Outing Club Publishes A New Trail Guide

For the first time since 1954, the Dartmouth Outing Club has published a guide to its trails, cabins, and shelters. The D.O.C. has been in the "process" of publishing this guide for several years. Its final publication was the result of the energy and enthusiasm of many D.O.C. members, and especially of Doug Coonrad '67, the editor.

Unlike the old D.O.C. Handbook of 1932, the new Trail Guide does not include recipes, songs, equipment lists, or first-aid information, topics which are covered much better by other books; it adheres mainly to what its title indicates. The format of the guide is excellent, following closely that of the Green Mountain Club's Guide Book ofthe Long Trail. The 74 miles of D.0.C.- maintained Appalachian Trail are described as a continuous system, treating the remaining 31 miles of D.O.C. trail as side trails. The D.O.C. Appalachian Trail begins at Barnard Gulf on Vermont Highway 12 and passes through Hanover, by Clark Pond, and over Smarts Mt. and Mt. Cube to Wachipauka Pond. From there it continues over Mt. Moosilauke to Kinsman Notch; the northern terminus of the D.O.C. section of Appalachian Trail. All trails on Smarts Mt., Holt's Ledge, and Mt. Moosilauke are described.

The book contains 14 maps and 13 altitude and mileage charts. Neither the maps nor the charts are pullouts, but are neatly contained in the book itself. The contour interval on the maps (drawn by Terry Hess '69 under the supervision of Prof. Van English of the Geography Department) is 100 feet. The trail mileages were remeasured for the guidebook to the nearest .1 mile. Thin and pocket-sized, it can easily be carried in a shirt pocket; and its sewn binding will stand considerable abuse.

The D.O.C. Trail Guide is invaluable to anyone using the D.O.C. trails, which take many confusing turns as they traverse the Vermont and New Hampshire countryside. As the D.O.C. advertises, "You'll be lost without it."