DOC Clubs
Due to its size and history, the Dartmouth Outing Club acts as an umbrella organization for a number of clubs which each specialize in some types of outdoor activities.
Bait and Bullet
The Connecticut River valley is the product of a variety of geologic and glacial erosion features and is riddled with water bodies of all sorts — the combination of both indigenous and introduced species is responsible for a great diversity of fish available to the angler.
Bait and Bullet was founded in 1921 by J.R. Titcomb ’23 “for the purpose of stimulating hunting and fishing about Hanover”. Bait and Bullet organizes hunting and fishing trips throughout the greater Dartmouth region. They also exercise their skills closer to home with practices and workshops. Each fall they run a hunter safety course.
Big Green Bus
The Big Green Bus was formed in 2005 as a means to promote alternative energy and conservation practices through advocacy and grassroots methods. Through education and example, they seek to inspire Americans to reconsider their relationship to the planet and with each other to become more environmentally responsible citizens at home, at work, and in the voting booth. Learn More about the Big Green Bus at their website.
Boots and Saddles
Boots and Saddles was formed in 1928 and became affiliated with the DOC the following year. The club has a strong competitive side, given its close connection with (and many members in common with) the Dartmouth Riding Team. The club however also offers a more relaxed environment for learning and practicing skills.
Boots and Saddles is based at the Dartmouth Riding Center at the Morton Farm in Etna, New Hampshire (about ten miles from campus). The Riding Center includes an outdoor ring and an indoor arena, a twenty-five horse stable and several additional buildings, several acres of fenced pasture, and three miles of additional riding trails. Boots and Saddles is not currently an active club, but could potentially become so again, depending on student interest.
Cabin and Trail
Dartmouth College is located within an hour’s drive of both the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont. The 2,100 mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs straight though Hanover. Also in Hanover are a number of natural areas, such as Velvet Rocks, Balch Hill, Pine Park, and the Mink Brook Natural Area, which provide beautiful settings for walking, running, and exploring.
In 1910 the DOC began to build a chain of cabins extending from Hanover to Mount Moosilauke for backcountry ski touring. By 1920 membership in the DOC had increased to the point that it was necessary to create a special division, Cabin and Trail, to concentrate on cabins and trails and to recognize the efforts of those who had worked hard on their behalf.
Cabin and Trail (C&T) runs weekend hiking trips to the White Mountains, Green Mountains, the Second College Grant, and to some of the smaller mountains on Dartmouth’s trails, as well as a Spring Break trip. Although C&T is the college’s de facto hiking club, its main emphasis is on wilderness and skills education through weekly “heeler” instruction seminars (a traditional C&T name for those learning from the more experienced students — literally, those following on the heels of those before). C&T members learn the skills necessary to lead trips and to maintain trails, shelters, and cabins, so that they can give back to the wilderness and help ensure that it remains a treasure for generations to come. The club also has a long-ingrained less-serious side that sponsors weekly explorations into the culture of the Upper Valley through its breakfast club, DinerToure. Informal feeds and other spontaneous events round out its schedule.
Cabin and Trail is responsible for maintaining over seventy miles of the Appalachian Trail, and the shelters it has constructed on its section. Students build and maintain trails and shelters throughout the year and each year a special crew devotes an entire summer to working on the trails and the club’s cabins.
In addition to its Appalachian Trail responsibilities, Cabin and Trail also maintains about a dozen cabins throughout northern New Hampshire. Some of these cabins may be rented by the community (see the section on cabins below).
Cabin and Trail also runs the Forestry Team which competes against other colleges in lumberjack and woodcraft skills. Each year Dartmouth competes against colleges from New England and Canada, and acts as host for the spring meet every three years (2004, 2007, etc.).
Learn more about Cabin and Trail at their own website.
Environmental Studies Division
In the 1960s a new awareness was born in the DOC, that involvement and love of the out-of-doors could include more than recreational pursuits. In 1969 the DOC formed its Environmental Studies Division to promote environmental education and activism. ESD continues to influence the College’s policies and management. The club’s energy use and recycling programs have driven the College’s environmental awareness and improved practices on campus over the past three decades, and recently members of ESD were influential in implementing a 1991 Environmental Studies 50 recommendation for the creation of the Dartmouth Organic Farm. The club also hosts speakers and conferences throughout the year to educate its members and the Dartmouth community.
Learn more about ESD at their own website.
Ledyard Canoe Club
John Ledyard, class of 1776, was one of the first students to attend Dartmouth, but his longing to explore would soon take him from the college’s classrooms. He spent his first summer at Dartmouth living among the Iroquois. Then, during his second year at the college, he hewed a wooden canoe and set out down the Connecticut River, beginning a life’s journey which would take him around the globe. John Ledyard’s life was the inspiration in 1920 for the forming of the Ledyard Canoe Club.
The Ledyard Canoe Club runs paddling trips to many rivers, lakes, and coastal waters throughout New England, and their expeditions have navigated waters all over the world. They rent canoes and kayaks to students and the community from their clubhouse on the Connecticut River, and offer lessons in paddling skills. Club members have won an unrivaled twenty national titles since 1967 and many of its members have been on World Championship or Olympic paddling teams.
Learn more about the Ledyard Canoe Club at their own website.
Dartmouth Mountaineering Club
The Dartmouth Mountaineering Club was founded in 1936 by Jack Durrance ’36. The DMC has an outstanding record of climbs all over the world including in the Tetons, the Andes, in Alaska, and in other regions. DMC members participated in the first American ascent of Everest. Recently, DMC members have made expeditions to Nepal and northern Canada as well.
The DMC runs regular weekend climbing trips to locations in New Hampshire such as Rumney, Cannon Cliff, Cathedral, and Whitehorse, as well as to the Shawanagunks and the Adirondacks in New York. DMC members are also responsible for day-to-day operation of the Daniels Climbing Gym, located in Maxwell Dorm, providing safety monitoring, route setting, and climbing instruction.
Learn more about the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club at their own website.
Mountain Biking Club
The Mountain Biking Club serves to introduce students to mountain biking and the local trails. Trips are run on weekends to some of the fantastic riding locations in New England, for instance, Kingdom Trails and Millstone Quarry. The club is also the place to find help with bike maintenance.
Organic Farm
As the newest DOC club, the Organic Farm club represents the student farmers who lead and work on the Dartmouth Organic Farm. This club is a place to meet fellow student farmers and learn how to become involved in both the farm work and the social and educational activities of the farm.
Regular work session are held at the farm, during the growing season, including soil preparation, seeding and transplanting and harvesting. Out-of-season activities include land-based workshops and festivals and an annual visit to the Winter NOFA conference in Vermont.
Learn more about the Organic Farm Club at their own website.
Dartmouth Ski Patrol
The Dartmouth Ski Patrol evolved out of the DOC’s Winter Sports Division. The club provides patrol and rescue services on the Dartmouth Skiway and medical safety support to the activities of the other DOC clubs throughout the year. All patrollers are members of the National Ski Patrol, are certified as Outdoor Emergency Care Technicians, and are well versed in various special rescue techniques, including toboggan handling, chairlift evacuation, and technical rope rescues.
Learn more about the Dartmouth Ski Patrol at their own website.
Winter Sports Club
Originally a Division of the DOC, the Winter Sports Club evolved out of the DOC’s earliest activities, primarily snowshoeing and backcountry skiing. Today the club’s members pursue a wide range of winter activities, including lift-served and backcountry skiing, as well as winter hiking and camping.
Women in the Wilderness
Women in the Wilderness was created in 1992 to provide a supportive environment for the development of outdoor skills, confidence, and leadership. The club organizes introductory trips and seminars to provide women with the chance to explore all the varied outdoor possibilities open to them.
