The most important element for the
success of Moondance Adventures is our skilled, dedicated, and
caring staff. Our leaders are vital to the integrity and safety
of our program. Their responsibilities are quite diverse; they
are instructors, leaders, facilitators, friends, fellow participants,
and role models to our students.
More than the challenging programs and breathtaking scenery,
Moondance leaders form the nucleus of what makes this experience
such a positive part of the program. Our leaders provide excellent
role models, and great care is taken to the selection of our staff.
All leaders are a minimum of 21 years old, with the average age
being 26. They are well educated and have completed, or are on their
way to completing, their undergraduate degree with many pursuing
advanced degrees. They enjoy working with teenagers and have extensive
training in wilderness programs and experiential education. Most
are graduates of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
or Outward Bound.
Many have full-time careers in secondary education or are full time
outdoor educators. Each leader has a minimum of 80 hours of medical
training as Wilderness First Responders. Their primary job is
to keep the students safe and comfortable. To ensure that Moondance can
maintain its “safety first” philosophy, the student-to-staff
ratio never exceeds 6:1.
During our comprehensive 9-day staff training, each leader renews
his/her commitment to Moondance's philosophy and rededicates himself/herself
to serving Moondance students. Every Moondance leader is committed
to the idea that to lead, we must serve.
Hayes Hitchens
 Hayes Hitchens, 49, is a native of Charlotte, NC. Hayes founded Moondance as a way to share outdoor adventures with young people. Many of his thirty years in organized camping were spent at Camp Deerhorn in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, a camp founded by his grandfather in 1930. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Hayes served The Lovett School in Atlanta for twelve years as the Dean of Students and the Director of Summer Programs. He has participated in outdoor programs with the North Carolina Outward Bound School, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). He lives with his wife, Michael, and their daughter Hunter in Asheville, NC where he coordinates all Moondance Adventures.
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