Tess Hunter

A Profound Sense of Place

A large part of my reason for choosing Dartmouth was its positioning. Only two and a half hours from Boston but surrounded by mountains, Dartmouth's location creates a unique backdrop that adds to its appeal. An event that encompasses this is peak fall foliage. This is almost a celebration for us—it is the time of year when the tree leaves have changed color from their normal green to a vibrant assortment of yellows, reds, and oranges. Even just strolling through campus, one can look up and see the branches or look down and see fallen rainbows of leaves.

Two recent activities allowed me to see this remarkable change and connect with the unique geography. The first one was going up Baker Tower. An iconic structure on campus, usually my admiration of it is simply from the ground, looking up as it chimes. I, along with my friends, took an elevator, clambered a couple of very steep flights of stairs, and arrived at the highest point on campus. To see our beautiful home from a completely different angle and perspective, made me appreciate my environment even more. At this point, the leaves on the tree were still the deep green of the summer months.

In the Baker Library clock tower!

A Dartmouth tradition is a sunrise hike—a 'sunrike.' In my previous blog post, I detailed my sunrike at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge and explained that the goal is to get to the top by sunrise. My dorm floor and I wanted to participate in something similar, so we traveled twenty minutes to nearby Gile Mountain. Gile is a low-intensity hike—only a two-mile trip. At the end, hikers reach the fire tower which provides magnificent views. Although we didn't manage to leave campus by sunrise—much less reach the summit—once we did make it above the tree line, we were met with a magical scene. The sun reflected off the peak fall foliage colors, and the clouds were so low it looked as if they were a lake. Gazing over this scene from the vantage point, I felt a sense of connection with the landscape around me.

Hiking Gile!

Yes, twice already in my many blog posts I have talked about the "sunrikes" at Dartmouth. Having always lived in or near a city, to have the opportunity to experience nature in this form has been refreshing. Only at Dartmouth can you witness such dramatic seasonal changes just steps away from your dorm, creating a special understanding of the natural world. Experiences like this highlight the sense of place that makes Dartmouth special.

Perhaps all one has to do is see things from above to truly grasp the scale and beauty of their surroundings!