Dartmouth Outing Club
Encyclopedia
The Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) is the oldest and largest collegiate outing club in the United States
. Proposed in 1909 by Dartmouth College
student Fred Harris to "stimulate interest in out-of-door winter sport
s", the club soon grew to encompass the College's year-round outdoor recreation
and has had a major role in defining Dartmouth College.
Today the club has over 1500 student members (and almost as many non-student members) and acts as an umbrella organization for about a dozen member clubs which each specialize in an aspect of outdoor recreation. The DOC and its member clubs are student-run clubs for students, but many alums, faculty, staff, and community members participate in and contribute to the clubs. Anyone can become a member and non-members can participate in most activities.
and Alpine
ski teams.
Bait and Bullet : Organizes fishing
and hunting
trips.
The Big Green Bus
: Promotes sustainable living, environmental awareness, and alternative energy use through education and example. The Big Green Bus embarks on a 10-week cross country summer tour annually.
Cabin and Trail : Organizes hiking
and trailwork trips. Responsible for the construction and maintenance of cabins, shelters, and 75 miles (120.7 km) of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
. The Forestry Team competes against other schools in New England
and Canada
in all types of forestry
events from sawing to axe-throwing.
Environmental Studies Division : Organizes environmental education
and activism
.
Ledyard Canoe Club : Organizes canoeing
and kayaking
trips and competitions.
Dartmouth Mountaineering Club : Organizes rock
and ice climbing
trips and competitions. Founded in 1936 by Jack Durrance
, the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club is a student-run club dedicated to exploring climbing around the world and introducing beginners to the sport. The nearby climbing areas most frequented by members of the club are Winslow Cliffs near the Dartmouth Skiway
; Rumney
, an East Coast sport climbing
venue that attracts climbers from as far away as Montreal and Boston; Cannon Cliff
in Franconia Notch
; and Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges near North Conway
. Every term, the club runs four beginner trips out to either Rumney or Winslow, one intermediate/advanced trip to Cathedral or Cannon, and one weekend trip to the Shawangunks
in New Paltz
, New York
. In the winter, DMC clubbers ice climb at Holt's Ledge, Rumney, and Crawford Notch
near Mt. Washington
. When spring break rolls around, the DMC ventures out West to climb in a warmer locale for two weeks. For the past two years, Red Rocks
, Nevada
has been the destination of choice.
Dartmouth Ski Patrol
: Provides patrol
and rescue on the Dartmouth Skiway
and provides medical and safety support to the other member clubs.
Farm and Field: Organizes student participation at the Dartmouth Organic Farm and raises awareness about organic farming
.
Mountain Biking Club : Organizes mountain biking
trips to local areas such as Kingdom Trails in East Burke, VT
and Highland Downhill Mountain Bike Park in Northfield, New Hampshire
. There have also been trips over spring break to Asheville
, North Carolina
area.
Winter Sports Club : Organizes backcountry skiing
and winter mountaineering
trips. Trips are run to local mountains in New Hampshire
and Vermont
as well as an annual trip to Mount Katahdin
in Maine
. Smaller trips have been funded to Rogers Pass
near Revelstoke, British Columbia
and the Wasatch Range
in Utah
.
Women in the Wilderness : Develops out-of-door confidence and leadership skills and organizes outdoor trips for women spanning many of the Outing Club's activities.
: 26,800 acres (108 km²) owned by the College in northern New Hampshire
.
Mount Moosilauke : The southwesternmost 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) mountain of the White Mountains
of New Hampshire and the home of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
.
Dartmouth Outdoor Rentals : Outdoor gear rental and workshops.
Dartmouth Cross Country Ski Center : Ski and skate rentals.
Daniels Climbing Gym : Bouldering
cave and training facility.
Dartmouth Organic Farm : Organic teaching farm.
Robinson Hall : The DOC headquarters was built for the Club and certain other "non-athletic student organizations" in 1915. The DOC continues to share the building with a variety of groups.
and snowshoeing. The club's first "formal" meeting took place on December 14, 1909 in the South Fayerweather dormitory. In 1910, a "Field Day" was established, which was a simple gathering time for groups to participate in outdoor activities. By 1911, the club had decided to enchance the Field Day by inviting women, holding further social festivities, and renaming it the "Winter Carnival", an event which has been carried out every year since, excepting 1918 (due to lack of coal and wood).
Outing Club membership increased steadily, until by 1920, two-thirds of the student body were members. In February of that year, Fred Harris wrote an article in National Geographic Magazine
entitled "Skiing over the New Hampshire Hills" primarily about the Dartmouth Outing Club. The spring after this article was published, the number of applicants to the College increased from 825 to 2625, forcing the College to become selective in admission for the first time.
In 1929, the Club built the Dartmouth Outing Club House on Occom Pond in Hanover
. 1935 saw the introduction of Freshman Trips to encourage participation in the Club, a tradition which is now among the largest pre-orientation programs in the country. By 1956, the Dartmouth Skiway
was built at Holt's Ledge, replacing Oak Hill as the primary downhill skiing facility for the College. That same year, President Eisenhower joined the DOC.
The club had acquired a log cabin
at the base of Mount Moosilauke by 1913, and was building another cabin nearby. Upon hearing this news, Johnny Johnson, Dartmouth class of 1866, decided to donate much of his real estate investments to the Club. His donations led to a chain of cabins through the White Mountains
, reaching a peak of 30 in number during the 1930s.
In 1926, the Club's trail officially became a 75 miles (120.7 km) part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and member clubs such as Cabin and Trail began to be formed. The same year, the DOC established the Intercollegiate Winter Sports Union. The Club was soon granted the Moosilauke Summit House, which served as a hotel and received nearly 3300 guests per year.
1935 saw the fire which destroyed Moosilauke's log cabin. After further investment in surrounding lands, the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
was built in 1939 as one of the largest log buildings in New Hampshire
. Today, the Lodge serves as the culminating location of the Freshman Trips and a base for many of the DOC's other activities.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Proposed in 1909 by Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
student Fred Harris to "stimulate interest in out-of-door winter sport
Winter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
s", the club soon grew to encompass the College's year-round outdoor recreation
Outdoor recreation
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity is leisure pursuits engaged in outside, especially in natural or semi-natural settings out of town...
and has had a major role in defining Dartmouth College.
Member clubs
Dartmouth Ski Team : Competitive Varsity, Division 1 NordicNordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
and Alpine
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
ski teams.
Bait and Bullet : Organizes fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
trips.
The Big Green Bus
The Big Green Bus
The Big Green Bus is a project that was founded in 2005 to promote sustainability and renewable energy sources run by Dartmouth College students. Students originally converted a used school bus to run on waste vegetable oil, , but in 2009 upgraded to a 1998 MCI coach bus.The BGB is part of the...
: Promotes sustainable living, environmental awareness, and alternative energy use through education and example. The Big Green Bus embarks on a 10-week cross country summer tour annually.
Cabin and Trail : Organizes hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and trailwork trips. Responsible for the construction and maintenance of cabins, shelters, and 75 miles (120.7 km) of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
. The Forestry Team competes against other schools in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in all types of forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
events from sawing to axe-throwing.
Environmental Studies Division : Organizes environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
and activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
.
Ledyard Canoe Club : Organizes canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
and kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
trips and competitions.
Dartmouth Mountaineering Club : Organizes rock
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
and ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
trips and competitions. Founded in 1936 by Jack Durrance
Jack Durrance
Dr. John R. "Jack" Durrance was a pioneering American rock climber and mountaineer.He learned to climb while attending high school in Germany, and later founded the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club in 1936 while attending Dartmouth College. Some of his classic first ascents include the North Face of...
, the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club is a student-run club dedicated to exploring climbing around the world and introducing beginners to the sport. The nearby climbing areas most frequented by members of the club are Winslow Cliffs near the Dartmouth Skiway
Dartmouth Skiway
The Dartmouth Skiway is a ski area located about twenty minutes north of Dartmouth College in Lyme, New Hampshire. It has thirty trails from easiest to most difficult on over 100 acres of skiable area....
; Rumney
Rumney, New Hampshire
Rumney is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,480 at the 2010 census. The town is located at the southern edge of the White Mountain National Forest.-History:...
, an East Coast sport climbing
Sport climbing
Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, and possibly bolts, for protection,...
venue that attracts climbers from as far away as Montreal and Boston; Cannon Cliff
Cannon Mountain (New Hampshire)
Cannon Mountain is a peak in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Known for both its technical rock and ice climbing and its skiing , the mountain was home to the Old Man of the Mountain until the formation collapsed on May 3, 2003...
in Franconia Notch
Franconia Notch
Franconia Notch is a major mountain pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Dominated by Cannon Mountain, it lies principally within Franconia Notch State Park and is traversed by the Franconia Notch Parkway Franconia Notch (el. 1950 ft. / 590 m.) is a major mountain pass through...
; and Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges near North Conway
North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway is a census-designated place in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,349 at the 2010 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the largest village within the town of Conway, which is bounded on the east by the Maine state line. The White...
. Every term, the club runs four beginner trips out to either Rumney or Winslow, one intermediate/advanced trip to Cathedral or Cannon, and one weekend trip to the Shawangunks
Shawangunk Ridge
The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.The ridgetop, which widens considerably at...
in New Paltz
New Paltz, New York
New Paltz is a town in Ulster County, New York, USA. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston, New York. New Paltz contains a village also with the name New Paltz...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In the winter, DMC clubbers ice climb at Holt's Ledge, Rumney, and Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch is the steep and narrow gorge of the Saco River in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, located almost entirely within the town of Hart's Location...
near Mt. Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
. When spring break rolls around, the DMC ventures out West to climb in a warmer locale for two weeks. For the past two years, Red Rocks
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada is an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of its National Landscape Conservation System, and protected as a National Conservation Area. It is located about west of Las Vegas, and easily seen from the Las Vegas Strip...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
has been the destination of choice.
- DMC members seeking adventure can apply for money from the Mountaineering Club Expeditionary Fund. Initially established in 1963 as the John E. Breitenbach Memorial Fund and later renamed in 1973, its stated purpose is to fund expeditions planned and executed by club members. After their travels, once they are back on campus, the students present a slide-show of their experiences to the Dartmouth community, so sharing what they learned and accomplished.
Dartmouth Ski Patrol
Dartmouth Skiway
The Dartmouth Skiway is a ski area located about twenty minutes north of Dartmouth College in Lyme, New Hampshire. It has thirty trails from easiest to most difficult on over 100 acres of skiable area....
: Provides patrol
Ski patrol
A Ski Patrol is an organization that provides Emergency Medical and rescue services to skiers and participants of other snow sports, either at a ski area or in a back country setting. Patrollers are trained in Basic or Advanced Life Support to stabilize and transport patients to definitive care,...
and rescue on the Dartmouth Skiway
Dartmouth Skiway
The Dartmouth Skiway is a ski area located about twenty minutes north of Dartmouth College in Lyme, New Hampshire. It has thirty trails from easiest to most difficult on over 100 acres of skiable area....
and provides medical and safety support to the other member clubs.
Farm and Field: Organizes student participation at the Dartmouth Organic Farm and raises awareness about organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
.
Mountain Biking Club : Organizes mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
trips to local areas such as Kingdom Trails in East Burke, VT
Burke, Vermont
Burke is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,571 at the 2000 census. The town contains the villages of East Burke, West Burke and Burke Hollow.-Geography:...
and Highland Downhill Mountain Bike Park in Northfield, New Hampshire
Northfield, New Hampshire
Northfield is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,829 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was settled in 1760 as a part of Canterbury. In the late 1770s the residents of the "north fields" of Canterbury petitioned the State Legislature to become their...
. There have also been trips over spring break to Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
area.
Winter Sports Club : Organizes backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
and winter mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
trips. Trips are run to local mountains in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
as well as an annual trip to Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin is the highest mountain in Maine at . Named Katahdin by the Penobscot Indians, the term means "The Greatest Mountain". Katahdin is the centerpiece of Baxter State Park: a steep, tall mountain formed from underground magma. The flora and fauna on the mountain are typical of those...
in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Smaller trips have been funded to Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
near Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of Vancouver, and west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River...
and the Wasatch Range
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Women in the Wilderness : Develops out-of-door confidence and leadership skills and organizes outdoor trips for women spanning many of the Outing Club's activities.
Affiliated programs and facilities
Second College GrantSecond College Grant, New Hampshire
Second College Grant is a township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The area of this township is owned and controlled by Dartmouth College. As of the 2010 census, the grant had a total population of 0....
: 26,800 acres (108 km²) owned by the College in northern New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
Mount Moosilauke : The southwesternmost 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) mountain of the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of New Hampshire and the home of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
thumb|The Lodge, the main building of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge complexMoosilauke Ravine Lodge is a cabin complex on the side of Mount Moosilauke in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The main lodge structure, built on the site of old horse stables, was completed in 1938 under the direction of...
.
Dartmouth Outdoor Rentals : Outdoor gear rental and workshops.
Dartmouth Cross Country Ski Center : Ski and skate rentals.
Daniels Climbing Gym : Bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
cave and training facility.
Dartmouth Organic Farm : Organic teaching farm.
Robinson Hall : The DOC headquarters was built for the Club and certain other "non-athletic student organizations" in 1915. The DOC continues to share the building with a variety of groups.
History
Fred Harris, a member of the Dartmouth College class of 1911, proposed in 1909 an outing club which would stimulate outdoor interest during the cold, winter months through skiingSkiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and snowshoeing. The club's first "formal" meeting took place on December 14, 1909 in the South Fayerweather dormitory. In 1910, a "Field Day" was established, which was a simple gathering time for groups to participate in outdoor activities. By 1911, the club had decided to enchance the Field Day by inviting women, holding further social festivities, and renaming it the "Winter Carnival", an event which has been carried out every year since, excepting 1918 (due to lack of coal and wood).
Outing Club membership increased steadily, until by 1920, two-thirds of the student body were members. In February of that year, Fred Harris wrote an article in National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
entitled "Skiing over the New Hampshire Hills" primarily about the Dartmouth Outing Club. The spring after this article was published, the number of applicants to the College increased from 825 to 2625, forcing the College to become selective in admission for the first time.
In 1929, the Club built the Dartmouth Outing Club House on Occom Pond in Hanover
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
. 1935 saw the introduction of Freshman Trips to encourage participation in the Club, a tradition which is now among the largest pre-orientation programs in the country. By 1956, the Dartmouth Skiway
Dartmouth Skiway
The Dartmouth Skiway is a ski area located about twenty minutes north of Dartmouth College in Lyme, New Hampshire. It has thirty trails from easiest to most difficult on over 100 acres of skiable area....
was built at Holt's Ledge, replacing Oak Hill as the primary downhill skiing facility for the College. That same year, President Eisenhower joined the DOC.
Mount Moosilauke and the White Mountains
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
at the base of Mount Moosilauke by 1913, and was building another cabin nearby. Upon hearing this news, Johnny Johnson, Dartmouth class of 1866, decided to donate much of his real estate investments to the Club. His donations led to a chain of cabins through the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
, reaching a peak of 30 in number during the 1930s.
In 1926, the Club's trail officially became a 75 miles (120.7 km) part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and member clubs such as Cabin and Trail began to be formed. The same year, the DOC established the Intercollegiate Winter Sports Union. The Club was soon granted the Moosilauke Summit House, which served as a hotel and received nearly 3300 guests per year.
1935 saw the fire which destroyed Moosilauke's log cabin. After further investment in surrounding lands, the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
Moosilauke Ravine Lodge
thumb|The Lodge, the main building of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge complexMoosilauke Ravine Lodge is a cabin complex on the side of Mount Moosilauke in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The main lodge structure, built on the site of old horse stables, was completed in 1938 under the direction of...
was built in 1939 as one of the largest log buildings in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Today, the Lodge serves as the culminating location of the Freshman Trips and a base for many of the DOC's other activities.