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Snowboarding at the Dartmouth Skiway

This week was Dartmouth's 113th Winter Carnival, celebrating all things winter here in Hanover! The activities included ice-sculpture contests, human dog-sled races, skating, and of course skiing and snowboarding. 


Dragon Ice Sculpture
An ice sculpture from the contest!

In my opinion, the whole of this winter term has felt like Winter Carnival to me. Being my first winter ever, I have been pushing myself to try every winter activity I possibly can. I'll admit, it is difficult to find motivation to stay outside for a prolonged amount of time while risking potential frostbite and sickness. However, I found that throwing myself into winter and embracing it has made this term a great experience so far. 

Last week, West House hosted a ski trip that took us to Cannon Mountain! I had the chance to attend a beginner ski lesson with my friends who had also never skied before. The gear, transport, food and the cost of the ski lesson were all covered by West House. I fell multiple times and even crashed directly into my ski instructor, but at the end of the day, it was worth it. I managed to make it downhill one time without falling, which I will take as an accomplishment. 


Skiing at Cannon Mountain
At Cannon Mountain!

Since I tried skiing, why not try snowboarding as well? POCO, which stands for People of Colour Outdoors, is a club that provides a space for underrepresented groups to find their place in outdoor activities at Dartmouth. It is an incredible club led by some amazing individuals. POCO holds meetings every week and hosts many outdoor trips that anyone can join. This week they had their Learn2Ride snowboarding program that I had the opportunity to be a part of! The program included a snowboarding lesson at the Dartmouth Skiway and the snowboard itself to keep!


Snowboarding at the Dartmouth Skiway
Smiling for the picture after two hours of falling!

Winter Carnival cannot be addressed without mentioning the Polar Bear Plunge. This is when a hole is created in Occom Pond (which is completely frozen) and students brave the freezing water to jump in and swim to the other side of the hole. Sounds crazy, I know, which is exactly why I decided not to risk hypothermia this year. While I did try to be adventurous this term, I think this maybe something I keep for next year, so stay tuned!

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