Woodsmoke 1999
A semi-periodic publication by the Dartmouth Outing Club of trip and expedition reports, essays, poetry, artwork and photography.
Contents
- Hello and Welcome!
- “saturation”
Amy Briesch ’01 - Meet the President and Vice-President
- Along the Wall
Patrick Francis ’01 - Three New DOC Programs
- How to Make a Compass
- Malaysian Jungle Adventure
Ben Berk ’00 - Know Thy Gear: The Snowshoe
- Moosilauke 60th Anniversary
Jennifer Kay ’01 - Sophomores from the Source
Dan “Stu” Stulac ’01 - Meet Liz French
Rebekka Brooks ’01 - Sophomore Trips
Rebekka Brooks ’01 - Ore Hill Shelter
- Hiking the Continental Divide
Molly Feltner ’01 - Intercollegiate Disco Climbing Competition!
Benton Miller ’01 - Trip Recommendations
- Why Farm?
Dan Braden ’01 - ESD Update
Jesse Foote ’01 - Do You Use an Enviro-Mug?
Melissa Kirkby ’00 - Women in the Wilderness Update
Melissa Kirkby ’00 - 4th of July at Moosilauke
- Thanks
- Credits
Hello and Welcome!
Hello and welcome to our third edition since the reinstatement of Woodsmoke! Text and photos appearing here have been collected during the winter and summer of ’99.
This edition focuses on property of the Dartmouth Outing Club (such as the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge) and on student involvement in our Club. However, several tales of DOC members’ outdoor adventures far from Hanover are also included.
So read on about activities at the Lodge, on the Connecticut River, at the Organic Farm, or as far away as Malaysia and China. We, the staff, wish you a happy and a healthy fall and winter. You will hear from us again in the spring, when the next edition of Woodsmoke goes out.
“saturation”
it moves swiftly; unseen, swallowing everything in its way. indeliberate destruction. i watch as the sun is engulfed and fear that i am soon to follow. slyly it seeps through kitchen windows, clinging viciously to peeling wallpaper. dogs lie in silence, motionless. ruthlessly pinned by gravity. children feel it too, and d r a g their feet the two blocks home. we continue our battle, but concede it is futile as fleshandcloth melt into one. then tiny creatures emerge from the earth’s many pores to re-claim the world (and my right arm). nine a.m. and no options remain. save one: surrender to the saturation.
Meet the President and Vice-President
So we’ve reached the end of our sophomore summer. Thinking back on the day we stepped off the bus after our DOC trips nearly two years ago, we never really thought these days would come and go so quickly. We hope you all took TONS of advantage of the warm weather and spectacular options for playing outside — we certainly did, spending the summer hiking, climbing, backpacking, biking, swimming, hammocking, romping with friends.
We’ve also been working closely with the Centerbrook architects who are remodeling Collis, Thayer, and Robinson and evaluating the possibility of a new recreation center somewhere on campus. We've been looking at the place of the DOC in Robinson, and also expressing our desires for new facilities (an eighty-foot lead climbing wall? standing wave pool?). In the spring we also drafted a proposal for the Trustees detailing the importance of the Outing Club in accordance with the Five Principles.
The DOCTour program has also taken off. Stop in Sunday through Thursday in Room 13 Robinson from 2 to 6 pm to have all your questions answered, whether regarding the DOC or pertaining to outdoor activities surrounding Hanover. The Directorate has been looking at leader requirements and evaluating their importance for particular clubs. We’ve reinstated the position of “DOC Safety Dork” (formerly DOC Safety Officer): someone in charge of monitoring DOC Clubs and making sure that their leaders have filled all the requirements necessary. Liz French '99 (and now Thayer grad student) has been volunteered to that position.
In off-campus news, DOC folk are headed out across the globe these next couple of terms … trekking in Nepal … working with kids in Lander, Wyoming … snowboarding and skiing in Park City, Utah … photography and expeditioning in Patagonia, Argentina … biking across the USA. A myriad of adventures to look forward to, and many stories to be told upon our returns. Dirt for another edition of Woodsmoke, no doubt!
Lots of blood, sweat, and tears went into the making of this publication, and the result is — well, you can see for yourself. Enjoy!
Along the Wall
Morgan hiking. The width of the wall changes: sometimes it is as wide as a two-lane street, while in other areas it is only two to three feet wide.
In early December, Morgan Heater and I hiked across a portion of the Great Wall of China in Beijing province. We spent six days on the Wall, starting at an area called Simatai and finishing just shy of Mutianyu. We’re unsure about the distance we covered, but estimate it to be in the range of twenty miles. During the day, we walked on the wall, occasionally stopping for snacks, climbing around, or just sitting and absorbing the scenery. At dusk, we left the wall and walked down into villages in the lower valleys in search of places to stay. Four out of the five nights we ate, talked, and slept with incredible people who opened their homes and their curious hearts to us. Once, we didn't sleep in a village (none were nearby), and instead spent the night in one of the Great Wall's many guard towers. On the morning of the sixth day, we awoke to a snowstorm and bitter cold wind that was sure to make the wall unsafe to climb. More than satisfied with what we had seen and done, we decided to end our trip.
Morgan looking up to one of the many beautiful and dilapidated guard towers. Some guard towers were fully intact; others had no ceilings or walls — only piles of bricks. Most of the guard towers were in between, though, like this one. |
Morgan resting and staring off at the Simatai ridge in the distance. |
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Only the southern facade of this once two-story guard tower remains. We ate lunch sitting in the large, ruined window on the lower right-hand side. |
Three New DOC Programs
Basic Leader Training
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Dear Mom,
Hi! How is everything at home? I have to tell you about this new DOC program that I just found out about. Remember last term when I really wanted to lead a climbing trip but I didn’t have the basic leader requirements? Well, this program that I'm so excited about, Basic Leader Training (we just call it BLT), fulfills all requirements except First Aid and CPR. I will be able to lead a climbing trip to Rumney in the spring. How amazing will that be?
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Anyway, I talked to these two cool upperclassmen, Ben Berk ’00 and Lydia Dixon '01, and they told me all about the program. Before last spring leaders of any DOC trips went through some sort of “vague training” before trips. Can you imagine how much safer trips are now with BLT creating a core leadership group? So Ben, Walker Holmes '00 and Maria Calvi '00 put together this program which teaches “group dynamics”, “logistics”, “outdoor skills”, and “risk management” through fun and creative activities. Ben and Lydia told me how through the five week session the different groups of “BLTers” develop their own group dynamics. They do silly games like snow-shoeing blind-folded though a cemetery, building a cabin in a field from limited materials, play-acting emergencies, and hiking on this part of the AT near campus called Velvet Rocks. They also do really neat activities like learning how to pack a bag efficiently, how to fill out forms for the outdoor programs office, and how to organize gear. The culminating activity of the five weeks is the planning of an entire trip. We would fill out the forms, rent the vans, buy the food and then perhaps hike to the top of a mountain and watch the sunrise.
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I talked to my friend Brenda Whitney who did this program last term and she said, “What it does is place you in ’situations' you might face as a leader, and would have to deal with. You're expected both to lead and to be able to work with others and listen to their ideas…it was a good experience, especially for a freshman just getting involved in the DOC. I learned a lot about my different options.” Once you go through this program you can actually lead BLT. I definitely want to do this after I complete the program, but Mom, I am so disappointed — BLT meets this term on Mondays from 2-4 and I have a 2:00 class. Next term I am absolutely not taking any 2 classes and by summer break you will have your very own DOC leader in the house. And guess what the best part of it is for you: it's free! You don't have to pay a cent! Ok, write back to me soon and I'll call you on Sunday.
Love you,
Leah
DOCTours
DOCTours, formed in spring ’98, is a program through which knowledgeable DOC members make themselves available to answer questions or otherwise provide assistance to the curious. Would you like to know whether conditions at Oak Hill are good for off-road biking? Where you can get your snow-shoes fixed? How to arrange to give a slide-show? Or do you have suggestions for the DOC?
If so, get in touch with these folks-they’ll be happy to help out…
DOCTours is off and running this summer trying to assist clubs and help out anyone who stumbles by 13 Robo on Sunday through Thursday afternoons, 2-6pm. We’ve had quite a steady flow of through-hikers looking for places to stay. We've also had lots of '03s coming in to ask questions about the DOC. This term's list of DOCTours includes Robin Levine, Pat Leslie, Liz French, Jesse Foote, Molly Feltner, Dori Sugar, Lu Neuse-Braunlick, Ben Miller and Lydia Dixon.
Plans for the term include creating a sandwich board for posting all DOC events that will hang out in front of Robinson Hall. In past terms the DOCTours have arranged photo gatherings where accomplished students could tell tales and show pictures from their recent or not-so-recent adventures.
DOCTours aims to become a greater presence in the DOC, so stop by if there is anything DOCTours can do for you!
GO-Out!
Would your UGA group, or your Freshman Trip group, like to go for a hike with a DOC leader? Perhaps you and a few friends would like to spend the night at Ledyard’s Titcomb Cabin. Or maybe you are the community service chair for your fraternity, sorority, affinity or religious group, and would like to plan a fun work-trip — to the Farm!
If so, you should get in touch with the leaders of Go-Out! …
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Go-Out! is a newly-organized DOC club that prepares qualified leaders for wilderness outings. Trip leaders must be trained through the DOC Basic Leader Training program and have First Aid and CPR certification. This training is different from the training required of freshmen trip leaders.
Go-Out! outings are pre-planned, DOC-organized trips that range from an evening of stargazing to overnight hiking and boating trips.Any Dartmouth club or group may apply to go on one of these trips and a qualified leader will be provided. A small fee is usually required for equipment, food, and gas. These trips have been popular among UGAs looking for ways to promote bonding among their freshmen.
Go-Out! also provides leaders during large DOC events such as the DOC Fall and Spring Weekends, and the DOC Winterfest. Our goal is to extend the wilderness-trip experience for students beyond their freshmen trips.
There are no club meetings for Go-Out!, but a schedule of outings is available and any questions can be blitzed to “DOC President”. If you are interested in being a Go-Out! leaders, please blitz “the doc”to find out about BLT course offerings for the term.
How to Make a Compass
If it is daytime:
- Find a straight stick, and a sunny patch of level ground.
- Poke your stick into the ground and tilt it so that it points towards the sun and casts no shadow.
- Wait at least 15 minutes. The stick should then cast a shadow about 6 inches long.
- Draw a straight line perpendicular to the shadow line.
- Your compass is finished! The stick is your west point and the end of the shadow is the east. The cross-line goes from north (on the right) to south (on the left).
Remember: If you place a stick straight in the ground at 12 o’clock noon, the shadow it casts will point north in the Northern Hemisphere, and south in the Southern Hemisphere.
If it is nighttime:
Note: This technique applies to the Northern Hemisphere only!
- Find two straight sticks, one shorter than the other.
- Find the North Star. The North Star can be found by following the outside edge of the scoop of the Big Dipper. Follow the line through the sky. The brightest star in that direction is the North Star. The North Star is the first star in the handle of the Little Dipper.
- Draw an imaginary line from the North Star to the ground. Stand facing the point where the line touches the ground.
- Place the sticks. Place the sticks in the ground so that you can see the tip of the shorter one first, then the tip of the longer one, then the North Star. There should be a few feet of space between the sticks.
- Draw a line in the dirt between the two sticks. The stick closest to you is South, the one farthest is North. The line is your East and West points.
Semester At Sea, Fall ’98
And so I found myself hiking a mountain in a Malaysian jungle towards the hungry mouth of a tiger at sunset. That’s what I told a bunch of fifth and sixth graders in the Highland Falls Elementary School in New York.
journal entry, 1:38, 10/22/98
“It’s been 4 days since we went down into that village. I can still picture the way it was set up, the faces out of windows, the golfing boys, and the sunset. I think I always will. — Actually I think every image which has passed into me in the past weeks will stay there. Whether I can close my eyes and be there, open a picture and go there, or just that they’ve become part of me—.”
A friend and I were to summit Gunung Jasar and Gunung Perdah, two peaks in the Cameron Highlands, the mountainous region just east of the center of the Malaysia peninsula.
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journal entry, 3:21, 10/20/98
”One might expect a resort dedicated to Ol’ James Cameron — or even to the sun god — but we found ourselves taking the last room at a hostel in the name of the reggae father — Bob Marley. The place was fine enough — thirty ringget, breakfast, Internet, +darts (what more could you ask for!?). We put down our things and decided to head for Jasar (Trail #10).“
It began past the Oly Apartments (near the Digital Clock Tower). A sign marked the trail with a map. We walked the short brick path through the garden and then hit dirt. A yellow 10 on a tree showed the way. And then we were in the jungle. One second removed from civilization, but in a dense forest of unknown territory. It was pretty darn cool. The trail turned up and started to gain altitude on Jasar. The forest changed a bit here and there, but was mostly an amazingly diverse tangle of plant.
We arrived at a junction. The sign (graffiti and all) pointed right, but we used the map and our judgment to go straight, in order to find the summit. (Also, a sketch of a map was on the back of the sign). And we started up. It got pretty steep at times — and I was in total awe of the place. It did feel like another planet.
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We (at least I) were also a bit nervous. Of course we had never hiked jungle mountains before (especially not these) and we couldn’t know if the trail was going to lead us in the right direction, in the right time, safely. Noises began to startle me, but with confidence, and by pushing forward, we lost the fear. Cement trail markings reassured us. And forest awe kept us going.
We got to a clearing — but a power station. Can’t get away from development no matter where you are. Progress?
Pushing onward, we went to discover what lay above. Of course, I was interested in the possibility of a summit. We found what appeared to be a grown over trail and crawled through — It opened up after a while, and it was smooth hiking to the top.
The summit welcomed us.
Slap me five.
We continued on, heading down and then across a ridge. We caught a gorgeous view of the valley to the west at one point, with the sun almost ready to set.
I can’t explain why sights like that capture and absorb me. It’s as if I turn my mind into a camera, storing the view and the moment in my head.
Is it for later? Is it for that moment, trying to savor the entire essence by capturing every detail. The most awesome part is that they don’t exist without me. I need to be there — to be appreciating, experiencing, and later inspiring.
We continued on the trail until we hit a trail junction. We could look down into another valley, and we saw a Malay village.
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journal entry, 1:38, 10/22/98
“The houses were on stilts. Around the valley on the hills. With erosion-preventing grass between. As we walked down into the village, we smiled at the kids and said ‘Selamat Patan’.”
At first, some of the adults seemed wary of us — maybe they thought we wanted something. We saw four boys with golf clubs (some real, some bent poles). They were playing golf in the village!
We went down further to the central paved circle, and then back up the other side to see the sunset!
…And we kept meeting these kids (who started to follow us up). One little girl (Zaida) spoke English fairly well — and we talked to her for a bit — “Can we go up this way?” “Yes.”
So we headed up.
Near the top she came running after us out of breath.
“No go. Tiger.”
…and so I guess we were almost eaten, save for that little girl who spoke English. At least that’s what the kids think in my mother's elementary school classroom.
The Snowshoe
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An invention of necessity rather than sport, the snowshoe’s earliest incarnation was probably in central Asia about six thousand years ago, in the form of bent wood and animal skin. This permitted longer treks as well as winter hunting ability. The earliest settlers of North America are thought to have arrived on snowshoes. Snowshoe materials remained wood and hide until the 1970s. Today’s snowshoes are made of lighter and stronger materials, such as aluminum, but the underlying principle is unchanged. A person's body weight is distributed across a broader area of snow, enabling him/her to walk on the surface of the snow. The first widespread recreational use of snowshoes took place in the early 1900s.
“A snowshoe trail on a sunny day after a light fall of snow is a lovelier thing than I can describe. I often look back at it streaming from our heels, flowing astern … A darker serpentine ribbon, scallop-edged, filled with tumbled blue shadow markings. And every print is a beautiful thing. It is like sculpture and like painting, endless impressions of an Indian craftsman’s masterpiece.”
60th Anniversary of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
For many Dartmouth students, memories of Mount Moosilauke are central to their college experience.
David Hooke, assistant director of outdoor programs, called Moosilauke “a spiritual home for a lot of Dartmouth people, a place for renewal, for getting back in touch with Nature”.
In addition to its usual summer activities and preparations for this fall’s Freshman Trips, the Ravine Lodge is also celebrating its 60th anniversary. A special fall weekend program will allow Moosilauke enthusiasts to revel in their memories on the mountain.
Mount Moosilauke, nestled in the most southwest corner of the White Mountains, has always been an integral part of the Dartmouth Outing Club. Before the Ravine Lodge, there was the Summit House, first opened to the DOC in 1920. The summit camp was “a very alluring place”, Hooke said, that hosted summer camps and, in the 1930s, ski events.
The first Ravine Lodge was built in 1933 as a second, more accessible camp for Dartmouth students and alumni. This lodge enjoyed particular success in the 1934-35 winter as word spread about its inexpensive accommodations, great food, and incredible skiing.
Unfortunately, a fire in September, 1935, cut short the lodge’s plans to evolve into a base for all Moosilauke facilities and crews. Instead of immediately rebuilding the Ravine Lodge, the DOC set up camp at the nearby Spyglass Hill Farm for several winters in order to best evaluate what sort of permanent base camp the Moosilauke area really needed.
A second Ravine Lodge was constructed in late 1938, in spite of delays which included a hurricane which demolished a major ski trail and most of the remaining virgin timber on the mountain. However, the fire at the first Ravine Lodge, the long period of time before the completion of the second lodge, limited ski terrain, and difficult road access hindered efforts to re-establish Moosilauke as a major ski center in the Northeast. Adding to Moosilauke’s troubles was the fire that claimed the Summit House in 1942.
Nevertheless, the new Ravine Lodge flourished. The fall of 1939 saw the first in a long, unbroken line of Freshman Trips that have introduced new Dartmouth students to the Lodge and Mount Moosilauke. Doc Benton and his mad pursuit of eternal life secured his place in the Freshman Trips tradition in 1947, the story having been established at the summit camp in the 1930’s. Associated with Freshman Trips almost from its beginning, the Ravine Lodge “was a gateway to Dartmouth for a lot of people”, Hooke said. “That continues to be the case.”
What’s changed most from the early days of the lodge, Hooke said, is how much its popularity in the Dartmouth community has grown.
Physical changes in Moosilauke’s landscape played a role in opening the lodge to more people. Hooke cited the opening of the new upper portion of the Gorge Brook Trail in 1989 and the 1994 reconstruction of the Carriage Road as two major trail improvements made since 1984, the DOC’s 75th anniversary year. With new stone steps, water bars, and constant maintenance of the heavily-used Gorge Brook Trail, Moosilauke “is not as closed up as it used to be”. Hooke said.
The Ravine Lodge itself has seen some improvements as well, most notably the replacement of the septic system in 1990, a new hot water system, a complete kitchen overhaul, handicapped access to the main floor, and the replacement of rotted logs in the lodge with trees from the College Grant.
“Business has really grown” with the development of weekend and evening programs at the lodge, Hooke said.
The 60th anniversary festivities will take place over the weekend of October 1-3, 1999. The weekend program includes a dinner and reception in Hanover, hikes on the mountain, a worktrip to build waterbars on the Snapper Trail, and singing and storytelling at the lodge.
Hooke said events over the anniversary weekend will show “that this place — a home for a lot of people — is there and changing”.
Special thanks to David Hooke and his book, Reaching that Peak: 75 Years of the Dartmouth Outing Club.
Sophomores from the Source
Ledyard’s Summer Journey on the Connecticut
Wednesday: Beaver Trails Campground
Whenever one plans a four-day canoeing trip, one should always bring an Eagle Scout, or at least several people who know what they’re doing. They are invaluable in unloading vans and setting up tents while ominous weather approaches. Everything goes faster. Fortunately, this year’s Sophomores from the Source contingent included all of the above.
Nick Koshnick ’01 led the group, which included twenty-one students, their classes ranging from ’01 to ’97. His prowess in direction and leadership proved indispensable.
Rain fell with a vengeance. Our two fifteen-passenger vans sped towards Lancaster, NH. Koshnick parked the lead van at the campground and rushed to confer with Dan Becker ’00, the driver of the second van. After discussing several courses of action, Koshnick ran into the campsite, hooting and hollering as if performing a sacred rain dance. The rain stopped. Jolyon Rivoir-Pruszinski ’00, an Eagle Scout, secured dry bedding for the group. Soon, all twenty-one of us were snuggled in our bags, listening to the rain start again, its plans foiled by our fearless leaders.
Thursday: Rocky Weather
Along with an Eagle Scout, one must remember to bring the ever-helpful Breakfast Poodle. A Breakfast Poodle is that person who rises at dawn, calling happily to his or her companions, beckoning them to fill their stomachs with bagels, cream cheese, and instant oatmeal. Clarissa Werre ’00 filled this role perfectly.
The clouds were cumulous and thick that morning, but we were on our way.
Soon we reached the backwater of the first reservoir. The winds increased, and the rain fell. Stevie Clifton ’01 struggled to maneuver his canoe across the expansive waters. “I can’t believe I didn’t pack any rain gear”, the drenched paddler remarked mournfully.
Waves leapt into several boats threatening to soak the gear of many paddlers. The sky turned black. Winds blew us into the New Hampshire bank as we made for a Vermont side portage. Our morning sustenance served us well. The Breakfast Poodle had adequately fed us, and so we safely reached our first portage.
The weather soon cleared, and we spent much of the afternoon swimming and playing wiffle ball at the next portage. Pat “give-him-another-strike” Leslie ’01 fared worst. Several others, however, proved their ability by sending this reporter’s curve balls whistling over the outfielders’ heads.
That evening, Koshnick spied our campsite with ease. His intuition served us well, as soon we were making fajitas and relaxing by the water.
Friday: Whitewater
Just as one must bring a Breakfast Poodle, he or she should also include a Frisbee. One must not forget a Frisbee, and more importantly, one must not fail to lose the Frisbee repeatedly in the river. Khoa T. Ha ’97, owner of the Frisbee, had only one comment to make of his repeated misfortune: “There’s a lot of cool people on this trip, so I don’t mind.”
Ha’s misadventures began as soon as we reached the first portage. The Frisbee sailed from the arm of Clarissa Werre into the whitewater below. Ha and this reporter braved the mighty waves and rescued the disc not less than half a mile from its ill-fated flight. All looked on with glee as we washed farther and farther from the group. Rivoir-Pruszinski said, “Extraordinary day! I’m feeling pretty extraordinary. Extraordinary day!”
All paddled with skill that day, and no canoes overturned in the rushing waves.
That evening, Clifton prepared an unprecedented meal of rice and Thai peanut sauce. Cheers echoed through the campsite, disturbing nearby residents. Even a visit by the local police could not dampen our mood. Perhaps Koshnick best summed up the group’s high spirits by saying, “Once today I saw some ducks. That was wonderful.”
As night fell, this reporter accidentally threw the Frisbee back into the river.
Saturday: The Hungry Bear
Just as a Frisbee is vital (we located it the following morning), Extra Money for the Hungry Bear is equally important. The Hungry Bear is a small diner serving Bradford, Vermont. It serves curly fries, cheeseburgers, and frappes. Its cuisine is a veritable staple of life. Extra Money ensures the purchase of all the necessary menu items.
Despite the efforts of our skilled cooks, food ran low. We arrived famished at the Bradford bridge. Soon, however, we were eating the best-tasting lunch of all time. Several who had not brought enough money for frappes were visibly distraught.
Energized by the tasty morsels we consumed, the group paddled onward. During one rest, we amused ourselves by planting trip leader Koshnick deep in a muddy river flat. As the water level rose to his neck, he began to seek assistance. Our attention was distracted, however, by the antics of Clifton. Several Dartmouth women surrounded thetrickster as he balanced nimbly on a protruding treestump. Koshnick was rescued before disaster struck.
Good feelings once again coursed through camp that evening. Ian Laing ’01 said, “Aside from Ray trying to kill me, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. My rotator cuff seems to need some grease, though.” Many voiced this same opinion of sore limb, though Emily Cullen ’00 was enthusiastic of her good health. She stated, “I feel good. I got to steer, I got rained on some, and I had a great talk with Joe Brown.”
Sunday: The Flotilla
Though it is important to bring Extra Money for the Hungry Bear to be nourished for grueling hours of paddling, one can alleviate this discomfort with a small bit of ingenuity. One should bring a large tarp to be used as a Sail.
As Ledyard Canoe Club finally approached, our ten canoes banded together, forming a raucous flotilla. Several students hoisted the Sail, catching the wind and pulling us homeward. Many others continued to paddle. Some tied canoes together or draped their bodies across loose sections of the floating mass. One enthusiastic paddler placed a silver pot on his head and hoisted our flag. This reporter served the group well by playing lively tunes on the harmonica, a musical feat unequaled in recent canoeing history.
Ledyard came into view, and all voices burst into the Alma Mater. Soon we docked and rolled up the Sail, ecstatic that the final two miles had been the most enjoyable.
And this reporter can truly say, it was the best four-day canoeing adventure of which he’s ever had the pleasure to write.
Meet Liz French
What keeps this club a-rollin’?: A Profile
What does the DOC mean to you? Watching Schlitz at the Lodge, stomping your feet to the rhythm of Earl’s fiddle, eating green eggs and ham, elbows in, at a long pine table? Testing your strength and concentration against a mountain of ice in mid-winter; or competing in a slalom bike-race? Setting stone on mortar to create a lasting shelter; riding at Morton Farm; or visiting Titcomb by canoe?
Whichever DOC events you most enjoy, you are benefiting from the efforts of those students who maintain Dartmouth’s largest club. Remember: the Environmental Students at Dartmouth (E.S.D.) can’t hold dinners or commission a speaker unless someone presents the term’s budget to the Outdoor Programs Office, unless a treasurer tends the books. Bait & Bullet can’t travel to the Grant before a volunteer signs out a van, and perhaps a cabin; finds a certified van-driver; and buys any necessary food. Any event of the DOC or of the sub-clubs requires student initiation and student follow-through. Along with Earl Jette, David Hooke, Brian Kunz, and our other friends in the Outdoor Programs Office, those students who make trips and other events happen constitute the backbone of the DOC.
Allow us to introduce you to one of the many students who works to keep outdoor life at Dartmouth alive and well: Meet Liz French.
As an undergrad, Liz (’99, Thayer) was one whose enthusiasm for the Dartmouth Outing Club spanned more than one member club. Her love for the outdoors motivates her to protect it, enjoy it, and share it with others having similar interests.
Liz French threw herself into the DOC at the beginning of her freshman year. Since that time, she’s chopped logs with Cabin and Trail’s (C&T’s) Forestry Team and travelled in search of powder with DOC snowboarders. She’s shared corny jokes while leading “chubbers” (C&T members) across Franconia Ridge. She’s leant her ideas and voice at gatherings of the E.S.D. Liz has also been spotted, occasionally, at the climbing gym.
Since her freshman year Liz was a Council Member in C&T. In this capacity she has lead hiking trips and work-trips (to build shelters, or to maintain trails).
As Vice President of the DOC in spring ’98, and as the acting President in fall ’98, Liz took on greater official responsibility. As VP she organized Moosilauke Spring Weekend: she attended planning meetings with Dave Hooke and Brian Kunz, chartered buses, presided over student sign-ups, scheduled van departures and recruited drivers. Liz herself also drove several times between Hanover and Moosilauke. After the weekend she led a wrap-up to determine what had gone well, and what should be improved. As President Liz oversaw Moosilauke Fall Weekend (orchestrated with boundless energy by Anthony Accurso, Anne Wadlow, and Molly Feltner). E.S.D. leader Frank DeLeon ’99 said of Liz that she sometimes takes on mundane tasks that others have avoided, and also that she doesn’t back out of responsibilities. He describes her as “ambitious” but realistic about how much time and energy she can put into DOC tasks, and devoted to those she has taken on.
According to her friend Anthony Accurso ’99, Liz French is a resourceful person, one who really “knows how to do stuff through the DOC.”
I first met Liz at a C&T meeting early in my freshman year. Later that evening I spotted her at Kiewit, typing up the week’s minutes. I remember reacting with freshman’s awe: Here was someone who not only benefited from the DOC (in knowledge of local trails and mountains, in transportation, in new friends), but who also was familiar with the Club’s inner workings, and who helped to lead it. Maybe one day, I thought, I too would not only attend DOC meetings and enjoy trips, but would also work behind-the-scenes?
According to Anthony, Liz is an industrious worker who likes to accomplish tasks. These may range from an engineering project to a rigorous hike. Anthony also calls Liz an “avid outdoors enthusiast” who pushes her body in hiking, snowboarding, and climbing. Does she do this for the thrill of it? For the feeling of accomplishment?
Both Anthony and C&T Chair Dori Sugar ’01 have testified that, for the sake of sport, Liz is “always smashing herself up.” Dori commented that Liz injured her wrist playing field hockey in high school and has had trouble with it since. However, this doesn’t stop her from climbing, or from snowboarding — even though, according Lydia Dixon ’01 (DOC President and avid snowboarder), a fractured wrist is snowboarding’s most common injury. Dori also reported that Liz hurt her knee during the fall’s 53-mile hike in her sophomore year, but completed much of the trek anyway. It seems to Dori that this outdoorswoman “just keeps doing things until she needs surgery.”
Just as she sacrifices her body for life in the outdoors, Liz sacrifices energy and time. Dori remembers her spending a day with Boots & Saddles’ dressage team, after having been a van driver; she has also pitched in to transport Mountaineering Club climbers on a day when she was injured and had no climbing to gain. Liz has been known to lie half-asleep all night, tending a woodstove, so that others could sleep toasty and warm. She has sent out DOC-related blitz messages, led C&T trips, and attended meetings when others were tired and chose not to.
But there are other aspects to Liz French besides tirelessness and power: Dori thinks of her as one who loves “fun fights” (which may involve wrestling or projectiles, but not injury). She’s also known for her special line of corny “Liz jokes” which leave the listener groaning, simultaneously hoping for more and for an end to the comedy.
During her freshman year, Liz used to bring a small, grey kitten named Samson with her to C&T meetings. She’d discovered the cat roaming free, and she gave it a home. Liz also naturally extends her affection toward new people who she meets: Her contagious enthusiasm has made it easier for newcomers to C&T, the Forestry Team, or the DOC to feel at home.
Liz — take care of yourself. Don’t burn yourself out; don’t hurt your body. We hope to see you in the future enjoying this club of ours, the DOC.
Sophomore Trips!
For sixty four years, freshman trips have provided a hearty welcome for many Dartmouth students. Now, witness the sequel of this idea: sophomore trips.
Prior to this year’s summer term, on June 18, twelve students of the class of ’01 convened in Hanover to meet each other and prepare for the next day’s hike. The 19th saw the group trek on the Appalachian Trail (AT) from Ore Hill, over Mount Cube, to the Jeffers Brook Shelter. On the 20th the students hiked on the Glenn Cliff trail (part of the AT), then switched onto the Hurricane Trail to hike around the base of Moosilauke. Several students woke up before dawn the next morning to summit the mountain.
Sophomore trips, organized by Robin Levine ’01 and Ricky Joshi ’01, was funded by the Student Assembly, the Dartmouth Outing Club, and the 2001 Class Council. Levine and Rachel Goldwasser ’01 acted as both Hanover crew and Lodge crew for the trip. Sophomore Trips was the brainchild of Margaret Kuecker ’01 and Ben Berk ’00 (DOC President, ’98-99).
While freshman trips allowed uninitiated students to meet each other, Sophomore trips offered those half-way through their time in Hanover a chance to form or strengthen friendships.
Goldwasser cited another important difference: “[O]n freshman trips there are designated leaders and on sophomore trips there were DOC-certified leaders, but no one person was in charge.” Instead, each hiker received a map and group members took turns navigating and making decisions on the trail. Jaimi Musnicki ’01, first aid-certified, and Joshi, trained in DOC safety procedures, served as leaders in case of emergency. According to Arun Mathias ’01 these two blended in with the group, allowing for good group dynamics.
According to Levine, on the first night in Hanover trippees engaged in a scavenger hunt in which they performed tasks to receive clues. After gathering props (such as a water bottle), each group performed a skit demonstrating safety on the trail. The evening also included dancing the legendary salty dog rag.
Levine and Goldwasser joined the hikers at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge for the last, relaxed afternoon and evening. Both observed that the hikers seemed to have become a tighter group. The afternoon was occupied with “blaming it on the boogie” (a new traditional Lodge dance), football, frisbee, and a brisk dip in the river. At night, “Mafia” and other famous circle games were played.
In preparation for sophomore trips Levine stocked first aid kits, checked camping equipment to assure that it was in order, made maps for the hikers, bought food for them, and spent time “becoming Dave Hooke’s best friend.”
And what did the trippies take away from their journey?
Mehmet Iyigun ’01 was happy “to have fun and meet new people.” Mathias had not been able to attend freshman trips but found his chance to try something similar. He was amazed at how well all hikers, many of whom had not met each other before, got along. Having attended Dartmouth for a while proved a strong connection.
Reflecting on reaching Moosilauke with the group, Mathias said, “Ending up somewhere when you’re really tired is always nice.” But June 20th doesn’t seem to be have been quite the end of his sophomore trips: Although an experienced hiker Mathias had not participated in many DOC events before this summer. Now, however, he reads the weekly blitzmail bulletin. He summitted Moosilauke again at the DOC’s 4th of July celebration.
All students interviewed agreed that sophomore trips should definitely be repeated. Also unanimous was the suggestion that the dates be changed so as not to conflict with Commencement and Reunions.
Hopefully next summer a larger, yet equally enthusiastic, group of ’02s will meet in Hanover to relive, or to experience for the first time, DOC trips.
Special thanks to The Dartmouth and reporter Jennifer Kay ’01.
Ore Hill Shelter
The Ore Hill shelter-to-be is located on a hill between Mount Cube and Moosilauke, near the Appalachian Trail. It will be constructed of logs found on the site. If all goes as planned only hand tools, no power tools, will be used. So far most of the walls are up and the building has reached roof level in the back.
The Ore Hill shelter will be finished in the fall. It will replace the decayed Atwell “Hilton” shelter.
Construction this term has been organized by Morgan Heater ’01. Members of Cabin and Trails (Dori Sugar ’01 and Tim Paine ’99, among others) have been at work on Thursdays and several weekdays, despite the summer’s heat. David Hooke ’84 has also been spotted numerous times at the site.
Interested in helping to complete the shelter? If so, blitz “cabin”.
Hiking the Continental Divide
Molly Feltner ’01 wrote this piece during the fall of ’98. Feltner is a DOCTour and a Go-Out! leader. She has represented the DOC in the Student Assembly, and as liaison to the Admissions Office she has helped get the word out to ’03s and perspective students about the Outing Club.
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Since I began hiking with my father in the White Mountains at the age of eight I have loved hiking and climbing mountains. Hiking has become so important to me that when I have not been to the mountains for a while, I feel incomplete. This past summer I decided that I would work for a National Park out West so that I could make mountains a part of my daily life. I applied to many parks and finally decided to go to Rocky Mountain National Park in northwestern Colorado. I worked at the Trail Ridge Visitor Center, which is in the middle of the park at about 12,000 feet of elevation. My job did not require me to do much hiking, but after work and on my off days I was determined to climb as many mountains as possible. I planned trips with the friends I made from my job.
Rocky Mountain National Park has three main ranges of mountains: the Never Summer Range, The Mummy Range, and the Continental Divide Range. The mountains of these ranges vary in elevation from about 11,000 to 14,255 feet. Longs Peak is highest of these at 14,255 feet, at the end of the Continental Divide Range. The Continental Divide is a physical boundary beginning in Canada and extending to the tip of Mexico, which divides the flow of water on the North American continent. All water on the eastern side eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean, while all water on the western side eventually flows into the Pacific Ocean. In this park, the Divide is a high ridge containing the tallest mountains in the range. The western side has a more gradual slope while the eastern side has steep cliffs descending into wide, glacier-cut valleys.
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One of my favorite hikes this summer was a long Continental Divide traverse that my friend Amanda and I hiked. We decided to climb a 25 mile-long section through the middle of the Park that entailed summiting thirteen peaks over 12,000 feet. We were determined to complete the hike within a period of 24 hours, so we set out at about 11:30 pm at night with our headlamps. Beginning a dangerous hike in the middle of night may seem like a stupid idea, but it is often necessary to do this for any long climb in the Rocky Mountains. Dangerous lightning storms roll through the Park with great regularity on summer afternoons. Being on the highest point of elevation in an area during these storms is almost a guarantee that you will be struck by lightning. This summer I unfortunately witnessed six different people be struck by lightning. It was necessary for Amanda and I to leave early so that we would summit the highest point by noon.
We began our climb leaving Bear Lake at the easternmost end of the park and started up our first mountain, Flattop. We reached the summit, making amazing time. The view was absolutely spectacular. There was a full moon, so we could see other mountains at a great distance. The landscape looked lunar. The rocky mountain tops and snow all glowed an eerie blue color and no sound could be heard except for the wind. From Flattop, we left the trail and headed on to a great open expanse of tundra called the Big Horn Flats. We walked through several large herds of elk and bighorn sheep which looked at us calmly with their eyes glowing like the headlights of a car. It is a very strange feeling to pass by such huge wild animals without them being disturbed by your presence.
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After we summited three more mountains the sun began to rise and the color of the light changed from blue to pink to gold. At this point Amanda and I faced climbing a more treacherous mountain. I really felt the altitude in my lungs as I slowly pulled myself over the rocks and snow. We continued like this for a while, climbing slowly over the steep sections and then moving quickly in the lulls between mountains. The day was turning into one of the most perfect days I had ever seen. The sky was clear blue without a cloud on the horizon for hundreds of miles all around. It was so perfect we even took some time to play in the snow on a glacier.
By late afternoon we came to our most difficult mountain, Mt. Julian. Julian is about a 4 (on the climber’s scale) all the way up with some sections going to 5’s at their easiest. It was very nerve-wracking to move along a ridge a few inches wide with the sides sloping down relentlessly for about 2000 feet in either direction. However, we didn’t panic and we made it safely. After this summit the rest of hike seemed relaxing. My friend and I continued along at a good pace and soon hiked into the western forest, eventually locating the road. We were proud of ourselves for successfully summiting all of the mountains safely and in good time. I will always treasure the memory of this hike as one of best adventures of my life.
Intercollegiate Disco Climbing Competition!
The Mountaineering Club held its first intercollegiate climbing competition on the weekend of February 20. Route-setters were down in the climbing gym until the early morning hours on Sunday, setting gorgeous boulder problems, modifying existing routes, and throwing a disco ball onto the ceiling for the coming day’s first-ever disco climbing competition.
Eighteen competitors from Middlebury, Williams, Harvard, and Columbia arrived approximately six hours after the last route was finished and proceeded to float, climb, and thrash their way up the routes. Williams arrived in full disco style that would have put Tabard’s Disco Inferno to shame. Everyone had a great time as the competitors worked their way through the boulder problems with varying degrees of success. Two climbers from Middlebury put on a spectacular show, making short work of the hardest problems on the wall. As the chalk settled and the pizza arrived, the finalists for each category were announced.
The crowd cheered on each finalist as he or she attempted to finish the last route of the division. Middlebury placed first in women’s expert finals, and second also in men’s expert.This strong showing allowed Middlebury to come out as the top school overall. Sunday’s competition was a great day of climbing, socializing, and having fun. So much fun that next winter (winter ’00), and hopefully for many winters to come, the Mountaineering Club will host an intercollegiate climbing competition again.
Trip Recommendations
Wanna play outside, but don’t know where to go?
Cabin and Trails: recommended hikes
Easy: Hike up Velvet Rocks and have dinner at the shelter. To get there go to the Co-Op food store, and walk along the dirt trail that begins near the gas station and borders the soccer fields. The trail goes into the woods at the end of the fields. Follow the white blazes (white paint marks on the trees) all the way until you see a sign saying shelter “To the left”. There turn left onto a blue-blazed trail. Follow that until you reach the shelter. Rest and enjoy, and then return on the same path.
Moderate: Hike up Moosilauke! There are tons of different trails there and different starting places. For more information about trails, check out the Dartmouth Outing Guide or stop by DOCTours’ office hours (2-6 Monday-Thursday, 4-6 on Sunday). If you want to have dinner at the lodge after a day of hiking, make sure that you call ahead at (603)-764-5858 to make reservations.
Dartmouth Mountaineering Club: fun on rocks
Trip 1. Easy fun and close to home. Head out to Winslow Cliffs behind the Skiway. Bring a bunch of LONG webbing and a top-rope and have fun playing on some gorgeous sculpted New Hampshire granite. Blitz “mou”(the mountaineering club) for directions and route descriptions.
Trip 2. Huge long exposed traditional climbing at Cannon Clifs in Franconia Notch. Six- to eight- pitches of classic climbing. Experience a necessity. Blitz “mou” for details.
Ledyard: canoe or kayak the Connecticut
Short trip: Paddle to Gilman island, approximately 20 minutes downstream (south) from the Ledyard Canoe Club. You may want to have a picnic lunch there, or stay overnight at Titcomb cabin. This costs $10 per person per night plus canoe rental. Ledyard Canoe Club members pay $5 per person per night, with free canoe rental. For details on rentals and club membership, blitz “lcc”.
Longer trip: Also beautiful is a three-mile journey north to the Organic Farm, about an hour each way. You can explore the Farm, even help harvest or weed, before paddling back.
Why farm?
The Organic Farm is run under the Outdoor Programs Office. Located about 3 miles north of campus on Route 10, also called Lyme Road, the Farm is an ideal destination for an afternoon outside or a Friday potluck dinner. The Farm is run by full-time manager Scott Stokoe and student interns, some of whom live on the property. Blitz “dof” for more information.
Why farm? I’ve been asked, and I’ve asked myself. I tell someone I go to Dartmouth, they ask what I’m involved with, and I say, for this summer at least, farming. Come again?
Our field is two acres right on the bank of the Connecticut River. By any definition it’s a modest farm, since its operation depends entirely on students. There’s a greenhouse, some compost piles, a small house, and acres of open space. Anything else?
In a section of the field there’s a polyculture growing — ryegrass, peas, and cow vetch, all scattered together. If the ryegrass is planted early enough to get a good head start it’ll grow waist-high by July. The peas then grow, winding up and around the grass stalks, and sending down deep roots that aerate the soil. Last, the vetch grows — fixing nitrogen in its root nodules and spreading vine-like over the other plants until finally, literally, pulling them to the ground, where they compost. We get nothing to eat out of it this year, but when the same area is planted with broccoli next spring the soil will be well-aerated and full of nutrients, without the use of chemical fertilizers.
System dynamics, energetics, ecology — the rye/peas/vetch theory is beautiful enough to sound almost academic. Is it? Maybe not, based on the fact that we’re actually trying it. (And it didn’t work this year — we planted the rye too late. Next time.) Then again — maybe. Dartmouth was founded 230 years ago, when it was assumed that college students came, like most everyone else, from farming families. Agricultural knowledge was expected. But as farming has consolidated, that agricultural knowledge has been set aside — as obsolete, and as something only those few who run the enormous farms that feed the nation need be concerned with. Just add chemical fertilizers, genetic engineering, and water. Repeat.
The organic movement shows that as a culture we’re not ready to give up our understanding of where our food comes from, and of what our food is (even Americans are beginning to question the sense of eating a potato mutated to produce its own pesticide). As we press forward, seeing farther, we want also to remember what we already once knew: corn, beans, and squash; rye, peas, and vetch. Food grows not in chemical isolation, but in patient cooperation.
This cooperative spirit has quickly made the Organic Farm a part of both Dartmouth and the Upper Valley. This summer three classes, including a weekly lab class, are using the fields, as are several individual research projects. Groups from DREAM, LEAD, Dartmouth Daycare, Orford Elementary, and North Country Weekend have brought children to visit. The Provost has visited to consider the student proposal to create a sustainable living center at the farm. Farm vegetables have been going to both to Collis and to local charities.
July 23 was the Summer Farm Festival. Eighty people, including the parents and families of many students, came to pitch in in the fields, get farm tours, have a potluck feast, and listen to the Riverbed (a popular campus band) play. The weather, like the general mood, was great. People smiled when we explained about the rye, peas, and vetch — shaking their heads slightly in the same gee-whiz way as if they were seeing an iMac for the first time. And no one asked “why farm?”, because they seemed to understand: agriculture has a place at Dartmouth, just as it has a place in all our lives.
Environmental Studies Division
The ESD has just finished an incredibly successful year, and we are gearing up for another. This last year we were the recipients of the Milton Sims Kramer Grant Award, which is awarded to the campus organization that, in the judgement of the Dean of the College and other consultants, have contributed the most to the college during the year. We won this award specifically for organizing the S.P.A.R.C program and for our involvement in promoting the new composting program on campus.
S.P.A.R.C., or Save Power And Receive Cash, is a program designed to promote conservation on campus by providing cash rewards to dorm clusters who can reduce their electric bill. During the Spring, 44 less tons of CO2 were emitted from the Dartmouth power plant then in previous springs. This coming fall the SPARC coordinator will be an internship position, the winners and the prizes will be more visible, and hopefully more people will actively participate in energy conservation.
Other activities the ESD was involved in during the year include:
Earth Day ’99!: We held a number of events throughout the day that were very successful. Tabling during the day, as well as our trash display in front of Collis, was noticed by all. Everett led square dancing to celebrate in the afternoon, and the day culminated with a number of interesting speakers in Collis Commonground. Discounts at DDS were given all day to EnviroMug users, who also entered a raffle along with letter writers to win a number of prizes donated by local businesses.
EcoStews: Weekly dinners with interesting guests, great conversation, and great food.
Orford Schools: In the spring we began an environmental education program with students from the Orford schools.
Speakers: In the Spring we hosted a very interesting speakers on Raptors, and also brought in the Rainforest bus, an intriguing display.
ReuseBooks: We made notebooks of Kiewit scrap paper and gave them away.
For fun: we spent a fantastic weekend in the Grant.
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This coming year we plan to continue having great EcoStews. We will also continue the Orford schools program, possibly expanding to other schools. Weekly tabling and letter writing is planned, as well as weekly demonstrations to increase campus awareness in environmental issues. A large dinner is being planned for the first weekend of the fall to introduce students to the ESD, as well as to the ECO (Environmental Conservation Organization) and the Organic Farm. ESD has recently decided to help sponsor organic t-shirts for freshmen trips, saving tons of chemicals from going down the drains. We will also, of course, continue our legendary retreats up to the Grant to spark new ideas on how to better environmentalism at Dartmouth.
All in all, the ESD has just finished a wonderful year, and we are planning to rock even more this coming year. Hope you’ll get in on the action!
Spring ’99 leaders: Kate Turpin ’99, Katy Tooke ’02
Summer ’99 leaders: Becky Lothrop ’02, Lutricia Neuse-Braunlich ’02, Dan Braden ’01, Jesse Foote ’01
Meetings: every Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Robinson
For more information: Please stop by a meeting or blitz “ESD”.
Enviro-mugs!
Have you drunk from your mug today?
Enviro-mugs are a product of Dartmouth Recycles! and ECO. However, members of the Environmental Students at Dartmouth, as well as others active in the DOC, may be among the first to acknowledge their usefulness.
The Enviro-mugs were first designed in 1994 by a group of student interns involved in the “Dartmouth Recycles!” program. They are now given to all First Year students at the onset of Freshmen Trips, when those receiving the mugs pledge to practice “the Three R’s”.
Vanessa Lee (’02) uses hers everyday. “It’s much better than using paper cups at Collis and the Hop”, she suggests. “I think both places still only charge you for a ’small’ if you use your mug”.
As Lee points out, DDS offers incentive to carry the mug by extending special deals that call for its use. The Courtyard Café charges the 16-ounce beverage price for a 20-ounce drink if the buyer uses his or her mug. These tactics aside, however, Margie DeWard (’00) demonstrates in her 1998 Winter Carnival commentary in The D, that students have little trouble realizing the mugs’ functionality. DeWard used hers along with a fork and plastic bag as a tool for dying her hair.
And students are not the only ones who find the Enviro-mug useful. Collis Café employee Ray Crosby says he, too, finds the mug “very handy”.
“I love these things!”, says Crosby. “I drive to work each morning at 6 a.m. and you better believe I’ve got that mug with me! … Took it ice fishing just last weekend … I get my mug as soon as the display goes up and I use it until next year’s design goes on the shelf.”
Although this year’s orange and black design is the most readily seen on campus, mugs bearing the designs of years past are still in use by students, employees, and recent graduates alike. The mug designs are selected from a wide variety of student art inspired by the yearly Enviro-mug Design Contest.
Look out for this year’s Enviro-mugs, sporting a collage of the seasons, on shelves at the Hop and in the hands of ’03s. These mugs were designed by Jen Preston.
Women in the Wilderness
We sat cross-legged and bundled inside the lantern light. I looked around at the circle of us: fifteen Dartmouth women passing bulk food, sharp cheddar, pocket knives. We shed layers of wool, fleece, and down as the ancient wood stove finally began to warm our tent. Earlier that day we had left school, driven toward our camp, gotten stuck in a snow ditch. We had picked up the car-all fifteen of us-in a semi-successful endeavor which, nevertheless, resulted in a tow. We had snow-shoed into camp, packing and re-packing the toboggan as we went. And with smiles and the removal of snowshoes, we arrived at our camp-a frozen swamp, nameless and wholly ours for the night. We had transcended the world of books, then cars, then snow-mobiles, then tracks of fox and deer. This swamp was our wilderness. And so there we were now, miles, hours, snowbanks later, passing sharp cheddar and pocketknives. And yet, we had not yet learned names.
“The first thing one does in a group situation”, I have been taught, “is to play the name game.” Had I failed as a leader? I had forgotten to do that. But looking around in the lantern light, I realized that such group protocol is easily forgotten when the dynamics are so easy from the start.
What draws us together, to this swamp, to this circle? Why is there a group called “Women in the Wilderness?” I have asked myself many times. But there in the lantern light, I understood better. This group could be called anything, it seemed, but the dynamics would remain the same. We passed cheddar and pocketknives, fed logs to the stove, and finally, as snowflakes and purple clouds gave way to moonlight, we began to share names. “Oh yes,” we all said, “we forgot to do that.”
Melissa’s reflection, although it transcends description of one group at one time and place, is drawn from an outing with a small but welcoming DOC member club. Women in the Wilderness holds weekly dinner meetings and several trips per term. New members are encouraged to help plan trips. For more information, blitz “wiw”.
Fireworks, Black Flies, and Frisbees
The odorous leech field in front of Moosilauke Ravine Lodge was replete with yelling barefoot heathens. Frisbees, footballs, and shrieks filled the air. Inside, the summer croo was bustling up a traditional picnic dinner of hamburgers, hotdogs, and grilled eggplant for the vegetarian contingent. Salad and a vanilla cake covered in white icing, strawberries, and blueberries completed the meal. The noise level in the lodge rose as the tables, porches, and couches filled with people looking forward to the evening’s activities. The occasion? The annual Fourth of July Celebration at the Lodge.
Lydia Dixon ’01 and Pat Leslie ’01 along with the summer lodge croo and DOCTours, aided by van drivers Mike Foote ’01 and Jesse Foote ’01, scrambled a few days before the Fourth to organize some sort of celebration at the Lodge. What better place to spend a Sunday evening, with no classes looming on the horizon of the next morning? Over one hundred Dartmouth students arrived at Moosilauke to enjoy the holiday. Many folks had not been to Moosilauke since their freshman trip, and some had never been at all. Everyone was excited at the prospect of summiting the mountain and enjoying the fireworks of surrounding towns from a new perspective: looking down on them.
At the summit, the initial crowd was relatively small. As the sun set though, a steady stream of hikers began to assemble on the rocks. As the size of the crowd grew, the energy level seemed to increase as well. At the first glimpse of fireworks on the north side of the mountain, cheers and hollering ensued. The immediate reaction was a rousing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” which then blended into our own “Dartmouth Alma Mater”, with the standard “LEST THE OLD TRADITIONS FAIL” bellowed out. The people in North Woodstock and Lincoln could probably hear the cheers and singing from the summit of the mountain.
The fireworks shows abated around 11 p.m. just as the wind started to pick up and clouds rolled over the mountain. People began the hike back to the lodge, a steady stream of boots and flashlights marching down Gorge Brook in a single-file line. A few decided to make the trip down a bit more entertaining for the rest of the crowd by descending in the “full monty”. Those boys certainly got a couple of second looks as they passed!
Arriving back at the lodge, the hikers met with a miniature fireworks display and extra cake! Tired and happy, everyone began to disperse, heading back to Hanover or to sleep. A good time was had by all.
Thanks!
Without the support and funding of the Outdoor Programs Office, this edition would not have been possible. Of course, neither would it have been possible without our numerous contributors (see below). We would especially like to thank David Hooke ’84, OPO Assistant Director, for his advice and encouragement.
Credits
Editors: Frank Chang, Jennifer Kay, Jennifer Taylor, Anne Margolis, Rebekka Brooks
Text Contributors: Amy Briesch, Lydia Dixon, Pat Leslie, Patrick Francis, Leah Horowitz, Molly Feltner, Ben Berk, Dan “Stu” Stulac, Benton Miller, Dan Braden, Jesse Foote, Melissa Kirkby, Jennifer Kay, Frank Chang, Rebekka Brooks
Photography/Artwork Contributors: Ben Guiraldi, Jen Feltner, Patrick Francis, BLT photographers (spring ’98; winter ’99), Ben Berk, Nick Koshnick, Steve Lee, Tim Paine, Molly Feltner, Lydia Dixon, Frank Chang
