Taoheng (Tao) Chen

Class of 2028

Yes, like the title has suggested, do not sleep on the DOC trip, quite literally and metaphorically (i.e. do not overlook how amazing DOC trips are!) The DOC, which stands for the Dartmouth Outdoor Club, is the nation's oldest outing club. The club consists of many sub clubs that are in charge of leading various activities anywhere from canoeing, hiking, archery, to even international trips such as Nordic Skiing in Norway! It's easy to participate in a trip. At Dartmouth, I use a website called "Trailhead" to sign up for a trip. I just put my name down for a specific trip, request gear, and show up at the designated time! Which brings me to the most important point: DON'T SLEEP ON THEM—let me explain: I've signed up for three trips with the DOC after my first-year-trip, and all of them were morning trips; and one of my first ever trip was a "Sunrike," Dartmouth lingo for a hike at sunrise (we also have sunsike for sunsets) which meant that I had to wake up by 5:30 to catch the ride to the trail before sunrise: I nearly overslept and almost missed the van by two minutes (lesson learned).

Anyways, let me get how I've involved myself at DOC!

POCO (People of Color Outdoor): is one of the sub clubs at Dartmouth, a space dedicated specifically to students of color here. As a person of color from the city who has never had opportunity to access the outdoors as a low-income student, POCO welcomed me with open arms (and gears like hiking boots) and took me on my first-ever and counting sunrikes, which are completely free to students! Here are the two sunrikes I've gone on so far…

No. 1
Gile Mountain

This is a 15 minute drive from campus. The Gile Mountain hike lasts about thirty minutes, and at the end of the hike you’ll reach a giant fire-tower that oversees the entire forest in the vicinity! The pictures cannot capture just how beautiful the fall foliages are, and you just have to come to Dartmouth to experience this!
No. 2
Holt’s Ledge

Another trip that is also a 15 minute drive from campus but towards the Ski-Lodge instead. Side note: Yes, we do have a ski-lodge at Dartmouth! During the winter term at Dartmouth, since we’re on a four quarter term system corresponding to the seasons, Dartmouth students are able to take skiing and snowboarding classes here. Before snow covers the trails, the trail to Holt’s Ledge, which is also a part of the Appalachian Trail, makes an amazing trip during the fall to hike! This hike took about two hours, and the elevation was significantly higher than Gile, and it definitely offered a greater view of New England!

Also, because sunrikes take place in the morning, and it gets chilly in the fall, you’d actually see mists on your way back to campus before it clears and it just adds an additional touch to the mystical veil of New England—oh, to experience Dartmouth mornings!
No. 3
LEDYARD: Pancake Paddles

The Ledyard Canoe Club, also known as “Ledyard,” is another sub club at Dartmouth that deals with many water-based trips: anywhere from paddling and canoeing by the Connecticut River on campus to break canoeing trips in the Everglades! Plus, as a Dartmouth student, all gears and boat/canoe rentals are free. I’ve gone on one trip so far: Pancake Paddles! While you don’t necessarily paddle with pancakes, we do eat pancakes and paddle! For pancake paddle, you show up to the boat house at Dartmouth by the Connecticut River and groove to morning jams while flipping pancakes. After a delicious meal, you get to paddle a mega-canoe with your fellow classmates and vibe!
No. 4
FEEDS

On top of an already inclusive environment on the DOC trips, sub clubs also organize “feeds” which are meals cooked or prepared by the sub-clubs for the members to enjoy together for free! For example, every Thursday I’d pop up into POCO at 7:30 P.M. to grab a hearty meal with other members—just this week, I helped prepare stir-fry with rice noodles (so delicious, so heartwarming amidst the chilly weather at Hanover)!

Being at Dartmouth has opened my eyes to the outdoors, and the best part of it is how inclusive it is! As a low-income student, I’ve learned that the DOC has free gear you can borrow for just about any trip. And for trips that require domestic or international traveling, there is financial aid that can be applied as well. So throughout my time at Dartmouth, I definitely will be taking advantage of the outdoors and bathe in nature: I hope you’ll join me sometime in Hanover, too!