With the D.O.C.
LATE WINTER EXTENDS SNOW SPORTS;lOCA OUTING HELD AT RAVINE CAMP
THE "SPRING" WEATHER of January came to an abrupt halt just before Carnival, in time to provide plenty of snow for that weekend, and since then there have been several good-sized snowfalls to find Hanover in the second week of March still under a foot or so of snow. This prolonging of winter makes up for the late start we had and the poor conditions- in January. Winter activities have continued through weekends that were formerly devoted to duckboard hopping and "gunch booting" along the muddy Vermont and New Hampshire back roads.
Cabin and Trail burst out in activity with the cessation of its Carnival duties and sent out many trips including an ice fishing trip to Armington Pond and a ski touring jaunt from Cloudland back to Hanover by the DOC trail. Though there are still just as many fish in Armington Pond as were there on the arrival of the erstwhile fishermen, "Moosejaw's" homemade ice cream was the hit of the trip, making piscatorial disappointments fade to nothing.
The encouragement lent by bargains in surplus G.I. snowshoes has produced a real boom in this ancient sport, at one time the major interest of DOCers. Many cabins, particularly Newton, Happy Hill, Clough. and Holt's Ledge have been visited by amateur racquetteurs swishing softly in the still, cold woods.
lOCA WEEKEND
The big event of the season for Cabin and Trail was the annual winter lOCA fest at Ravine Camp, February 28-March 1. Over 20 member colleges of the Intercollegiate Outing Club Association sent representatives; some from as far as Swarthmore, Syracuse, and McGill, to total a population of 90 which made the famous Ravine Camp bulge at the seams. Two days' skiing and square dancing were climaxed by the grueling "Hacker's Inferno," a strictly amateur event from which all past or present members of college ski squads were barred. A fellow from McGill took the top honors, while Larry Coachman '47 upheld the DOC's reputation by coming in a close second. The race was held in ideal snow conditions on the Little Dipper Trail, on the ridge behind the camp. There were plenty of other activities including skiing, snowshoeing, an ascent of the summit for a beautiful winter view, and the traditional and ever-popular "Baptiste" stories by Ross McKenney. The usual sumptuous repast was furnished thrice daily by the chow crew. Sunday, in the teeth of a blizzard howling out of Jobildunc Ravine, the party broke up. The fact that the road was not plowed, and all personnel had to be skied and tobogganed in from the C.C.C. road provided additional obstacles, but all agreed that it was well worth the effort.
1948 CARNIVAL CHAIRMAN
The Carnival Committee, having just polished off one Carnival, cannot wait to get at the next. At the final meeting, Harlan B. Brumsted '46 of Batavia, New York, was elected to head the committee for 1948. Harlan had the job of organizing police this year and did such a fine job that his election won hearty approval from all sides. He is also an ex-president of the DOC and ex-chairman of Cabin & Trail, having held these positions before leaving Dartmouth for Midshipmen's School.
The Ledyard Canoe Club is showing signs of emerging from its hibernation and early predictions point to a good season of white water, what with the unusual snow accumulation. Kapok life jackets are being aired, canoes looked over, and plans laid for the spring activities.
Bait and Bullet is also getting set for the season. At a dinner meeting at the DOC House recently, John Drury '46 of Essex Junction, Vt., was elected president, and Ed Brunhoff '46 of Wyoming, Ohio, was elected secretary-treasurer.
