Hi! My name is Chelsea Mills and I'm a '26 from Maryland. I'm quite indecisive, but currently pursuing a Psychology major/Classics minor on the Pre-Med track. On campus, I plan to join POCO (People of Color Outdoors). I also love playing tennis, exploring campus with friends, and curling up with a good book. You might see me walking along The River from my dorm or grabbing a FOCO cookie. If not, I can't wait to share my freshman experience with you all virtually :)
The Dartmouth Outing Club is the largest club on campus, promoting an outdoor-loving culture. They venture out into the Upper Valley (central New Hampshire and Vermont), and beyond. The DOC has many subclubs as well. I am personally involved in Cabin & Trail, and POCO. Cabin & Trail focuses on hiking and backpacking trips. POCO, People of Color Outdoors, is a subclub for racial minorities and low-income students to get involved with the outdoors.
There are tons of trips available literally every day of the week. There's an online platform called Trailhead that allows students to post trips or sign up for them. I took advantage of these trips the past couple weeks, and had a great time. You can choose more strenuous ones, but I decided to ease my transition into the outdoors. Read on to hear about my time on the Gile Sunsike, apple picking, and at the Dartmouth Organic Farm!
New friends I made at Gile, enjoying the sunset!
First the Gile Sunsike, and no, "Sunsike" isn't a weird typo. But I do think it's only a real word on Dartmouth's campus. We use the term to refer to Sunset Hikes. They are quite popular here, and there's an abundance of Sunsike trips on Trailhead each week. Those and Sunrikes (Sunrise + hike) are probably the most popular type of hikes.
Sunsets are beautiful anywhere, but especially on top of a mountain. Gile Mountain is only a 20 minute drive away, nestled in Norwich, Vermont. The 1.4 round trip hike was short and sweet. I couldn't recommend it enough for beginners. And the view at the summit? Sooo gorgeous. I took the best sunset picture that my phone camera roll has ever seen. The foliage in the Upper Valley adds to the scenery too. I went in late September, so the leaves were just beginning to transform into red and orange hues.
My favorite thing about Gile? The people I met on the trip. You don't always have to sign up with friends. I actually went with the intention of meeting new people. And I was lucky enough to make some new friends! Brooke '26 and Jordan '26 also came on their own, and we had a great conversation as we got to know each other. A hike is a great way to put yourself out there; you can do it in silence, but it's more fun with other people to talk to. Brooke, Jordan and I still keep in touch with dinners at FOCO. I'm glad I decided to sign up on my own. I can guarantee that there'll be new friends waiting for you on the other side.
My friends going Apple picking!
Moving on to apple picking, the quintessential Fall activity, apple picking season is a lively time on campus. I went to Riverview Farm. It's also close by, only 20 minutes away in Plainfield, NH. Most trips require transportation to the location. Trip leaders make the van ride fun though, with interesting intro questions to ask everyone. In case you're wondering, if I would pick any food to grow on trees as Apples did, it would be Oreos. Other good candidates I heard were jellybeans, Hershey's chocolate bars, and mini pumpkins.
Once we got to the farm, I was amazed by all the different apple trees. McIntosh, Cortland, Gala, and Honeycrisp were only a few of the varieties. They were all equally fresh and delicious, though. You could really taste the difference. Pumpkins, blueberries, raspberries, and flowers were also available for picking! Everything was really inexpensive, with the apples being only $1.50 per pound.
The experience of walking through the farm was very calming, and really personified a New England Fall. This trip also provided many cute photo ops. I went with some of my floormates and a couple of other friends. I had so much fun, and it was nice to get off campus and clear my mind from the Bio quiz I had taken earlier that Thursday.
The pretty landscape of the O-Farm
My friend Sophia '26 and I showing off our handmade pizza!
Finally, the organic farm! It seems that this list just keeps getting less and less athletic. Don't worry - I get my steps in by living in the River dorm cluster. But how could I pass on free pizza? I thought it would be fun to have fresh pizza rather than using a meal swipe at FOCO. And I got to assemble it myself! My friend and I made a pizza with tomato, basil, and mozzarella. It was fun to toss the dough and put it together on our own.
The Dartmouth Organic Farm housed this wholesome trip, with beautiful scenery and an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven. The O-Farm is a venue for many Dartmouth events. You might find yourself here often if you're interested in sustainability or organic farming. It's also a gorgeous landscape. The O-Farm is only 3 miles north of Dartmouth's main campus, so there's truly no excuse to not visit. The Advance Transit bus system can even give you a ride for free!
Being a super senior ('23) is like being an incoming freshman ('28) in that you get to make a new set of friends. Luckily, Dartmouth is a small school with many social spaces students can tap into.
