January 26

Photo: Katie Fellows, Henry McKenna, Haley Preston, and Wiley Duchin look on as Lindsay Yost explains how to use a backpacking stove.

The expected awkwardness of a first encounter with 50 new people did not apply to RMS XX. As one student after another nervously approached the airport meeting spot, each was greeted by Cooper and a handful of students eager to introduce themselves and get this long-anticipated journey underway. Some may say the ice broke fast. I say there was no ice to break. It was impossible not to notice the immediate chemistry of the group, as three vans full of strangers ascended towards Leadville with conversation, jokes, and laughter. Upon arrival at HMI we were introduced to the self-sufficient atmosphere in which we will spend four months. We were informed of our cabin assignments but soon found that the trails leading to all the cabins were dubious at best. So, our first task was shoveling. After making clear trails and unpacking, we headed to Who’s Hall for our first dinner (amazing baked ziti). All were tired, but before retiring to our beds, the group went to the ceremonial “Yurt” for a first night ritual. The day ended with a passing of the “power object” (a rock with a significant historical significance for the RMS). In a circle, we passed the rock around and began sharing our expectations and fears for the semester.

On Thursday morning, all the students woke up after their first night of sleep at the RMS. What followed was our first AMX (morning exercise), which consisted of a short walk down the street through the chilly, yet beautiful, mountain sunrise. There were many other firsts that morning: our first breakfast, our first advisor meetings, and for some, the first time seeing the campus in daylight (a marvelous sight). The rest of the day was focused on orientation to the RMS. First, we learned the school rules and expectations. Later, we met with our classes and were introduced to our teachers. Many students seemed to be intimidated by the amount of work that is expected to be done over the coming expedition, and the classes also served as a reminder that RMS really is a school. Most importantly, though, is that we got to know our teachers and got an idea of what our classes will be like. Even though the academic expectations may be a bit intimidating, the teachers also make it clear that they want to work really hard to help us all be successful. The evening ended with a campfire hosted by Molly, the head of school, during which we, literally and metaphorically, burned our expectations about the semester.

Friday began with our first day or chores (way more fun than they sound) and more class introductions. We had our first community meeting to talk about how the RMS gives us a “clean slate,” letting us decide who and how we want to be in our new community. After the meeting, we started our expedition preparations, first by finding out who was in our group. We started learning everything wed need to know for the expedition which will include about 35 miles of hiking over 13 days, through Grand Gulch and other canyons in Utah. Classes consisted mostly of important backcountry skills: how to read our topographical maps, how to keep our feet warm, and how to find enough water in the Utah desert. We then completed a variety of tasks - collecting and checking our personal gear and distributing other group gear essentials. That night we went on a short walk near Turquoise Lake - a nice break from the hectic first few days and a fun way to become better acquainted with our new home for a few months. Saturday, we continued prepping for our expedition. After AMX (ultimate Frisbee with soccer balls and a football) and breakfast, we learned how to use whisperlite stoves, how to set up our tarps, and how to pack our packs. Divvying up rations was by far the most time consuming. Each expedition group of 12 or so people had about 200 lbs of food to bring so each group spent more than an hour weighing dehydrated and powdered food into plastic bags. We’re bringing granola, pasta, rice, Ramen, tons of brown sugar, an onion, some garlic, tons of spices, pretzels, snack mix, drink mix, chocolate chip cookies, three kinds of cheese, and a ton more. We’re all super excited to learn how to cook in the field, and everything sounds delicious. The first week is coming to an end and tomorrow morning after a super-clean of our cabins, we’re all loading into the vans and beginning our first adventure in Utah.

By: Ben Sandalow, Will Gyory, and Kat Teter