Hi! I'm Reece, and I am '28 from Northern California! I hope to study Government, Policy, and Religion in college but come winter, I'll just be hoping to survive the snow. Outside of classes, I love to read, crochet, and journal, and can't wait to expand on my interests this year. I love the outdoors—but hate hiking—and I can't wait for my first spring on the Green! I hope my blog can help answer your ungoogleable questions, and please follow along for chaos that is bound to ensue!
One of Dartmouth's oldest and largest student organizations is the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC), which encourages students and community members alike to get outdoors and explore the New Hampshire woods. When I was applying to Dartmouth, I was excited to join many student clubs and organizations, but among the few that were not on my not-so-short list was the Dartmouth Outing Club.
I had never, and still don't, consider myself an "outdoorsy" person, so I mistakenly thought that I would never engage with the DOC programming… I was quickly proven wrong.
Within the first few days of my Hanover homecoming, I went on my First-Year Trip (FYT)—an annual program put on by the DOC to introduce new incoming students to the outdoors.
The DOC organizes a variety of First-Year Trip experiences—everything from Ecology trips and Frisbee and Field Day trips that sleep in cabins to campus-based trips that explore Hanover and ones that sleep in tents outside—and I was assigned a trip called "Cabin & Nature Photography". Going into the experience, I didn't really know what to expect because I had never gone cabin camping before and wasn't really a photographer, but I quickly realized that I wasn't alone in my inexperience. My fellow trippees (a term for students on first-year trips) were just as new and inexperienced as me, but we still had a great time. Over the course of three days, we played card games, cooked meals together, got to know one another, and went on (in my opinion) a very strenuous three-mile hike. Oh, and of course, we took photos!
I am standing on the porch of Great Bear Cabin III, a cabin owned and operated by Dartmouth & the DOC.
Big smiles post Annie's Mac and Cheese cabin dinner!
My trippees, minus one, and TLs (trip leaders) after the aforementioned strenuous hike. Photo taken by fellow trippee Nate Armstrong.
By the time it was over, and I was back on campus, I found myself already missing the New Hampshire outdoors. So just a week later, after orientation was over and the classes had begun, I went onto Trailhead—the DOC's platform for scheduling and advertising all outdoor activities and trips—and signed up for another cabin trip. This overnight trip was an excursion to the Harris Cabin, a lodge about a ten-minute drive from campus that is run by the DOC. We left Thursday night at around eight pm and were back in Hanover in time for early classes Friday morning.
The Harris Cabin at night
Once we arrived at the cabin, our makeshift group, comprised of undergrads, exchange students, and graduate students alike, got straight into it as we had limited time. We played card games, ate snacks, went mattress sledding (like in Princess Diaries 2), and generally just got to know one another.
Our group arriving at the Harris Cabin on Thursday night.
The mattress sledding set-up!
A view on the short walk from the cabin back to the car Friday morning.
Our group packing the van Friday morning on our way back to campus
I got to meet so many people, from all different corners of Dartmouth on this impromptu trip, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go! Most trips on Trailhead are free for all students and very accessible and accommodating.
I have already signed up for my next Trailhead DOC outing, and am counting down the days until I get to go out into the New Hampshire wilderness again! Before coming to Dartmouth, I never thought I would interact with the DOC, yet, here I am, twice in one month and already planning a third! I can't wait
Walking around the Wellelsey campus, it's clear that it was built with intentional incorporation of the surrounding nature. The architecture of many buildings were also mindfully crafted to support Wellesley's unique principles.
From orientation week to your classes, you can easily find community at Dartmouth! Read on to know how I met my Dartmouth family and where you might also find yours.
