Third Decade of Dartmouth-at-Moosilauke

Although Mount Moosilauke has long been a prominent feature of "Off-Campus Dartmouth," its close association with Dartmouth dates from 1920. when two alumni, Charles and E. K. Woodworth, gave the summit property to the College. The Outing Club transformed the bleak "Prospect House into the popular Moosilauke Summit Camp, which it operated as a unique objective for summer mountain climbers. That decade properly belongs to those who gave the term "Dartmouth mountain hospitality" the reputation it still deserves.

During the thirties, Outing Club interest spread to the slopes on which were built the ski trails in the era best symbolized by Hell's Highway. Under the stewardship of Ford and Peggy Sayre, Camp 2, forerunner of the present Ravine Lodge, played a brief but significant role in the development of the area. Toward the end of that eventful decade the Moosilauke Ravine Camp and the Natt Emerson Bunkhouse (named for a potent supporter who unfortunately did not live to see the full realization of his vision) came into being as the result of much purposeful dreaming, generous contributions from many sources, and hard work.

By 1940 the basic Moosilauke "plant" was essentially complete—foot and ski trails, winter and summer accommodations on the summit, year-round facilities in the Ravine Camp area, and a swimming pool, as well as an ice supply, in the nearby dammed-up Baker River. How this development has grown with use is the story of the forties.

On March 8-9, 1940, the graduating class held its first Senior Carnival at the Ravine Camp in place of the annual Senior Mount Washington Trip, which was originated by Richard J. Lougee '27. The Senior Carnival is no more, but like many other Dartmouth "traditions" may be rejuvenated when student interest reaches the right pitch.

The first group of boys, 10 to 15 years of age, enrolled at Camp Jobildunc on July 27 of that year. This promising woodcraft camp, led by Ross McKenney and John Rand, flourished for two seasons before becoming a war casualty. Plans are being made for continuing these outings in the late summer of 1950.

The year of 1941 was a time of great indecision at Moosilauke as elsewhere, but by 1943 there was plenty of action.

Lady Luck must have been the eighth member of the off-course B-17 returning from Atlantic submarine patrol to Westover Field when it crashed into Mount Waternomee, an easterly spur of Mount Moosilauke, at 7:30 P.M., January 14, 1942. But more than luck accounted for the miraculous survival of five of the seven crew members.

Sherman Adams '20 of Lincoln was the first to spot the blaze, to realize the significance of the terrific explosions by the -armed torpedoes, to discredit rumors that the Summit Camp was afire, and to organize immediate assistance. The ready response of a group of students, led by Hans Paschen and John A. Rand '38, was another contributing factor, as were the prompt, on-the-spot medical services rendered by Dr. Allan W. Handy, now of Hanover. And down at the search and rescue headquarters at Grenier Field were Thatcher Seaver '38, Weather Officer on duty, and Walter Drown, in charge of quarters, both familiar from personal experiences with the evacuation problem posed by a plane crash on Moosilauke's rugged slopes.

Then came the torrential cloudburst of June 14, when the Carriage Road, Hell's Highway, the Ravine Camp water supply, and the approach road suffered so much flood damage that the natives had something else to talk about than the ravages of the hurricane of September 21, 1938.

But Zeus had still another act that year. Four undergraduates, who had toiled up Slide Ravine on October 24, were the first to discover the greatest loss of the decade on Moosilauke. From the saddle between the North and South Peaks, they saw a strange "tower," the chimney of the Summit Camp, which had burned presumably during a -lightning storm when the summit was fog-bound. The ashes were still "hot enough to burn your hand" as the surprised climbers surveyed the ruins of Dartmouth's first stand on Mount Moosilauke and a familiar landmark since 1860.

On January 2, 1943, the Ravine Camp was officially closed "for the duration" but throughout the war, groups from the V-12 Unit used the limited accommodations arid many trainees enjoyed at Moosilauke their last mountain outing before overseas service. Many other Dartmouth undergraduates and alumni who served so valiantly on the mountain and winter fronts used to great advantage their first lessons learned on Moosilauke.

Although most of the Ravine Camp was "buttoned up" during the war, a new chapter in its history was opened with the military demand for the products of pulpwood. The Parker-Young Company of Lincoln, under the direction of New Hampshire's present Governor, Sherman Adams, president of the Outing Club in 1919-1920, built a truck road above the Ravine Camp into the virgin spruce of Jobildunc Ravine. The contention of some Ravine Camp pioneers that "an auto road is out" no longer held. The Camp was accessible by vehicles, but over an approach road built for a temporary, war-period lifetime.

By 1946 Moosilauke was ready for postwar development. The Gorge Brook Foot Trail was cleared to the summit and the crew learned the full significance of "deferred maintenance!"

The 1947 summer crew built an "Undergraduate Cabin," constructed massive terraces fox piling the prodigious amount of fuelwood consumed at the main building, cleared the Ridge Trail to connect near the summit with the Beaver Brook Trail from Lost River, and started to make the entrance road a permanent, allseason approach. That fall the Club's trustees voted to renew year-round operation and to contract for commercial REA power. The Sawyer Highway from Warren to North Woodstock was black-topped by the State, thus assuring year-round access at least to the stub road leading to the Ravine Camp. A commercial telephone circuit replaced the temporary lines strung after the hurricane for forest fire reports.

The next year more capital improvements were made to assure more efficient operation of the Ravine Camp. A walk-in refrigerator and deep-freeze units were installed to take advantage of the commercial power. The summit debris was removed, and the approach road was considerably improved with 3,000 yards of precious gravel and essential culverts.

Probably 1949 is the year that will go down in the books as the turning point in Moosilauke operations. "Ravine Camp" became "Ravine Lodge" to describe better the nature of the facilities, the Trustees of the Outing Club were relieved of the financial and managerial responsibility of the enterprise, a special effort was made to extend to all mountainlovers the privilege of using its facilities, the Natt Emerson Bunkhouse was equipped with space-heaters, two Nature Trails were provided for the education of summer visitors, and the abandoned shelter cabin on the approach road was moved to the Ravine Lodge as "Honeymoon Hut," the first of several family-size cabins that may eventually flank the main building.

In the June 1934 ALUMNI MAGAZINE, Dan Hatch '2B, jovial General Manager of the Outing Club for many years, posed the question, when he asked, "A 'ski-tow' to haul people uphill? Well, perhaps—if we obtain funds." Later, in 1941, his successor, Hans Paschen, went on record, "Some sort of a tow is an absolute essential." By December 1949 the long-discussed tow was a reality—more than 1600 feet of it stretching up the Blue Ridge east of the parking area, together with two new ski trails, the North Loop and Middle, and an improved Dipper Trail.

By mid-century the Moosilauke development was ready to fill the need of the Dartmouth family and friends of the College for a unique year-round mountain playground. Anyone present at "Judge" McLane's annual New Year's party would have sensed that a new era was just ahead.

The winter winds whistled through the thrifty, young spruce and fir now replacing the gaunt, old-growth hardwoods. They seemed to whisper the names of Ravine Lodge managers who have labored diligently with their crews to provide "mountain hospitality": Ross McKenney, Jim Brigden, Toni and Topsy Samuelson, Carl Schmalz, Roger Brown and Bob Hooker, and, even louder, the names of Dartmouth undergraduates, alumni, staff and faculty, who helped to plan, build and develop the Ravine Lodge.

Appropriately enough, the 40th Anniversary Party of the D.O.C. was held at the Ravine Lodge on January 6, 1950, to honor the Club's first president, Fred Harris '11, and his successors, many of whom were present.

To the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge now come all groups: the summer camps who miss the memorable sunsets from the Summit Camp but enjoy the refreshing dip in Baker River after climbing the mountain; the freshmen for the climax of their annual September trips; the far-flung Intercollegiate Outing Club Association; ski groups from secondary schools; the December and February Hanover Inn Ski School classes; the Undergraduate Council for serious conferences with College officers; the D.O.C. on its Christmas parties; and such varied groups as the Audubon Society and the New Hampshire Academy of Sciences. And in between "the big week-ends" an increasing number of alumni and their families arrive to enjoy what Natt Emerson '00 described in 1934 as "a fascinating refuge for those who want to forget the cares of this complex world and derive health and peace of mind in surroundings which will delight and fascinate them."

In the next decade Ross McKenney's student woodsmen should continue to find ample territory for their varied activities, Doug Wade's undergraduate naturalists have an outdoor laboratory parexcellence, and Walter Prager's skiers a winter wonderland with a long snow season and skiing conditions to train for most competitions.

For a host of older Dartmouth men, Moosilauke is a mountain of memories. For present and future generations, it is a mountain of opportunities.

THE RAVINE LODGE, FOCAL POINT OF DARTMOUTH-AT-MOOSILAUKE

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS at the Ravine Lodge were the installation this winter of a ski tow and the improvement of the ski trails it now services. Shown above, to the left of the Lodge are (1) the new tow, (2) the Dipper Trail, (3) the Middle Trail, (4) the North Loop, and (5) the familiar Snapper Trail on the east slope of Moosilauke.

Back in January 1930 the ALUMNI MAGAZINE published A Decade of Dartmouth on Moosilauke, written by Bob Monahan '29 with the perspective of a recent graduate. Twenty years later we present this sequel by the same author, written with the changed perspective he now has as Manager of College Outing Properties, of which Moosilauke is a major part.