First Annual Class of 1965 Winter Trip to Bunkhouse

Dan Nelson, Director of Dartmouth Outdoor Programs guided the First Annual Class of 1965 winter trip to the ’65 Bunkhouse February 28 – March 1, 2017.  Two days of winter mountain hiking and skiing were followed by evenings in the ’65 Bunkhouse enjoying the warm camaraderie around the glowing stoves that keep inside temperatures in the 70’s while outside the winter in the White Mountains gave the group 2-4 feet of snow and temperatures in the teens. 

Left to right Hank Amon, Mike Gonnerman, Dave Beattie, Bill Young, Dan Nelson 

Dave and Hank on the trail 

DOC Winter Programs at ’65 Bunkhouse

’65 Bunkhouse Galley Stocked and Ready for Winter 2015-16 — November 20, 2015

Letter from Dan Nelson, Director of Dartmouth Outdoor Programs:

Dear DOC students, alumni and friends:

I’m writing to let you know about a series of winter weekend programs we are planning at the beautiful new (heated and insulated!) Class of 1965 Bunkhouse at Mount Moosilauke.   Led by Outdoor Programs staff and DOC leaders, some of these programs will be specifically instructional and will focus on specific winter-travel skills.  Others will be more independent, with the leader managing the facility and leading optional outings but with participants having the option to explore on their own.  The participation fee includes overnight accommodations at the ’65 bunkhouse, meals, and any related instruction.   Participants will be responsible for their own equipment (many items available at Dartmouth Outdoor Rentals), snacks, and for getting themselves and their gear to the bunkhouse (which will probably require a ski or snowshoe up the Ravine Lodge access road from the main road) — unless other arrangements are made in connection with the specific program.  Please call 603-646-0351 to make a reservation or to contact the trip leader for more information.  A suggested equipment list will be provided to participants.  The costs are:  Students $75 (DOC financial aid available); Dartmouth Employees and Alumni $150; others $200.  Maximum group size is 10 (including leaders)

Programs

• Welcome Winter:  December 18-20 (Dan Nelson, leader)

• Pray for snow and plan to ski or snowshoe that Friday afternoon from the parking area on Rt. 118 to the ’65 Bunkhouse, arriving in time for dinner.  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.

• 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.  Costs are as listed above.  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)

• Snowshoeing or early spring hiking, depending on weather and snow conditions.

Dedication June 11, 2015

On “Dartmouth’s Mountain,” Alumni Open New Class of 1965 Bunkhouse

The night before his 50th Dartmouth Reunion, Roger Hansen ’65, president of the Class of 1965, was sweeping floors and cleaning the windows of a bunkhouse at the foot of Mt. Moosilauke, at the edge of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Hansen, and many others, wanted to be sure the brand new cabin, which can accommodate 26 people, sparkled for its dedication on June 11, 2015. View photos.

“It’s been a real hands-on effort and a marvelous display of goodwill from so many people,” says Hansen, of Keene, NH, who also worked on the joinery of the post and beam building.

The project was a coming together of alumni, students, other volunteers who spent a collective 3,950 working hours on the structure. David Hooke ’84 of Vershire, VT, led two free timber-framing workshops as part of the “barn raising” aspect of the construction.

The new Class of 1965 Bunkhouse was dedicated on June 11, 2015.

Classmate Dave Beattie ’65, of Eliot, ME, a former commander of a U.S. Navy submarine, worked for about five weeks at the construction site. He spent his nights in a sleeping bag in a nearby cabin.

“Dave gets up when the sun goes up, he works on the cabin, and then he has breakfast,” said Stuart Keiller ’65, the bunkhouse project manager.

Though the cabin has been under construction since September 2014, the interior smells as if the wood was cut just yesterday. The white pine is from College-owned property in Corinth, VT, and the patio is made from granite from Dartmouth’s old Bradley Gerry building. A striking piece of bronze artwork by Dimitri Gerakaris ’69 greets visitors from the main entrance, and there’s a beautiful view of Mount Moosilauke from many vantage points.

Dimitri Gerakaris ’69 created this bronze sculpture specifically for the cabin.

The origins of the project go back to July of 2013, when ‘65s gathered for a mini-reunion at Dartmouth to celebrate their 70th birthdays. It was then that they decided to embark on the ambitious project. Within the next year, 11 lead donors committed, and along with 127 other alumni they raised $450,000 and an additional $100,000 for an endowment to maintain the bunkhouse.

The new building stands only about 100 feet from the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, built in 1938. Additional, newer cabins have sprung up in those 77 years of the lodge’s existence, and now there are five bunkhouses for guests, and a crew cabin for student employees. Many alumni fondly recall their time at Moosilauke during Dartmouth Outing Club orientation “Trips” for incoming students.

At the dedication ceremony, held on the lawn in front of the Bunkhouse, Keiller, of Stevensville, MD, recalled his own freshman year, 54 years ago, and he thanked alumni from around the world for being there that day. It was here that Keiller and David Mulliken ’65 of Honolulu, Hawaii reunited for the first time in 50 years.

The interior of the cabin.

“Classmates—you stepped up to make this possible,” he said. “This is a living legacy, for men and women of Dartmouth. At our Convocation, Dartmouth President John Sloan Dickey reminded us to go out in the world, and Dartmouth will be with us all the way. Well, you were with me all the way.”

The cabin is insulated and includes two new wood stoves, making it Dartmouth’s only winterized residence at Moosilauke. Dan Nelson ’75, director of Outdoor Programs, said, “What this beautiful building does for our program is it welcomes students and others to Dartmouth’s mountain. It provides hospitality—a hearth and a heart.”

Martha Beattie ’76, vice president for alumni relations, said, “President Hanlon speaks of the incredible sense of place and adventuresome spirit instilled in Dartmouth alumni. This gift supports and ensures that these qualities will continue in generations of students to come.  My heartfelt admiration and thanks go out to all of you. We’re delighted to welcome you home for your 50th Reunion.”

After the ceremony, alumni walked through the building, most seeing it for the first time. “It’s magnificent,” said George Brannen ’65 of Woodinville, WA, as he gazed out at Mount Moosilauke, noting that it was his first trip to the mountain since he was a freshman. “I may just have to come back to go cross-country skiing in the winter.”

By Steve Smith

July 23, 2015

Letter from Dan Nelson, Director of Outdoor Activities, on first reaction to the Class of 1965 Bunkhouse. 

July 23, 205

Dear Class of ’65:

I’ve made several trips to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge since the grand occasion of the dedication of the new ’65 bunkhouse.   Every time I visit, I make a point to walk through the bunkhouse ‹ partly to admire it, and partly to ask the guests who are staying there what there impressions and experiences have been.  I’ve heard universal enthusiasm for the bunkhouse’s beauty, atmosphere, functionality, comfort and craftsmanship ‹ and deep appreciation for the generosity of the Class and the commitment of the volunteers who made it possible.

Users really appreciate the privacy of the curtained-off bunkrooms, the conviviality of the social space, the way the sun comes through the windows, the wood stoves on cool evenings, the beautiful ski sculpture, and the fantastic views of the mountain from the porch and the deck.

Children especially love the ladders and the upper bunks.  The deck has been a favorite relaxing space for our summer trail crew, living in adjacent McKenney bunkhouse, when guests aren¹t using it.  And the trail crew volunteered to stain the woodshed to match the bunkhouse.   People also comment on the convenience and appearance of the ³bridge² connecting the bunkhouse to the Lodge.   This winter, when we use the bunkhouse for some staffed winter programs and workshops, the insulation, cooking space, stoves and bathroom will be especially appreciated.

A few days ago, I had a chance to join some members of the Class of ’67 at the Lodge.  We took a tour, had lunch, and visited the site of current Benton Bunkhouse, where their class is interested in building a replacement.  After admiring what you all accomplished with the ’65 Bunkhouse, they left feeling especially inspired!  Thank you very much for this wonderful gift to the College that will do so much to enhance the experience at Moosilauke for students, alumni and friends for many generations to come.  It has been a real privilege to work with the Class leadership and Building Committee, so join some of you on the Moosilauke hike prior to the dedication, and to participate in the luncheon with the Class and with President Hanlon.

Because you are ‘still on the road,’ please visit the Ravine Lodge often and spend the night in your bunkhouse!   If you enjoyed your participation in the timber-framing workshop, or if you are sorry you missed it, you can sign up to join us again this fall for the Class of ’66 workshop and subsequent volunteer work weekends.  Just let me know and I¹ll send you the information.  And if you are interested in more information about the ongoing Ravine Lodge project, you can find it at this website:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~opdc/projects/moosilauke_ravine_lodge.html

Best wishes,

Dan

Daniel M. Nelson ‘75, Director Dartmouth Outdoor Programs

115 Robinson Hall

PO Box 9

Hanover, NH  03755

603-646-2356 (office)

603-646-1444 (fax)

Daniel.Nelson@Dartmouth.edu

 

Click below for great videos showing the construction of the Class of 1965 Bunkhouse. 

 Framing the ’65 Bunkhouse

Building the ’65 Bunkhouse

Story of ’65 Bunkhouse construction in photographs

’65 Bunkhouse Song

 

Class of 1965 Bunkhouse Weather Tight

November 25, 2014

The ’65 Bunkhouse is weather tight and tucked-in for the Winter.  The framing week described below was followed-up by two months of hard work by a dedicated crew. The  insulated raised-seam metal roof was installed.  Stringers were laid over the slab and the pine floor boards installed. The frame was wrapped with two layers of siding  that sandwich  high-tech paneled insulation.   Windows and doors completed the process of yielding the structure weather tight.

The ’65 Bunkhouse is eighty percent complete.  Remaining work includes build-out of interior walls and bunks, installation of the wood stoves and bathroom facility, and completion of the screen porch.  All will be completed in April and May well ahead of our June 11, 2015 dedication.  (We have ten bunks reserved by classmates for night of June 11 and expect a full house).

Frame-up – Tree-up

Framing Week – September 10-15, 2014

It is with great pleasure that I can report a very successful framing-week at Mount Moosilauke culminating with the topping-out ceremonial tree by David Beattie ’65 on September 15.  The entire week was a demonstration of teamwork in the true sense of the word.  Tim McNamara ‘78 of Dartmouth’s real estate office had the site and slab prepared.  David Hooke ‘84 of TimberHomes prepared the framing material and provided an outstanding team of craftsman to lead and teach the volunteer crew of over thirty-five. David’s professionals were both expert at their craft and wonderful patient teachers.   The camaraderie, sense of purpose, and love of Dartmouth and the outdoors made for a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all.

The Class of 1965 full-time volunteers spent six days working from virtually dawn-to-dusk fabricating the beams and raising the structure on the last two days. Lead by Dave Beattie, Shep Curtis and Jack Nobel did yeomen work with hand chisels, saws, and augers notching and cutting the intricate joiner fittings that often numbered six or more on a single 8’ x 10” beam. They were ably assisted by wives Susan, Joy, and Pat respectively, who became experts in chiseling, peg making, and oiling.

The full-time ‘65’s were joined for shorter work periods by Hank Amon, Mike Gonnerman, Kris Green, Jim and Debbie Griffiths, Roger Hansen, Stu Keiller, and Stuart Russell.  The work crew and Betsy Gonnerman, Diane Keiller, and Allen and Judy Zern  all enjoyed a celebratory dinner at Dowd’s Inn in Lyme, NH on Sunday evening.   Debbie Brown (with husband Sheridan) from the Advancement Office,  Tim McNamara ‘78, and Dan Nelson ‘75, Director of the Dartmouth Outing Club were guests of the Class of 1965 and received our well deserved thanks for all their work in support of the ’65 Bunkhouse Project.