D.O.C. of No. California

The winter of 1951-1952 will be long remembered in the Sierra Nevada, particularly in the locality of Donner Summit, where passenger trains were marooned for days, and the highway was blocked for weeks. Compared with these items of national interest, of course, the situation of the Dartmouth Outing Club is of little moment, but from our point of view it is just one more difficulty to be surmounted.

Fortunately this time there is nothing vital to record. The cabin owned by the Club is intact and is habitable, but the first party of our members to reach the site, since before Christmas, found that plenty of effort was required to gain admittance. Snow was piled several feet deep in front of the door on the west side where the porch is nearly seven feet above the ground. However, due to wind action, another door, in the Quonset end of the building was clear of snow, but at present this door is useless because of the former damage to the structure.

Last fall we announced that the Cabin was available for use, the rates were published and reservations for several parties were made. Herm Christensen '51 and three of his friends from the Stanford. Graduate School made up the first party on 15 December. They reported certain deficiencies in the chinking of the walls, and adequacy of the heating facilities, but survived and enjoyed a day or two of good skiing. The next two scheduled parties had picked the week-end of the blizzard, so with the highway closed, they never arrived.

A party planned for two weeks later was canceled before the date arrived, and still another party scheduled for the middle of February postponed their trip until March.

So we come to February 2, when Dave Bender '31, Carl Ward '32, Charlie Cusack '43, Bob Baumrucker '31 and John Harder '49 found favorable weather and the ground conditions shown in the accompanying photograph. They took care of some wall leaks, and disposed of some of the snow that had drifted in through the Quonset, but couldn't do much about the heating. It just isn't adequate for midwinter temperatures.

But there is yet one note of optimism to be set down. With all that snow the spring skiing will be wonderful, probably well into June, and by that time heating won't be a problem.

Then when summer comes we hope for a hearty response to the call for work-parties to carry out the improvements planned, so that next winter we can really enjoy the winter sports, with the snug little Cabin of the Dartmouth Outing Club of Northern California as the center from which to operate.

Secretary, 1955 Marin Ave., Berkley 7, Calif.