Sophomore Summer To-Do List

By C.J. Ryan | Sunday, August 5, 2007

I am summering in Hanover. Some might say that my fraternity house is not quite on par with my posh accommodations in the Hamptons—my traditional vernal vacation spot—but the Upper Valley certainly has a lot to offer, especially in its finest season—hazy summer. From indoors to outdoors, there is never any time to be bored with a summer spent at Dartmouth.

How do I know how summer months at the College on the Hill can be best spent, you might ask? It is really quite simple—I am doing the proverbial “running it back” to a sophomore summer term; only this time, with one sophomore summer under my belt, I am a year older, a year wiser, and (eek) less than a year away from graduation.

I ask simply this of you, reader: glean what you will from my humble experiences, catalogued in these Dos and Don’ts, and not even the abundance of eager campers (which can sometimes be a good thing if you’re into that scene a la Alpha Delta: “Yo baby, I’m a brother here”), nor the shackle of your three classes, nor the torrential downpours that have been flooding the Upper Valley of late, will obstruct a summer full of Dionysian revelry.

The first crucial element of enjoying the summer is firing up an outdoor scene while staying cool with a large group of friends. And I don’t mean rocking Wayfarers on your fraternity porch while listening to jam bands. Enjoy the river. This is the only season when you can really enjoy the river, and it is the only real way to stay cool when you are not putting in face time on Berry Library’s infamous first floor. There is the swimming dock which is—if you do not know by now, then for shame—next to the bridge into Hanover; and there are more docks to explore upstream. You can take a canoe out there, dock it, and swim, or you can go for a more traditional approach: a quick trail run through Pine Park from either the southwest or south central entrances of the golf course will take you to a junction in the woods to be followed north to—you guessed it—the notorious rope swing. The ladder and jumping platform can also be reached from the river, but that would require interacting with the granola crunchers at Ledyard in order to procure a canoe for expedition purposes.

I am not exactly sure if it is hardwired into man’s primitive nature to get unspeakable pleasure from reenacting the mannerisms of his primordial ancestors by swinging from a giant rope attached to a large tree that leans over the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut, whirring past a group of your friends until you release into rather brisk freefall, but the delight it brings is absurdly X-treme—07X-treme, that is. In fact, it’s so amazing that it should be outlawed. Oops, too late; Safety and Security just cut down the rope again. But not to worry, some ambitious chaps will have another one up in no time.

To that end, plummeting into water from heights is a recurring theme for summer in general. Take it to a new level at the Copper Mines, a truly unforgettable experience that cannot be ruined by the administration’s shackles on fun—mainly because it is a bit of a hike from campus. And by hike I mean a car ride. The incredible cerulean waters of the flooded mine, an icy blue pool, look like something out of a stunning travel guide from another planet, except from a planet that is slightly grim and b-side (this is the Upper Valley after all), with a sunken car submerged in it, and menacing boulders.

The water is unbelievably deep, but obstacles like the ones just mentioned make jumping from the shore of cliffs, at anywhere from ten to sixty feet above the water, pretty perilous. Located outside of South Strafford, Vermont, what were once called the Elizabeth Mines are now part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program: a clean up for America’s most toxic sites. Be sure to shower off as soon as possible if you decide to jump off the face of these jutting cliffs; there is a reason why no animals can inhabit that area after all.

To take part in this insane adventure, take RT-132 to South Stafford. Right before entering the town of South Stafford make a sharp left until the pavement ends, then pass the first building on the right. Shortly after, take the second dirt road on the right and off-road up the hill until you reach a bush league parking lot. Follow the foot trail for less than a quarter mile up the hill and throw caution to the wind. Scratch that. Use some caution.

For a more sedate water experience, I recommend the Ledges. Here, though, you are likely to be heckled and pestered by the insufferable townie and tawny youngins’. Expect to hear the hideous sounds of New Found Glory over a boombox, or inane conversations about what Skyler did at Dakota’s boyfriend’s house last night (OMG! LOLOL ROFLMAO!). This can be a nuisance, (obvi!) but the boulders and pristine waterfalls are worth these minor troubles. Seriously. To get there, take RT-10 toward West Lebanon, making a right at the signal where the road splits in front of the Dunkin’ Donuts. Proceed through the town, take a left on Brook Road, and drive until you reach the bridge. Find a parking spot just off the road and head below the bridge to enjoy the scenic Ledges.

These should get you started, but do not explore these sights alone, which are the most popular summer spots—Mink Brook, after all, is right in our backyard (a walk down S. Main St. and right on Maple until it runs out at the Brook’s foot path). There is also the Hanover Country Club, which bears no resemblance to the club back home, though it has a scenic golf course. There is no excuse for not having a great summer even if you get a late start. When the weather is pleasant, these spots are tremendous, and on rainy days, there is always the Hood, the Nugget, and of course any fraternity basement, for those cultured few who appreciate the arts.

One thing I quickly learned last summer was this: maybe more important than where you go to have a good time is how you go and with whom. Befuddled on what I should do to occupy my time when I was not on the rugby pitch, or did not have my nose buried in a book, and without the country club from home that I sorely missed, I consulted my copy of The Official Preppy Handbook. According to The Handbook, staying outdoors and rolling deep are crucial to drawing in enjoyable prospects without the club. In order to dress the part, it looks like madras trunks with tortoise shell sunglasses for the gents, and a two piece boy cut bathing suit worn with pearls for the ladies will do the trick. Disclaimer: I might also add that I have the old school edition of The Handbook (copyright 1980), so adhering to this code is not a must, and may even be counterproductive.

But that does not mean anything goes! This is not the time for Post-Modern speculations, which was well and good sophomore winter—this, my friends, is the season of gardens, lake houses, and salt-rimmed margaritas. This is sophomore summer, where some activities and individuals are better (read: more chill) than others. Only quality people for a quality scene, and then you are ready to go. That said, be social and meet as many people as you can; most of you will be off and on sporadically next year so this is the last time for you to bond with your classmates before senior year: hang out at places—whether that is the fraternities, the sororities, the DOC house, the Ledyard Canoe Club—you ordinarily would not; ditch work for night swimming; take a road trip to the ocean or Montreal. Live life and take it in before stuffy corporate cubicles suck it out of you.

As fall draws eminently nearer, we can look to the glimmer of hope in the evening summer sky as the Dog Star rages. And as Sirius rages, so should you, seriously rage, old friend. Here’s to Sophomore Summer. Cheers.

Sophomore Summer To-Do List

Article Tools

Related Articles