When I first strapped on the twenty pound backpack, I did not know what to expect. In fact, I was intimidated by the thought of spending three to four days with a group of people that I was not familiar with. But Jack and Frances quickly assuaged my fears.
J34 was an interesting amalgamation of people from around the United States. I was from Texas, there was someone from Maryland, California, South Carolina and even as far as Washington State. I took pleasure in the fact that we were a group of people very much unlike each other-- and in normal circumstances, I'm not sure we would have become as close friends as we did.
Along the trip (which was a hiking trip which covered twenty miles over the course of three days), we played a continuous game of contact. We cracked jokes and told stories, we loosened up.
On the first night of our trip we turned up at a cabin situated on the banks of a small lake. It was a single room cabin with a long table, multiple beds, an outdated stove, and an outhouse. The first day was spent swimming and canoeing, and of course, eating. Along with dinner (fajitas), we began to open up with each other, as we wrote down the answers to certain questions asked by Frances on a white blanket. What's your name? Where are you from? What's your favorite color? Your favorite food? How many siblings do you have? What's your favorite quote? As we sat by the light of our flashlights, we revealed small details about ourselves.
The following morning we were raided by members of the Vox Crew as they were dressed up strangely in onsies. They brought muffins and other delicious eatables and read to us "All the Places You'll Go", but alum, Theodor Geisel. Only at Dartmouth.
The purpose of our hike was to reach the summit of Mount Moosilauke. And although the 'Moderate' hiking trip proved to be more than just moderate, the trip was definitely worthwhile. On the following night we stayed at another cabin-- and late into the night we occupied ourselves by telling each other our scariest ghost stories. Huddled together for warmth, the tenseness in the room after we told our tales was almost hilarious in retrospect.
It was on the following day that we summited Mount Moosilauke. It was the most gorgeous sight that I ever witnessed. As the wind blew strongly, we all grouped around a rock, and had nutella, peanut butter and jam on tortillas for lunch. From then on, we hiked down the mountain, which was surprisingly refreshing, until we reached the eagerly anticipated Lodge.
