and some real backcountry ski trips. This spring looks promising, with several Tucks trips scheduled and some hikes in planning stages.
Pete Bohler '03
OPO Reports
Outdoor Education
Rock Climbing Programs
The typical outdoor class meets once a week for four hours and travels to Rose Ledges in Western Massachusetts for a full day of climbing at least once a session. Students master the skills of belaying, anchoring, tying-in, and climbing. In the advanced class the group is smaller by design and meets four hours every week and the highlight of the course is the weekend "Gunks" trip. The advanced students focus on climbing technique and fitness training. Classes continue to be popular, and we have added an intermediate class, which focuses on the indoor climber who wishes to learn how to climb outdoors. The instructors for these classes include Anne Margolis, Chris Reidy, Nira Salant, Michael Lee, Morgan Heater, John Joline, and Jed Eliades. We have also started a women's climbing group coached by John Joline; where over thirty women came to the first session.
Groulx Mountain Spring Break Trip
This is really two trips, one during the middle of Winter term to drop off the food and help pack the trail so the snowmobiles can sled up the supplies, and the actual expedition during Spring break. Kenny Gillingham '02 and Andrew Martin '00 helped with the supply trip where we took turns riding at the back of a dog sled pulled by a snow-machine, snowshoeing, shoveling the trail, and skiing. We spend our nights in a warm cabin and the days packing the trail. The snow at that time of year is all powder and the winter light is amazing.
Ten students joined the expedition during Spring Break and we all had a fantastic time skiing and snowshoeing in rather warm conditions with daytime temperatures in the mid twenties. Ryan Owens '01 and Michel Denis, Quebec guide helped to lead this trip. We built a five-person igloo, set up one of the big camps at Lake Kaku and came back as tanned as those who went to Florida, but our tans were only on our faces. Don't miss this trip, it is the College highlight for many.
Winter Mountaineering
During December break students who signed up for the annual winter mountaineering course traveled to Billings Cabin for four days of winter mountaineering and ice climbing in the White Mountains. The weather was cold and icy in December, which provided for much ice to climb, but there was a dearth of snow. We were able to go to Bretton Woods Alpine area for snow school. We climbed in Frankenstein Cliff, Grafton Notch Maine, Champney Falls, and at the North End of Cathedral cliff.
Ropes Course, New Games, Rafting, and Climbing
Adventure Programs continue to be popular, and thanks to a grant from the Student Life Office the costs were reduced for student groups. Fraternities, sports teams, UGA groups and clubs enjoyed the team building they experienced on these courses. The Tuck School continues to use our Adventure Programs for their Bridge Program, LEAD and Tuck Executive programs. The Medical School sends the First Years for a half day experience during their orientation, and we provided a training day for Dick's House staff. We arranged Alumni Reunion rafting trips on the White River during the June Reunions with the help of expert paddlers/guides from Ledyard Canoe Club.
Dartmouth Out-of-Doors class offered through Collis Miniversity attracted a great group of sophomores during summer term. We whitewater rafted, rock climbed, and did the ropes course. We will be offering this course again this summer.
Brian Kunz, Assistant Director
Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
Last year the big excitement was the top to bottom makeover of the old part of the kitchen. Seemed that would be hard to top, but we came close with the renovation of "back areas" of the kitchen that we managed this past year. Through the generosity of Jay Benson '90 we gutted the pantry and cooks room and turned that entire back into a work and storage area. The pantry was replaced by five metal storage cabinets, cast-offs from the Chem lab--rather than requiring a room of their own, they now line the walls of the work area, so access is easy, for all but the mice. With a new prep sink and table, we have now nearly doubled the usable working space of the kitchen, and the effect has been dramatic. Indeed, the 2000 crew had a tough time imagining how we ever managed in previous years. That kitchen can truly crank out the food now. The Assistant Manager, meanwhile, has cozy new quarters in a room carved out of a corner of the shop, which is more private and contemplative, so to speak.
In addition, we were able to afford a complete makeover of the desk area. This was prompted by the decision to go to computerized reservations, and the need to make some sort of screen for the lovely purple computer. Larry Hathorn, Facilities Assistant, worked on a set of new counters and cabinets over the winter, and they were installed in the spring. The result was a substantial increase in professionalism, a drop in damage to merchandise, and a much better functioning setup overall.
The Lodge had a fine season overall, just falling short of the previous year in terms of gross sales. The difference was really only that the previous year we had the large Bio Research crew and this year we had a much smaller bunch. Overall though the Lodge continues to be a significant regional resource. In particular we have been told by NH Fish and Game that Dartmouth's Moosilauke property, as the largest private inholding in the National Forest, attracts visitors relative to other places because we do not require the parking fee that is now the rule on the Forest. Managing this increased use will be a continuing challenge in the years ahead.
David Hooke '84, Assistant Director
Dartmouth Outdoor Rentals
Dartmouth Outdoor Rentals continues to grow, this year we added four more sets of Telemark skis, boots and poles, new traditional snowshoes, mukluks, and a fleet of new bikes with front shocks. Rentals offers ski tuning in the winter and bike maintenance during the spring, summer and fall. Our main purpose is outfitting club trips, Outdoor Programs PE classes and workshops and catering to the recreational needs of Dartmouth students.
Brian Kunz, Assistant Director
Silver Fox Ski Touring Center
Last fall we got back into trail reconstruction and finished a complete overhaul of the Back and Outback loops, as well as significant improvements to the Dam and Printing Press loops. With this, our race-quality terrain now extends to 13.5K, plus Garipay. This facility is heavily used! We had what turned out to be the snowiest winter in recent memory--and thanked our lucky stars to have the new PB 160D grooming machine to handle it all. Harry Roberts, assisted by Larry Hathorn, kept the machine running all the way up to April 7, our latest record, and people were skiing out there until April 15.
David Hooke '84, Assistant Director
Daniels Climbing Gym
The climbing gym has received funding from Student Life to increase the number of free days we can offer to students and to keep the cost of term passes low. In addition, funds are available for student groups who want to use the climbing gym as a teambuilding or group bonding experience
The gym hosted another successful intercollegiate climbing competition in February, and the Dartmouth climbers traveled and competed at a number of competitions throughout the winter term.
In late March ground was broken for the new Drake climbing room addition to provide for a new fire escape, mezzanine, and connection to the Daniel's Gym. The initial work will be completed by the end of April, soon after we will have a climbing wall specialist add angled walls to fully convert the second racquetball court to the Charles W. (Chuck) Drake '90 and Josh Hane '89 Leadership and Training Room. This addition will allow us to hold evening climbing classes and events separate from the general climbing hours of the Daniels Gym.
Brian Kunz, Assistant Director
Dartmouth Organic Farm
March of the year 2001 turned out to be the record holder for snowfall, extending winter conditions nearly to Easter. With two feet of snow still on the ground, it seemed a marvel that the group of students gathered one Thursday morning were sweaty and smudged with dirt. Green plants were sprouting and more were being seeded in the small plastic greenhouse that provides the start for all of the warm, tender plants. It was just another reminder of the unique and wonderful opportunities that abound at the Dartmouth Organic Farm.
This past year was the fifth growing season for the Dartmouth Organic Farm. And in typical fashion, the farm provided a wide range of activities for the Dartmouth community this past year. Numerous farm activities, social events and classes took advantage of the 200 acres of forest, fields and Connecticut River frontage. Besides the wholesale crops, there were numerous plantings that supported various social and academic activities such as our southern African plot, a polyculture experimental planting of lettuce and broccoli and the Asian vegetable garden. The farm represents a multifaceted resource, supporting a wide range of social and academic pursuits. Numerous groups and organizations made the Organic Farm a destination this past year. Ranging from Big Brother/Big Sister, OLE and the Dartmouth Alliance for Children of Color to North Country weekend and international language students, the farm served as an outdoor activity for Dartmouth students and their charges. A bit of farm work, transplanting and weeding and then a walking and eating tour was a typical agenda. Two area schools, the Orford Middle school and Thetford Academy middle school utilized the farm as a science field trip in their studies of ecology and earth science, assisted by Dartmouth students. Each quarter, a seasonal celebration was held outdoors at the farm, honoring the natural progression of the seasons. One example, the winter festival, found students sledding and snowshoeing and exploring the local forest natural history. To provide refreshments for the event, a "cookie potluck" was organized, with participants bringing their favorite cookie or treat to share.
Academic interest continues to be strong at the Dartmouth Organic Farm. Courses from various departments, including English, Engineering, Biology, Education, Native American Studies and Environmental Studies came for visits to the farm this past year. Some came only once while others made multiple visits and used the farm as a "laboratory". Numerous student projects were also undertaken at the farm for course work in Biology, Engineering and Environmental Studies. And various demonstration projects are underway, in areas ranging from a bio-gas generator and mushroom production, to solar greenhouse design. All of this academic activity has made it clear that a new, expanded space needs to be created to encourage and expand this use of the farm. To better plan and guide any new development at the Fullington Farm site, Dean Larimore has dedicated monies to be used to create a "master plan" that will identify potential improvement and development at the site in an organized fashion. Possible development ideas that have come from this planning process include the creation of a "field research station" at the site, the construction of solar greenhouse, for research and food production, setting up a teaching space to better support the academic use of the farm and the possible creation of a "sustainable living center" at the farm to provide a learning/living center for environmentally sound practices.
The Dartmouth Organic Farm has begun to reach out to the greater community interested in sustainable practices. Each winter, a group of student farmers attends a regional agriculture conference sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association. This conference provides useful information through workshops and lectures and provides students with valuable contacts with area practitioners. To create a network for similar student farms, the Dartmouth Organic Farm has begun to reach out to other college farms in the bio-region. The University of Vermont, Sterling College and Hampshire College all have expressed interest in forming an informal "consortium" of college farms to provide support and information for existing college farms and aid in the formation of new college farms.
With the enormous environmental challenges ahead, the need for environmentally active and aware citizens is growing. The Dartmouth Organic Farm continues to strive to support the interest and awareness of Dartmouth students, both in and out of the classroom, through research, education and recreation opportunities.
Scott Stokoe, Farm Manager
Andrew W. Mellon Grant
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant to Dartmouth College supports undergraduate research in response to environmental concerns. We are fortunate that the Mellon Foundation appreciates the value of undergraduate research experiences, and has seen fit to support the opportunities in a unique way.
Below is a list of students who are doing wonderful work and have received Mellon Grant support during the past year:
Frank Black '00, Carbon Isotopic Record Comparative Study of Agricultural Practices in Arenal Region, Costa Rica and Cotopaxi Region, Ecuador, Spring 2000
Eric Bielke '01, Effective Management of Energy Resources in the Russian Federation, Summer 2000
Jaime Musnicki '01, Vegetative Surveys and Elephant Behavior: How to Manage an Elephant Population in the Face of Human Population Pressure, Summer 2000
Karen Ast '01, Metapopulation Analysis in Tembe Elephant Park, Summer 2000
Rachel Richardson '01, Writing The Land: A Creative Geographical Study of the Bay Area, Summer 2000
Nicholas Dankers '01, Environmental Impact Assessment of Eco-Recreation in the Cirque of the Unclimbables and Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park, Summer 2000
Valisa Nez '01, Pathways of Groundwater Contaminant Transport, Spring 2001
Leah Horowitz '02, Choosing Sustainability: A Proposal to Study Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, Winter 2001
Kathy Doherty, Director
