Gap Fall Trek’s First Exped!

Written by: Abby Rodriguez and Reed Roddy-Johnson

Hello from the first couple of transition days here in Leadville! This wonderful journey began on September 21st. Those first few days were overwhelming and scary. I was absolutely terrified to go on the first hiking expedition because I had never gone backpacking before. As we started the trip, that fear faded and I started to get comfortable with the group of people I will be spending the next 3 months with. My instructors were very comforting and I quickly felt like this was the best decision I have made.  

At our first camp site, we had a cook-a-long and all learned how to be backcountry chefs. My favorite memory so far was my first snow! It was such a core memory and the adrenaline running through my blood as I backpacked through 1ft of snow and through the saddle of 2 mountains, was incredible. I have never felt so free and happy. As a person who loves to cook but never cooked in the backcountry, I made a spectacular broccoli Mac and cheese that everyone LOVED! It is so fun getting to cook and bake with the most comforting and easy-going people. 

There were definitely some challenging parts to our first expedition like staying warm in the coldest weather, backpacking up the highest mountains, and learning how to adapt to this kind of environment. There were also some of the happiest moments I got to experience with the best people like feeling the adrenaline rush of finally finishing a challenging backpacking trip and seeing all the mountains and natural beauty around you. 

Also, seeing so many animals that I have never gotten to see like moose and grey jays is the coolest thing as you enter their world. This first expedition was also a lot more of first’s for me like sleeping outside and being outside for this long period of time. I learned so much in just a couple of weeks as well as how to be vulnerable to a group of people. I am so happy for what the next few months hold!

-Abby Rodriguez

The semester began on none other than the 21st night of September when the 9 of us made our way to HMI’s campus in Leadville, CO. We spent the first few days having information thrown at us, getting to know each other, and of course, getting acquainted with our tents. After 3 days, we finally loaded all of our gear onto the bus and drove into the Collegiate Mountains. We enjoyed our final tastes of sandwiches with bread (rather than tortillas) at the trailhead, and set off on our expedition! 

We fell into a routine pretty quickly— waking up to cook breakfast and enjoy a hot beverage (our most frequent question for the cook of the day is, “Can you fill up my baby?”, referring to our half-liter Nalgenes), packing up camp, splitting up into our two hiking groups, and reporting to our Leader of the Day to check out the map for the hiking day.

In just a matter of days, we all felt more and more confident with navigation, using the stove, and overall more comfortable with each other. Throughout a hiking day, you could hear “contact 3, 2, 1!” (A favorite trail game), life stories, and uncontrollable laughter from already out-of-breath participants. Every day was full of completely new surroundings, breathtaking views (quite literally— my East Coast lungs may very well never adjust to the altitude), and endless giggles. 

After a day of hiking, we would trap our X and reunite with the other hiking group. We’d then disperse for camp setup— filling up droms, setting up tents, and getting ready to start dinner. At the end of the day, we enjoy Evening Meeting, where tomorrow’s Leaders of the Day explain the PFT (“pooft”), or Plan For Tomorrow. There’s a comfort in taking things one day at a time. 

A day that I’ll never forget is when we were camped out near Ptarmigan Lake, and I had my first snow camping experience. Going into HMI, I considered myself a semi-experienced backpacker, but I’m new to backpacking on the shoulder season. I’m also from DC, where more than 4 inches of snow is considered a blizzard and more often than not it’s just a light dusting that turns into a slushy mess by the afternoon. It’s safe to say that we reached blizzard potential up at Ptarmigan Lake. We spent our layover day playing games and dancing to stay warm, which made hikers on the nearby trail think we were a “coven of witches.” We were all freezing cold and hungry all the time, but we shared so much joy and laughter and it stands out to me as one of my happiest moments on the whole exped. 

Above all the incredible experiences, what I’ve really valued is the emphasis on living in the moment. I definitely have work to do on that front, but being able to take a moment to pause my life to breathe and learn and only focus on one day at a time is something I’m definitely not taking for granted. Before the final day of the exped, it never even crossed our minds that we had traveled 37 miles. We’re settling into this new life in bite-sized pieces, making it palatable for everyone, regardless of backpacking experience. Even though every day is different, this steady routine began shaping grooves in my mind. Our simple life in the backcountry quickly became my new normal and during these transition days, I’ve found myself craving the quiet and simplicity of a backcountry lifestyle. 

All in all, this first exped was a blast. We saw 8 moose, a few of us saw a pika, and I learned a whole lot about lichen. I know that I’ll hold onto all of the moments (good and bad!) from this first exped with me throughout the rest of the adventures that this semester takes us on. 

-Reed Roddy-Johnson