Mountain Biking in Arizona
Some preparation is involved in a Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) break trip. This starts with writing an application to the trip and hearing back about whether you have been accepted. Then, in the case of the trip I was on we had a meeting mid-way through the fall term to make sure that everyone was committed and ask people if they needed any help with gear and costs. The DOC will help provide most or all gear if that is needed, and if you are on financial aid there is assistance with the trip fee (includes food) and airplane ticket costs. Even if you are not on aid this trip will cost you less than it would to do on your own since the fee is supported by the sub-clubs and larger DOC funds. After that meeting our tasks were to arrange for our plane tickets, get our gear together, and put in the effort to finish out the fall term well.
Going on the trip was an incredible experience and one that I hope other people can have as well. However, sleeping on a sleeping pad in a tent on the ground after a tough day of mountain biking is not for everyone! Between getting acquainted with the terrain, other people in the group, and the rental bikes, it took a bit of time to get settled in, but once I did I had a blast. Shredding trails, getting some seriously chapped lips from the dry air, and laughing around a campfire while eating a homemade meal allowed me to detach from the world for a little while and get to know some Dartmouth students who I previously did not know well. This is also in the context of enjoying some mountain biking which I had not had the opportunity to do outside of my familiar turf of New England.
My next goal after going on this trip is to finish up becoming a leader in the Dartmouth Mountain Biking Club (DMBC) which is a DOC sub-club. I have co-lead some trips, so now I need first aid certification, seminar training, to complete some trail work, and ideally becoming driver certified with the Outdoor Programs office.