Class of 1945

Greetings to all! As you read this, spring should be just around the corner in Hanover. But as I write this an exciting weekend is just ahead. I imagine many ’45s remember the J-bar at Oak Hill that was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, J-bars in New England. It was installed in 1935-36 and was still operating when I was a ski patrol at Dartmouth in 1976. I used to head out every couple of weeks to patrol the hill for a handful of skiers. I recently saw a photo that showed more than 50 skiers from the 1940s enjoying the hill. At some point after that Dartmouth created a cross-country ski area at Oak Hill. In the last two years there was a major construction project to create a state-of-the-art cross-country track with snowmaking and lights. This allows Dartmouth to host the NCAA ski championships, both downhill and cross-country, this coming weekend. Even more exciting, the Dartmouth ski team has had a remarkable year. The UNH Carnival served as the NCAA Eastern Regional Championships, and with yet another Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association win there, Dartmouth is the Eastern Champion for the first time since 2019. That victory was the sixth of the season, making this the first time in recent memory that Dartmouth has won all the Carnivals in a single EISA season. The team is one of incredible depth and consistency across all four disciplines, and the entire ski community is eagerly awaiting the races this weekend at the Dartmouth Skiway and at Oak Hill. Wishing the team the absolute best of luck as they pursue a national championship.

I will share a follow-up in the next issue of the magazine. Happy spring!

—Martha Johnson Beattie ’76, 6 North Balch St., Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 667-7611; mbeattie76@gmail.com