Dear DOC:

It looks like winter may finally be arriving — the Skiway opened for business this past weekend, the ice on Occom Pond will soon be thick enough for skating, and we have some snow forecast for this week and weekend.

This term’s newsletter is focused on risk management — a foundation of effective outdoor leadership — and on how to keep your toes warm in the winter.   See the notes from Morgan Haas and Rory Gawler, below.   And we hope you will join us for some of these activities:

  *   Introduction to telemark skiing.  Beginner’s afternoon clinics offered at the Dartmouth Skiway.  No charge to DOC members for transportation, lift ticket, skis, boots, poles and helmet.  Class openings still available on 2/3 and 2/15.   Contact Dan Nelson for details and to sign up.
  *   Backcountry ski and snowshoe weekend workshops at the new Class of ’65 Bunkhouse at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge.   Contact the leaders for more information and to sign up:
  *
January 23-24 (Brian Kunz and Patrick Saylor ’16 leaders)
     *   Explore Moosilauke on skis and snowshoes  January 23-24 (Brian Kunz and Patrick Saylor ‘16 – leaders)  Depart campus Saturday morning and haul supplies into the new winterized  ’65 Bunkhouse.  Then explore the trails and return to the bunkhouse for a warm evening of eating and storytelling.  Sunday we will plan for an early start to summit and return to the bunkhouse to pack up and return to campus by 5 pm.  Instruction on winter dress, winter travel and comfort.  We will travel together from Hanover in a Dartmouth van and work together to arrive at the bunkhouse with all of our equipment and food.   Contact Brian Kunz for more information.
  *
February 5-7 (Rory Gawler, leader)
     *   Plan to ski or snowshoe that Friday afternoon from the parking area on Rt. 118 to the ’65 Bunkhouse, arriving in time for a delicious dinner cooked by camp chef extraordinaire Rory Gawler '05.  After dinner we’ll make sure that everyone has the appropriate gear for the conditions and the next day’s outings, which could include ski touring, snowshoeing or winter hiking, depending on conditions.  After breakfast on Saturday we’ll head out on the mountain, either in one group or several, depending on interests. Instruction in backcountry ski touring and snowshoeing available, if snow conditions permit.  Story-telling and relaxing around the wood stoves in the bunkhouse Saturday afternoon and evening.   After breakfast on Sunday, head out for another adventure or enjoy cabin life.   Departure after lunch on Sunday.
March (date TBD):  (Morgan Haas, leader)
  *   Fat-Tire Biking is now allowed on the Oak Hill Nordic ski trails, when conditions permit.   See this webpage for general information about the policy and for general information about xc skiing, skating, and equipment rentals:  http://outdoors.dartmouth.edu/services/xc_ski_center.html
  *   Grant Winter Weekend is Feb. 19-21:  Guided tours and instruction in snowshoeing, xc ski touring, camp craft skills and dog-sledding.   Contact Katie Yu ’16.
  *   The spring break Groulx Mountain adventure is March 17-26:  Camp in a heated prospector’s tent and explore the Groulx mountains on skis and snowshoes.  Contact Brian Kunz.
  *   And remember that outdoor financial aid is available to DOC members who are Dartmouth financial-aid eligible.  Contact Kathy Decato in the OPO office for more information and to sign up.

—Dan Nelson

Notes on winter activity risk management from Morgan Haas:

Welcome back, everyone! With winter very slowly approaching, comes an emphasis on risk management. More than ever, it is important to make certain all participants have adequate gear prior to going out on a trip. Along with checking gear, the pre-trip and safety briefings need to be thorough and complete. Tackle those few tasks and you’re already minimizing so much risk as a leader!
  One of the projects OPO is trying to complete this year is creating a leader field manual for each sub club. We really want to lockdown some consistent leader training procedures and responsibilities. We also want to look at creating procedures for environmental and activity hazards. Creating consistency & fluidity in the leader community and managing risk are our main goals. During this term, I will be working with chairs to help create field manuals for their clubs. Each field manual will be a tangible resource for leaders to access training guidelines, responsibilities, club policies and procedures, and how to deal with potential activity & environmental hazards in the field. It’s assumed that most clubs already possess these components but let’s brainstorm and put them into a field-friendly manual!
— Morgan

Tips on winter footwear from Rory “Hot Foot” Gawler:

Welcome to Winter!

This is a special time for the DOC. As you'll notice, the organization's logo consists of crossed skis and snowshoes. The main impetus for its founding was to help people enjoy this most spectacular of seasons. Indeed, we often posit that it is impossible to be truly happy in the winter unless you get outside!

Winter does have its challenges though. Staying warm and dry is a skill and an art, but it is not beyond anyone. I'd like to take a moment to address one of the more important parts of this art: footwear.

Good socks and boots are essential to winter happiness. It can be tempting to think that your summer hiking boots will be sufficient and in some cases, they may be. Consider the following: are they truly water-resistant? If the outdoor temperature is hovering in the 30s, you will undoubtedly be exposed to significant wetness. This is the surest way to be unhappy.

If you're lucky and it's colder, is there room in your boots to wear insulating socks? One of the most common mistakes of winter adventurers is thinking that simply wearing thick socks or multiple pairs of socks will make their feet warmer. If your boots fit comfortably with thin summer-weight socks on, then stuffing two pairs of smartwools in there will do one thing only: cut off much-needed circulation. This is a quick trip to cold feet.

What's the solution? Couple things:

- Get good boots. There are myriad options, but a little googling should suffice. Insulation, water-resistance and traction are important, as is good fit (but remember to leave room for thick socks or multiple pairs of thinner socks).

- Borrow some comfy winter boots from someone else. Fit is not quite as important as with summer boots as those thick socks you're wearing will help cushion. Do watch out for blisters still, and use tape and moleskin to address hotspots.

- Borrow some larger hiking boots from a friend. As long as they're waterproofed and have room for some thick wool socks, you should be fine.

- Properly fitting and adjusted gaiters are magic. They keep snow out of your boot tops and provide significant additional warmth.

- If you're going on an official outing with the DOC, DOR has a couple options. Mukluks are great for cold weather (they're not waterproof, but if it's cold, won't matter) and snowshoeing in moderate terrain. They won't be comfortable for steep terrain or crampons). We have plastic mountaineering boots which are great for serious terrain and make your feet virtually invincible. They are heavy and inflexible and are overkill for moderate trips. For everything else, we have overboots that while a little clunky, are actually surprisingly comfortable and fit over anything. I wore them over a pair of running shoes in deep snow and was quite comfy. Try them out. Bring some on your trip.

Here's some additional resources for winter<http://doc.dartmouth.edu/wiki/Winter_Tips>. Check them out, and as always, come see us here in OPO if you have questions!
—Rory

Stay warm and safe out there!

The OPO Staff

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