Students try to hike ‘AT in a Day'
Courtesy of the DOC Several Dartmouth students spent the night in a broken-down van in Virginia, while others braved rainy weather and faced unfamiliar terrain as part of an unprecedented effort to hike the Appalachian Trail in one day on Saturday. Around 900 members and friends of the Dartmouth community covered approximately 95 percent of the 2,175-mile trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine, in 24 hours, according to Matt Dahlhausen '11, co-director of the "AT in a Day" event. Event organizers hoped to cover the entire trail, though they were pleased with the actual outcome, Dahlhausen said. The hike was planned as a central part of the Dartmouth Outing Club's centennial celebration. "It was a way to bring attention to the club and to the [Appalachian Trail]," Dahlhausen said. Saturday's hikers included current Dartmouth students, alumni and friends of the Dartmouth community. Chris O'Connell '13, who hiked Mount Moosilauke and helped organize the event, said the highlight of his experience was meeting alumni and seeing the excitement surrounding the event. "I met a woman who was an alumna, and it was the 20th anniversary of the first time she hiked this part of the trail," he said. O'Connell is a member of The Dartmouth business staff. One of the hikers was 91-year-old Henry Merrill '39, who hiked half a mile across the College campus with members of his family. Merrill said he was very involved with the Outing Club during his time as a student. "I spent all my time up here," he said.
