(Dartmouth football Coach Buddy) Teevens has long regretted that he didn’t go hiking or fishing or kayaking on one of the college’s famed DOC trips when he was a Dartmouth freshman.
Because of that he has made a point in recent years of supporting players who wanted to join their classmates out in the wilds.
With the change in the academic calendar this fall Teevens wasn’t as comfortable freeing up his freshmen this year.
In place of freshman trips Teevens planned a surprise for the players on Sunday afternoon.
“I didn’t tell them where they were going,” he said. “I cautioned them. I said, ‘Is anybody afraid of horses? Is anybody afraid of heights? Who didn’t pass the swimming test? Does anybody know CPR and first aid?’ "
And then he carted them off to the Dartmouth Skiway where they had photos taken at the Appalachian Trail, hiked to the top of the mountain, learned a little about the outdoor history of the college from Put Blodgett ’53 and Dan Freihofer ’80, and enjoyed a “steak feed” back at the base of the mountain.
“We had pictures taken up top,” Teevens said. “It was fascinating to see the guys saying, ‘Coach this is unbelievable. I couldn’t believe the view.
“Others were, ‘My legs are killing me,’ after hiking. We got kind of a mixed bag. It was a nice entrée to Dartmouth outdoors. A beautiful day, sunny, clear skies and everything else.”
A few photos from the excursion (click to supersize):
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| At the Appalachian Trail, which winds from campus to the Dartmouth Skiway. |
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| At the top. |
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| Teevens leads the way on the "Lyme Drop." |
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| Learning the history of the Skiway, the DOC and Freshman Trips |
