Wind in my face, the crunch of ice and the sun on my back — what better way to spend a Saturday morning? Last weekend, I teetered precariously on my rental figure skates across Lake Morey as couples, children and even dogs zoomed past me. Without the edge of an ice rink, which I would normally cling to, I resorted to squeezing my friend’s hand for the entire hour and a half spent on the frozen lake. Despite my lack of skill, I managed to remain upright and enjoy the crisp air and wintry views. As I skated along the three-mile track, I understood why so many Dartmouth students brave the cold for this activity — skating outside was an experience like no other.
If I, as a first-time outdoor skater, found the experience delightful, I was curious to see what the wider Dartmouth community had to say about wild skating, or skating on naturally formed ice. One such wild skating enthusiast, Liam Coughlin ’25, told me he has been skating outdoors for nearly 20 years.
“When I was a young kid, pretty much every winter the small [pond] behind my house would freeze over at some point, so my family and I would go out and skate on it,” he said. “Sometimes I’d even invite some of my hockey teammates to come out, and we’d play pond hockey.”
Growing up in Amherst, Mass., gave Coughlin a deep appreciation for wintertime sports — an appreciation he carried with him to Hanover, where he was “excited to do all the different winter activities” that the College had to offer. During his freshman winter, Coughlin even took on the challenge of skating from Dartmouth’s Ledyard docks to Lyme on the frozen-over Connecticut River.
“I walked down to the Ledyard clubhouse, laced up my skates and just went off,” Coughlin said. “I skated from the Ledyard docks up to the bridge that connects Thetford, Vt., and Lyme, N.H., which is about 11 miles each way. It took me about three hours. The ice was really nice and smooth that day, so it was just incredible.”
Coughlin is not the only student who grew up skating. Alannah McShine ’25, who has similarly been lacing up since childhood, joined her hometown’s synchronized skating team — a sport in which 16 skaters create “shapes and patterns on the ice” in perfect unison.
In college, the Lexington, Mass., native sought out a similar environment by joining Dartmouth’s figure skating team, though she also appreciates more laid back time on the ice — such as casually skating with her teammates.
“Outdoor skating is a great hobby for me, like an offshoot of [competitive] skating,” McShine said. “When I skate outside it’s more for leisure, fun and getting aesthetic photos.”
You don’t have to medal in nationals like McShine to enjoy outdoor skating; it’s just as accessible to the everyday skater. Carolina Escribano Caceres ’25 said she enjoys skating in her free time because it takes her back to her childhood in the Netherlands.
“Growing up, when I was in primary school, after school I would go skating for 30 minutes outside my house and drink hot cocoa after,” Escribano Caceres said.
Skating, particularly “speed skating,” is a popular pastime in the Netherlands, according to Escribano Caceres. When she was growing up, Escribano Caceres and her friends would put on their speed skates and whiz across the ice, down the frozen canals in her neighborhood.
At Dartmouth, Escribano Caceres said she usually skates indoors on hockey skates as part of the field hockey team’s intramural ice hockey team. However, she returned to her roots — and checked off a bucket-list item in the process — several weeks ago, when she visited the Lake Morey trail for the first time.
Escribano Caceres completed the lake’s three-mile loop in 30 minutes, even though she said it takes most skaters about an hour to finish. While it is important to appreciate the lake’s stunning scenery, Escribano Caceres advised beginner-level skaters to look down every once in a while “because if you don’t, you could catch a blade and fall.”
“You have to pay attention to where you’re going because of the cracks and bumps,” she explained. “You can’t really go as fast [as on an ice rink], but if you know how to skate, it’s decently fine.”
For anyone wishing to experience outdoor skating for the first time, Coughlin recommends going with a friend or two and avoiding moving bodies of water.
“If you’re trying to go outdoor skating for the first time, skating on rivers or significant moving water is really not advised unless you know what you’re doing,” he said.“You really should go with someone else because in an emergency, it’s best to have [another person].”
McShine also advised skaters to abide by authorities and resort experts, who “have websites that will tell you if it’s safe enough” to skate. She added that at Dartmouth, the Dartmouth Outing Club will report whether the ice is thick enough at Occom Pond.
While it is crucial to stay alert, Escribano Caceres suggests not to dwell on worst-case scenarios, as fear can hold you back. Beginners should skate as often as possible in order to overcome anxieties about falling, she added.
“Honestly, just try skating as much as you can,” Escribano Caceres said. “You’re not going to learn how to skate until you actually do it. …The fear of falling prohibits people from getting better, but if you take the plunge, you become a lot better faster.”
Despite the occasional slip or fall, the skaters I interviewed consistently emphasized the “magic” of outdoor skating, far more than any of its drawbacks. Below-freezing temperatures, little to no snow — to ensure a smooth skating experience — and enough time for a foot of ice to accumulate is a tall order for Mother Nature. Still, somehow it all comes together in New Hampshire. For Coughlin, this confluence of factors provides the sport with a transcendent quality.
“It’s magical because it feels like this connection between the forces of nature and the magic of winter [creating] the most incredible sensation,” he said. “It truly feels like you’re flying.”
McShine expressed a similar sentiment, adding that “there’s just something magical about the natural ice” compared to an indoor rink. In my experience, the rarity, imperfections and serendipitous creation of the ice make outdoor skating inexplicably unique.
Although I counted myself lucky for having stayed on my feet, perhaps I could have gained confidence and improved if I had simply landed on the ice a few times. Maybe next time, I’ll work up the courage to release my friend’s arm and glide across the lake on my own. After all, the magic may only come once you let go.
