I'm Kalina, a '27 from Sofia, Bulgaria. I love books (I love reading and writing them), and I particularly love fantasy (i.e., I'm an expert on Middle Earth and Hogwarts studies). I'm equally fascinated by the human brain and storytelling, and I often think about the importance of stories when trying to understand the human mind. I also love hiking, bird-watching, climbing, and em dashes.
It was December 31st, and I was preparing my luggage to spend six months in the States. Back in August, when I was preparing a suitcase full of clothes, notebooks, and a sleeping bag, I was thinking mainly about the fall, spring and summer season in the Upper Valley. In December, though, I had to pack everything I needed for the winter term. The list consisted of collapsible ski poles, ski boots, a ski helmet, ski pants, and some everyday clothes, but the bulk of it was mainly the ski boots, stuffed with socks and shampoo bottles.
For several weeks this term, I was afraid that I might not use my ski equipment at all. There weren't many backcountry skiing trips on Trailhead (check out this blog post to learn about the Dartmouth Outing Club's trips website), and the first two weekends, skiing just got cancelled due to the weather. First, the free bus to the Skiway didn't show up because of the 5 inches of snow on the road, and then the lift wasn't working because of the strong wind! But finally, week 4 rolled around, and the Snow Sports Club started leading backcountry skiing trips, from 7pm to 10pm on evenings after school.
My gear drying in my room
You can surely go skiing during the day. You can go to the Skiway on a weekday or a weekend, and you can rent skis from the Outdoors Programs Center or you can bring your own skis (if you live nearby). The reason I was waiting for a Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) backcountry skiing trip and didn't just go on my own was because I didn't want to pay for a ski pass (besides, the DOC gives you skis for free) and because I don't have that much time to allocate a whole weekend just for skiing (I'll tell you what I'm doing on weekends in a future post). In other words, with the DOC, I went skiing for free. The only thing I had to do was just bring my own ski boots, helmet and poles. They provide you with all the rest. Ain't that amazing?
P.S. I just found a really cool article on backcountry skiing at Dartmouth by The Dartmouth (the college newspaper). You can check it out here :)
Winters at Dartmouth are beautiful, but if you're coming from a warmer climate, winter can also feel a little intimidating. Know that you're not alone! This guide covers how to best prepare for the season.
This past Friday, my French program stepped beyond the classroom and into history itself with a day trip to Montauban and Moissac, where art, architecture, and place came together through hands-on learning.
During my freshman year, I lived in the River Dorms as part of West House. This past fall, I moved to Fahey, one of the nicest dorms on campus. Keep reading to see what it's like!
