Follow the White Dots

Mountain Day begins each fall as a probability. There are finite days that could be Mountain Day. The criteria are vague, a complex intermingling of favorable weather conditions and Brad’s need for a day out of the office – all we know is that the call to ascend Monadnock will ring across the quad on some fall morning. 

Each day that is not Mountain Day, the probability of the following day being Mountain Day edges just a bit higher. During a typical New England fall, the Mountain Day bookies have an easier time setting the odds because the number of candidate days are made scarce by tricky weather conditions. Problem this year, however, is that nearly every day would make for an excellent Mountain Day. It’s been gorgeous. It doesn’t rain in New England anymore. The probabilities are impossible to calculate.  So don’t even try to guess, just let it happen. 

And it happened. As students settled into their E-Block classes this past Monday, a few of their peers were entrusted with great responsibility, deputized to ring the bell and set Mountain Day into motion. 

Soon the quad was stormed by students emancipated from their classes for the day, and from there it was UP THE MOUNTAIN. 

Mountain Day is one of Dublin School’s longest running traditions. Back when Paul W. Lehmann was the boss around here, he would periodically declare the day “too beautiful to be indoors” and expedite the full school up Mount Monadnock, encouraging students to take full advantage of the school’s natural setting. 

The institution this is Mountain Day remains mostly unchanged from its first iterations. Classes are called off, and the hope is for every able member of the school community - students, faculty, even staff, to summit Monadnock. 

These days we ascend via White Dot Trail, a short but imposing path that climbs ~1,800ft over sheer granite slab in a 1.9 mile ascent. Good news is we had all day to climb. All else takes a backseat on Mountain Day. 

Part of what makes Mountain Day such a beloved tradition at Dublin is that students show up as their most joyous, goofy, and wonderful selves. Each year, students make outrageous wardrobe decisions, coordinate mountaintop spectacles, and lug various props to the summit.

This year juniors Finn F. and Quinten B. dressed as Disney princesses, schlepping a blowup mattress to the top so sleeping beauties could have their rest. Sophomore Kole W. and Logan A. entered un-ordained wedlock when Robert L. ’27 tied the knot. Lanessa K. ’27 and Sloane A. ’28, among others, showed up in troll costumes. Stanton A. ’29 broke out his alto sax and broke into a jazz number. Will S. ’27 arranged for metric tons of Moxie at the summit.

There was candy, summit exploring, and this photo of the full school: