High Mountain Institute

09/03/2026

Last Friday, Semester 57 received their re-ration for first expedition. This means they got their “ration,” or meal supplies, for the second leg of their adventure — here’s a peak at what that looked like! From gummy bears, to burritos, to backcountry pizza, students get super creative with their meals. Alums, comment your favorite part of an HMI ration! 🥦🥯🥞🍕🍝

08/20/2026

We are thrilled students are on campus for their first full day at HMI, and we figured now’s a great time to introduce our new faculty and staff! Swipe through to learn more about Erin (Director of Admissions & Financial Aid), Logan (History Faculty), Daria (English Faculty), and Sarah (Kitchen & Wilderness Fellow). We’re excited to welcome them this semester and so grateful for their contributions to our community.

08/14/2026

We are gearing up to run aid stations at the Leadville Race Series Trail 100 Mountain Bike and Trail 100 Run at HMI. Some of our former and current faculty and staff are racing in this year’s series:

Madeline Short (former Assistant Director of Programs)
Erin MacNabb (Director of Admissions & Financial Aid)
Raffi Najarian (former Community & Culture Coordinator)
Emma Wood (Science Faculty)

We can’t wait to support all of the athletes and celebrate their accomplishments over the next two weekends! If you’re interested in volunteering, send us a DM or email at: [email protected]

08/10/2026

As of a few weeks ago, the HMI community has returned to campus after our evacuation during the Willow Fire. We are back to programming as planned and are spending our days preparing for the arrival of Semester 57 (who we can’t wait to welcome just next week!).

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the entire Leadville community, as well as the HMI alums, family members, and former staff members who reached out to express their support or provide their assistance in any way throughout the fire. From collecting our mail to offering us your campus facilities and spaces to house students and staff, your generosity helped make this summer possible! Over the next week, we’ll be highlighting organizations and individuals who stepped up to support HMI during this time. ❤️

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Galena Mountain Projects
Colorado Mountain College
The Link School
Fountain Valley School
Leadville Race Series
Lake County High School

08/07/2026

Get out of your comfort zone at HMI 🫶 applications for 2027-2028 open next month!

08/03/2026

We’re so excited to welcome our fall semester students to campus in a little over two weeks. As you’re getting ready for HMI, remember to visit our For Enrolled Students page for our wilderness and on-campus packing lists. We can’t wait to meet you!

07/15/2026

Why not both? 😌 You don’t have to choose at HMI!

07/14/2026

HMI Job Alert 🍳

Are you passionate about food, education, and fostering community? We are looking for a dedicated Food Educator and Kitchen Manager to join us at High Mountain Institute!
In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to manage our kitchen operations while inspiring and educating students about sustainable food practices, scratch cooking, and the joy of sharing meals together.

If you love working with people, have a background in culinary arts or kitchen management, and want to make a meaningful impact in an incredible educational community, we want to hear from you!

📅 Start Date: July 27, 2026

👉 Learn more and apply today: https://hminet.org/employment/

06/26/2026

As we prepare to start our summer programming with the arrival of Summer Term students on Sunday, meet the team that’s making it all happen! Summer staff just got back from an awesome training trip in the Sawatch, and they can’t wait to get started so soon. 🌞

06/26/2026

Check out this article about our free backpacking trip for Lake & Chaffee County middle school students in July! There are still spaces left for this summer — please email Steph ([email protected]) if you’re interested in enrolling.

The High Mountain Institute (HMI) is celebrating the 16th year of the Lake County Backpacking Trip this July, with sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders coming from Lake and Chaffee counties to