Dartmouth in Vermont

When you get to Hanover next September, you will be absolutely overwhelmed by the number of great people you will meet in the first few weeks. After four years at a small high school, I know I sure was.

There are three people you must meet and befriend. Bring them cookies, do their laundry, and, heck, shower them with incessant flattery if it helps. What makes these three people special is the place they call home: The River Ranch. It’s an off-campus pad that, in the words of Ferris Bueller, is “so choice.” (For some great insight into off-campus housing in general, scroll down to hear from Chelsea.) What makes the River Ranch special is not that it lies across the Connecticut River in Vermont, but that it hovers directly above this river - 40 feet above.

Or maybe it’s 45. The more jumps you take off of it into the water, the higher you tell people it is.

To experience the River Ranch Plunge, run off the flat roof and you’ll find your arms and legs flailing uncontrollably as your body gets confused while it keeps waiting for the ground. Make sure you tuck all those appendages in before you hit the water and don’t forget the compulsory fist pump and huge smile when your head resurfaces. I've been fortunate to know the kids living there this year, especially one in particular (let’s call him “Richie”), who shares my love of this daredevil way to get wet.

This past fall, Richie and I embarked on a mission of epic hype and mediocre action. We talked about jumping off the River Ranch during each and every month of the year. So far, we have September and October. I did admit it was a mediocre performance, but how can you blame us? We weren't going to break a hole in the ice during the winter and try to jump through it. We did seriously consider taking the plunge on March 30th, although the sight of the occasional ice chunk floating down the river taunting us eventually forced us to back off.

But April will be ours!

As exciting as that will be, the real fun will come in late May when the water warms up to a comfortable level. We're planning on hosting the first (and probably last) Annual River Ranch Slam Dunk Contest, presented by Diet Caffeine-Free Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper with a Hint of Lime.com. A Little Tikes plastic basketball hoop will be held floating out in the river and contestants will jump off the roof with a basketball. The hoop will be far enough away from the landing zone that it won't be hit, but with some good camera work, it'll look like each person is twenty feet above the net coming in for a monster jam that would make NBA Jam jealous!