We met behind Robo at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and then drove out to Oak Hill, a cross-country skiing area by Storrs Pond. At this point, I realized I was wearing Tevas and was at risk of cutting my toes off in the next hour. Luckily, the first thing we did upon our arrival was strap on some serious body armor. It looked like a cross between a robot suit and the armor knights used for jousting in medieval times, and it protected my toes quite well.
There weren't many team members at this particular practice, so I got a lot of one-on-one assistance. After all of us picked out our axes (they all have names!), Woodsmen's Team captain Chris Rhoades '13 led us to a fallen tree, where we would be practicing one of the many events in which team members compete at their termly competitions the horizontal chop, or "H-chop." Apparently, some of the burlier members of competing woodsmen's teams can chop through an entire log in 45 seconds. I don't understand how this is possible.
Soon, I found myself balancing unsteadily on top of a log, sweating profusely and chopping. This is harder than it looks, and it doesn't even look easy. The axe kept slipping, and if I hadn't had those robot boots, I definitely would have lost some digits. However, the other team members were supportive and gave me some tips on my technique. My arms gave out after about 15 minutes, but I made a solid dent in the tree in that time, so I felt relatively successful.
We then moved on to the fire build, an event in which two members of each team are given a log, a knife, an axe and three matches. With this, they race to build a fire and boil a can of water in the fastest time. In some competitions, teams even race through the woods with the materials before they build the fire. I wasn't horrible at the fire build, but I doubt I'll be asked to come back and compete anytime soon.
Spending time with members of the Woodsmen's Team was a lot like spending time with my friends back home, and it was refreshing to step off campus and forget about the constant bustling that is pervasive at Dartmouth.
After the fire build, we sat and discussed the events that make up a typical woodsmen's competition, which range from the H-chop and fire build to various sawing events and a pole climb. Rhoades and the other members all said that the team is a great way to get outside and learn useful skills with serious practical applications. I was actually considering going to another practice this week, but I changed my mind when my arms were so sore that I couldn't move without cringing for the next three days.
When I returned to campus, I went to the career fair. Don't worry, I changed out of my flannel first.
I didn't have time to shower, however, and I can guarantee all those representatives of the real world were wondering why they were smelling a campfire in the Top of the Hop. After 10 minutes of collecting free pens and avoiding eye contact, I realized that I was much more out of my comfort zone at the career fair than I had been with the woodsmen's team.
My conclusion? The real world isn't for me, but at least now I know how to use an axe! I'm sure my parents will be thrilled when they hear my new plan: move home after college, chop trees, shoot targets and never again have to Google the difference between business and business casual.
