AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 29, 2003
                         REGISTRATION NO. 333-__________


                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                           HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC.
                           --------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

           COLORADO                                    84-1438612
----------------------------------------  --------------------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction of           I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
Incorporation or Organization)

7360 WEST US HIGHWAY 50, SALIDA, COLORADO                81201
----------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)              (Zip Code)

 HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC. 2003 INCENTIVE EQUITY AND DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
 (FORMERLY THE HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC. 1998 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                            LARRY D. SMITH, PRESIDENT
                           HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC.
                             7360 WEST US HIGHWAY 50
                             SALIDA, COLORADO 81201
                      ------------------------------------
                     (Name and address of Agent for Service)

                                  719-589-2516
                                  ------------
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:

                           JOEL E. RAPPOPORT, ESQUIRE
                      STRADLEY, RONON, STEVENS & Young, LLP
                         1220 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
                              Washington, DC 20036
                                 (202) 822-9611


                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
==============================================================================================================================

                                                                 PROPOSED MAXIMUM        PROPOSED MAXIMUM        AMOUNT OF
          TITLE OF EACH CLASS                AMOUNT TO BE       OFFERING PRICE PER      AGGREGATE OFFERING     REGISTRATION
      SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED           REGISTERED (1)            SHARE                   PRICE                 FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                             <C>                     <C>                     <C>                 <C>
Common Stock, $.01 par value per share      45,000 shares            $30.51 (2)             $1,372,950            $111.07
==============================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)  This  Registration  Statement  is only  registering  shares of Common Stock
     issued after the date of this Registration Statement under the High Country
     Bancorp,  Inc. 2003 Incentive  Equity and Deferred  Compensation  Plan (the
     "Plan"),  and such  additional  indeterminate  number of shares that may be
     issuable by reason of the anti-dilution provisions of the Plan.
(2)  Under Rule 457(h), the registration fee may be calculated, inter alia based
     upon the average of the high and low selling  prices of the Common Stock as
     reported on the Nasdaq  SmallCap  Market on  December  18, 2003  of  $30.51
     per share ($1,372,950 in the aggregate).


<PAGE>

     Pursuant  to  General  Instruction  E to  Form  S-8,  the  contents  of the
Company's  Registration  Statement  on Form  S-8  (Registration  No.  333-69053)
originally  filed with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission on December 16,
1998 (the "Prior Registration  Statement") are incorporated herein by reference,
except for Item 8 of Part II thereof. This Registration  Statement covers 45,000
shares,  which  together  with the  145,475  shares  registered  under the Prior
Registration  Statement,  constitute the 190,475 shares of common stock issuable
under the  Company's  2003  Incentive  Equity  and  Deferred  Compensation  Plan
(formerly the High Country Bancorp, Inc. 1998 Stock Option and Incentive Plan).



                                     PART II

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.         INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT
         --------

         The exhibits scheduled to be filed or included as a part of this
Registration Statement are as follows:


Exhibit No.               Description
-----------               -----------

     5.1  Legal Opinion of Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP
     23.1 Consent of Grimsley, White & Company
     23.2 Consent of  Stradley  Ronon  Stevens & Young,  LLP  (appears  in their
          opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1)
     24.1 Power of Attorney  (contained in signature  page to this  Registration
          Statement)
     99.1 High  Country  Bancorp,   Inc.  2003  Incentive  Equity  and  Deferred
          Compensation Plan




                                      II-1
<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the  City  of  Salida,  State of  Colorado, on  this 29th day of
December, 2003.

                                    HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC.


                                By: /s/ Larry D. Smith
                                    ------------------------------------------
                                    Larry D. Smith
                                    President and Chief Executive Officer
                                    (Duly Authorized Officer)


     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has been signed below by the  following  persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

     Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Larry D.
Smith his attorney-in-fact,  with the power of substitution,  for him in any and
all  capacities to sign any  amendments to this  Registration  Statement on Form
S-8,  and to file the  same,  with  exhibits  thereto  and  other  documents  in
connection  therewith,  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  hereby
ratifying and  confirming all that said  attorney-in-fact,  or his substitute or
substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Signature                                            Title                                       Date
---------                                            -----                                       ----
<S>                                                   <C>                                         <C>

By: /s/ Larry D. Smith                               President and Chief                December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
       Larry D. Smith                                Executive Officer
                                                     (Principal Executive Officer)

By: /s/ Frances Pasquale                             Chief Financial Officer            December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
        Frances Pasquale                             (Principal Financial and
                                                     Accounting Officer)


By: /s/ Scott G. Erchul                              Vice President and Director        December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
        Scott G. Erchul



By:  /s/ Timothy R. Glenn                            Director                           December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
      Timothy R. Glenn



By: /s/ Richard A. Young                             Director                           December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
      Richard A. Young



By: /s/ Philip W. Harsh                              Director                           December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
       Philip W. Harsh

</TABLE>
                                      II-2
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "highs8.txt", "description": "REGISTRATION STATEMENT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 8875}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP INC", "cik": "0001044676", "assigned-sic": "6035", "irs-number": "841438612", "state-of-incorporation": "CO", "fiscal-year-end": "0630"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-111602", "film-number": "031076019"}, "business-address": {"street1": "130 WEST 2ND ST", "city": "SALIDA", "state": "CO", "zip": "81201", "phone": "7195392516"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "130 WEST 2ND STREET", "city": "SALIDA", "state": "CO", "zip": "81201"}}
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 29, 2003
                         REGISTRATION NO. 333-__________

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC.
                           --------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

           COLORADO                                    84-1438612
----------------------------------------  --------------------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction of           I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
Incorporation or Organization)

7360 WEST US HIGHWAY 50, SALIDA, COLORADO                81201
----------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)              (Zip Code)

 HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC. 2003 INCENTIVE EQUITY AND DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
 (FORMERLY THE HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC. 1998 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                            LARRY D. SMITH, PRESIDENT
                           HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC.
                             7360 WEST US HIGHWAY 50
                             SALIDA, COLORADO 81201
                      ------------------------------------
                     (Name and address of Agent for Service)

                                  719-589-2516
                                  ------------
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:

                           JOEL E. RAPPOPORT, ESQUIRE
                      STRADLEY, RONON, STEVENS & Young, LLP
                         1220 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
                              Washington, DC 20036
                                 (202) 822-9611

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
==============================================================================================================================

                                                                 PROPOSED MAXIMUM        PROPOSED MAXIMUM        AMOUNT OF
          TITLE OF EACH CLASS                AMOUNT TO BE       OFFERING PRICE PER      AGGREGATE OFFERING     REGISTRATION
      SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED           REGISTERED (1)            SHARE                   PRICE                 FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $.01 par value per share      45,000 shares            $30.51 (2)             $1,372,950            $111.07
==============================================================================================================================
(1)  This  Registration  Statement  is only  registering  shares of Common Stock
     issued after the date of this Registration Statement under the High Country
     Bancorp,  Inc. 2003 Incentive  Equity and Deferred  Compensation  Plan (the
     "Plan"),  and such  additional  indeterminate  number of shares that may be
     issuable by reason of the anti-dilution provisions of the Plan.
(2)  Under Rule 457(h), the registration fee may be calculated, inter alia based
     upon the average of the high and low selling  prices of the Common Stock as
     reported on the Nasdaq  SmallCap  Market on  December  18, 2003  of  $30.51
     per share ($1,372,950 in the aggregate).
Pursuant  to  General  Instruction  E to  Form  S-8,  the  contents  of the
Company's  Registration  Statement  on Form  S-8  (Registration  No.  333-69053)
originally  filed with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission on December 16,
1998 (the "Prior Registration  Statement") are incorporated herein by reference,
except for Item 8 of Part II thereof. This Registration  Statement covers 45,000
shares,  which  together  with the  145,475  shares  registered  under the Prior
Registration  Statement,  constitute the 190,475 shares of common stock issuable
under the  Company's  2003  Incentive  Equity  and  Deferred  Compensation  Plan
(formerly the High Country Bancorp, Inc. 1998 Stock Option and Incentive Plan).

                                     PART II

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.         INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT
         --------

         The exhibits scheduled to be filed or included as a part of this
Registration Statement are as follows:

Exhibit No.               Description
-----------               -----------

     5.1  Legal Opinion of Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP
     23.1 Consent of Grimsley, White & Company
     23.2 Consent of  Stradley  Ronon  Stevens & Young,  LLP  (appears  in their
          opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1)
     24.1 Power of Attorney  (contained in signature  page to this  Registration
          Statement)
     99.1 High  Country  Bancorp,   Inc.  2003  Incentive  Equity  and  Deferred
          Compensation Plan

                                      II-1
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the  City  of  Salida,  State of  Colorado, on  this 29th day of
December, 2003.

                                    HIGH COUNTRY BANCORP, INC.

                                By: /s/ Larry D. Smith
                                    ------------------------------------------
                                    Larry D. Smith
                                    President and Chief Executive Officer
                                    (Duly Authorized Officer)

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has been signed below by the  following  persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

     Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Larry D.
Smith his attorney-in-fact,  with the power of substitution,  for him in any and
all  capacities to sign any  amendments to this  Registration  Statement on Form
S-8,  and to file the  same,  with  exhibits  thereto  and  other  documents  in
connection  therewith,  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  hereby
ratifying and  confirming all that said  attorney-in-fact,  or his substitute or
substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Signature                                            Title                                       Date
---------                                            -----                                       ----
By: /s/ Larry D. Smith                               President and Chief                December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
       Larry D. Smith                                Executive Officer
                                                     (Principal Executive Officer)

By: /s/ Frances Pasquale                             Chief Financial Officer            December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
        Frances Pasquale                             (Principal Financial and
                                                     Accounting Officer)

By: /s/ Scott G. Erchul                              Vice President and Director        December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
        Scott G. Erchul

By:  /s/ Timothy R. Glenn                            Director                           December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
      Timothy R. Glenn

By: /s/ Richard A. Young                             Director                           December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
      Richard A. Young

By: /s/ Philip W. Harsh                              Director                           December 29, 2003
    ----------------------------------------
       Philip W. Harsh
II-2