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Campus Life - Letters from Dartmouth College
The Dartmouth Skiway
By Yoko Kubo
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スキーの授業があるダートマス大学
1年のほとんどが冬のような気候で、雪が数メートル積もることも珍しくないダートマス大学は、キャンパスからバスで20分ほどのところにスキー場を持っています。それが "The Dartmouth Skiway" なのですが、冬学期にはここを使って、スキーやスノーボードといった雪国ならではの体育のクラスが開講されます。
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初級者から上級者まで全30コースあるダートマス大学のスキー場
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I have the tendency to hibernate during winter terms: I remain indoors and only when it is absolutely necessary (to go to classes and to eat) do I venture out, wrapped up so much that I look like a snowman and taking as short a route to my destination as possible.
This term, however, I resolved to look at the positive side of studying at a college where it is winter for most of the year: I decided to take skiing classes for P.E. (physical education) credit. In fact, it would be a waste if I didn't make the most of the meter-thick layer of snow covering the entire campus, since it is in winter that Dartmouth has the best P.E. options, offering classes in snowboarding, skiing (downhill, cross-country and telemark), ice-skating and ice hockey among other things.
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ダートマス出身の五輪出場選手についてのパネルが展示された、スキーロッジ内の "Wall of Fame"
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So that is how I recently found myself waiting to have my first skiing lesson on the college's own ski slopes. Located a convenient 20-minute bus ride away from campus, the Dartmouth Skiway consists of two mountains: Mt. Winslow and Holt's Ledge. While not nearly as grand as some of the surrounding ski resorts, which draw tourists from all over the country, its relatively small size gives it a cozy feel, and it has the advantage of being perennially crowd-free. On top of that, the Skiway is also used as a training ground for past and present U.S. Olympic ski teams, and although the Skiway is open to the public, Dartmouth students get heavy discounts on lift passes and renting full equipment.
The P.E. instructors are Dartmouth students who are all proficient skiers. Having skied before, I was put into the intermediate group with three other students and three instructors to coach us. Things did not get off to a very good start. First of all, I couldn't get my skis on, which I later found out was due to the college having given me different-sized boots for each foot.
At first glance, the skiing conditions were fantastic - beautiful powdered snow and a sunny, blue sky - but the wind-chill temperature that day was minus 42 degrees Celsius, which says nothing about the temperature at the top of the mountain. By the time I was halfway up the mountain, my whole body was frozen stiff and I could no longer feel the muscles in my face. But the skiing itself was fun. The slopes were almost deserted, which was not surprising considering the extreme cold, but that did mean that there was less chance of me colliding with someone!
After 30 minutes out on the slopes, the three other students in my group decided that they couldn't take the biting cold any longer, and they took an early bus home. I decided to brave it out for a bit longer with my three instructors, but after two more rounds or so, we too gave up and decided to call it a day. It was a relief to get back into the Dartmouth Ski Lodge, where I met up with my friend who had taken a beginner course.
We spent the next hour thawing out, drinking hot chocolate and eating a warm, hearty lunch at the college-run dining facility. After the cold and the strenuous exercise, everything tasted delicious. In fact, we were so engrossed in our food that we forgot the time and missed the bus back to campus - a final blow to my already eventful morning. Rather than wait the two and a half hours until the afternoon bus arrived, we decided to take a taxi home that day.
Despite my less-than-perfect first ski lesson at the Skiway, I realize how fortunate I am to have the luxury of being able to ski on a weekday morning when most other people are either at work or in class, let alone being able to ski on a university campus at all. So I plan to make the most of this winter, although maybe next time, a woolly hat and an extra pair of long underwear might help!
Shukan ST: Feb. 28, 2003
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