The 36 HMI Gap Semester students followed the same pre-programming COVID quarantine and testing protocols as the HMI Semester. The Gap semesters operated in three separate cohorts of twelve students and three instructors each. At the end of a 14-day quarantine period, students were able to enter a “pod” which they then maintained for the duration of the program. The three courses began with a two-week backpacking trip in the Sawatch Range of Colorado before splitting off with distinct itineraries and focusing on rock climbing, backpacking, canyoneering, and/or whitewater rafting. All said, over the course of the 80-day expedition-based semester, students spent almost 70 nights sleeping in the backcountry.