August 21, 2010

After months of anticipation, the day was finally here! We had arrived at Denver International Airport where we were greeted by our teachers and a bunch of excited and anxious peers. After being in the airport for a few short minutes we were presented with a scavenger hunt activity for which we were supposed to capture evidence on camera of events like "a family meltdown" or people such as "native Floridians." The ice was easily broken after many attempts to find things on the list. After everyone had arrived we loaded into the vans and started the two-hour drive to Leadville. The excitement and exhaustion were evident, many of us falling asleep on the ride up, but most of us getting to know one another better. Though initially the thought of arriving by ourselves was daunting, it was easy to make new friends.

We arrived on campus, and by the time the last van pulled in the driveway, we immediately sat down for dinner.  Afterward, we gathered together as a whole community for the first time in Stuen Hall. There, Molly introduced us to an HMI tradition called "circle." There're two rules for circle: you must speak from the heart and listen with respect. We all went around and said how we felt at that moment. We then ended circle by holding hands and passing a pulse until everyone had received it. Tired from the excitement of the day, we had a brief cabin meeting and then went to bed.

On Thursday, we all woke up and met in Who's Hall. Since there are no assigned seats, we tried to sit with people that we didn't know or meet yet. At 7:25, we did roll call, with the Faculty on Duty (FOD) calling each of our names. When everyone was there, we set out for a walk for morning exercise (known as "AMX"). We walked around two miles and when Rebecca stopped and looked behind her, we all followed and saw the amazing mountains and the one-of-a-kind light, with so much fresh air.

Breakfast was waiting for us when we returned, and some of us went right to the food. However, since there are 42 kids, some of us waited it out for a bit and talked to our tablemates. When breakfast was over, we met with our advisors and they talked about their role and how advisory works.

Next we all went to the Neill classroom and Molly talked about the major and minor school rules. It was a long talk, but afterward we all had a great understanding of the "don'ts." Then we were split into groups and given a tour of campus. We saw the East Building and the classrooms, and passed the under-construction building. We saw where the extra supplies are kept, the athletic equipment, the library, bathrooms, and offices. Each group ended in Molly's office and talked about anything we wanted. We then had lunch and sat with new people. After lunch, we had our first orientation class of Practices and Principles (P&P). We got our assignment to do on the first expedition and developed our first community quote: "Let HMI be our weasel"(quote by Ryan Clark)!

In our first science class, we learned about the field studies we will be doing in the backcountry. We also got a little journal in which we will record our notes and observations. Then we were split into our math classes and some of us even got a little test to see what we remembered! We discussed why math was important and how it would help in our daily lives. We then all met back in the Neil classroom for English. There we learned about the books we will be reading this semester. We finished the day with an all-girls meeting with Molly to talk about the expedition and girl stuff, while guys had free time. After dinner, guys went to do their talk with Molly and the girls had free time.

On Friday, for AMX, we played some field games and ran a lot. Then we had breakfast and afterwards, learned about our chores. These chores keep the campus clean and organized. We do them from 8:30-9, six days a week. After chores, we met for history class. Then Spanish students and French students went to learn about the curriculum and play some games (in Spanish/French).

We had our first community meeting on Friday. During the meeting we discussed that HMI is a school, in spite of the wilderness trips.  We made a list of the things that we wanted to keep from high school, things that we don't want here, and things that we wanted to adapt to here.

As if we weren't busy enough, we had another very important task to complete during these first few days: to get ready for our upcoming expedition!  We've spent the past day and a half preparing for the trip, which will lead us to the southern Collegiate Peaks (well, at least one group - the others will be hiking in other nearby mountains). We had several classes to get us ready. We learned about "good EB" (expedition behavior), how to set up our tarps, how to use backpacking stoves, and what to pack. We then weighed and packed our food rations for each tarp group.

This afternoon was mostly dedicated to packing our backpacks. Despite the preparation, it was still a long process. Many of us found ourselves packing and repacking our bags three or four times. Filling up our packs with tarps, stoves, fuel, six days' worth of food (we'll be re-rationed during the trip), and everything else we'll need to subsist was challenging, but everyone seems to be looking forward to the trips!

Tomorrow, after a hearty breakfast, we will head out to the field by van. Our first night's destinations will be only a mile or two from our starting points. The trek there will be slow-paced so we can get used to carrying heavy packs, and learn some useful backpacking techniques. When we get to camp, we'll probably struggle (though eventually we know we'll find success) in setting up the tarps under which we'll sleep, and in cooking dinner for ourselves. One thing we're looking forward to is the possibility of hiking to the summit of a high peak toward the end of the trip. From there, we expect to see tremendous views of Colorado, and the land we will have trekked. With some anxiousness, and some excitement, it already feels like the expedition will be amazing. 

Check back in two weeks for an update about the excitement of RMS XXV's first expedition!

By: Melissa Grip, Zoe Stoenner, Hanna Dethlefs, & Sarah Hunter