On Oct. 6, thirty-three Dartmouth students completed the Dartmouth Outing Club Fifty, a roughly 54 mile hike from Moosilauke Ravine Lodge to campus. Nine teams of four participated in the biannual hike, and at least one student from every team finished, according to co-director Chloe Buschmann ’27.
Around 30 teams applied to hike this term and over 400 people volunteered to support the hikers, according to Buschmann. Teams were chosen by both a point and lottery system, with teams with members who had previously supported the Fifty having a higher chance of being chosen, Josephine Conley ’27 said.
Hiker and former director Kenna Franzblau ’26 said the Fifty was an “incredible experience.”
“I think it’s something that we’ve all wanted to do since freshman year,” Franzblau said. “We've always known about it, and I think it’s like the most climactic thing to do in your senior fall in my humble opinion.”
Buschmann said that the Fifty was a “really fun tradition” and a “success” for all hikers who participated.
“The fact that just everyone started the Fifty and had a good time and there were so many smiles, is what I think makes it a success,” Buschmann said.
Hikers were assisted by seven support stations that offered food, water, medical care and moral support. Each station was about nine miles apart and teams had about 20 minutes at the stations to receive necessary supplies and aid, according to Franzblau.
Supporter Colleen Bailey ’28 shared how stations had about three “safety leaders” who would bandage injuries and tape up blisters while also conducting a “mental check” to ensure hikers could continue on the Fifty.
Support stations also had “sweepers” who would walk along the trail 30 minutes after the last team had left their station to check that all hikers had made it to the next station and that nothing was left behind on the trail, Bailey said. The hiking teams carried satellite phones to contact support staff in case of an emergency.
Hiker Ava Rosenbaum ’26, whose team set a record with a 24 hour 58 minute finish, described the last 20 miles of the hike as a “really painful” but “cool” experience.
“It was really cool, and everyone supporting was really amazing,” Rosenbaum said. “It was nice to see familiar faces, and so I’m really grateful for all those people that were bandaging up our feet and making us food.”
Benna McDermott ’26 said that the support stations were a “highlight” of her experience.
“I think just knowing that there were friends, food and fun vibes every nine miles really got us through,” McDermott said. “I just think it’s a really awesome Dartmouth tradition, and everyone was genuinely just so excited and supportive the whole time.”
Ski way support station captain Nico Ludkowski ’26, who hiked the Fifty his sophomore summer, said he “wanted to keep giving back to” the tradition.
“I think it’s just such an awesome event that is so uniquely Dartmouth, and there’s really not much else like it,” Ludkowski said.
