Farewell to the Tetons!
June 24, 2024
Howdy! Our cowgirls and cowboys are officially on their way home, and we are already reminiscing on all of the fun that we had. Thank you again for letting us be able to enjoy these last 2 weeks with your kids. They are such a fun crew, and we are so proud of how they’ve grown and conquered their fears. Between fly fishing, backpacking, climbing, and rafting, each and every kid really got to enjoy their experience out West. It seems like yesterday that we met them all at the Jackson Hole airport.
We last wrote to y’all when we got off the Salmon River and were making the trek back to our campground in Jackson, Wyoming. A highlight of rafting (and the trip) that we’ve forgotten to include but impossible to leave out… the guys decided early on to give each other nicknames and introduce themselves to our guides and strangers by these new names. Their alter-egos over the past 2 weeks are as follows… Bobo (Henry), Bubbles (Mathews), Brick (George), Lincoln (Lowden), and Big Schlime (Mills). Props to them for the creativity and keeping everyone on their toes and of course laughing. Since we left Idaho, our crew has enjoyed lots of Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke, listening to certain songs on repeat (just ask them), and exploring the picturesque town of Jackson. We spent the first half of our last day in the car, but don’t worry – our kids made sure every car ride was entertaining. Lily Kate, Emma, and Abigail made sure to keep up with the Spotify Queue and play everyone’s favorites. There was plenty of singing along and Rob and I learned the words to a few new songs too. In the back of the van, Henry and the rest of the boys made sure to keep the convenience stores in business along our route with their endless Dr. Pepper and road trip snacks. George was even lucky enough for someone to pay-it-forward and buy his snacks (maybe because he dumped out his wallet full of coins to pay for his Gardetto’s and Haribo gummies). Once we arrived in Jackson, the girls really pitched in to help clean the dishes, U-Haul, gear, and organize luggage. We completed everything in record time and even had fun doing it. Addy even managed to make brownie batter as we were cleaning – multitasking at its finest! Mathews, Henry, and Niall braced the car wash with Rob as they brought our van back to life and gave her a good ole polish. After cleaning and packing were completed, we went into Downtown Jackson to purchase some souvenirs at Lee’s Tees and then to dinner at Cutty’s Bar and Grille. With Diet Cokes and Dr. Pepper’s to drink and pretzel bites to start, everyone was content. Lissie made sure the Diet Cokes were “extra crispy” and they were well deserved after a full 2 weeks of fun. Then came the chicken tenders, burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas … and our crew was in Bar and Grille heaven. Although there wasn’t a burger eating challenge at this establishment, our group managed to leave Cutty’s with clean plates and full bellies – but room for ice cream of course. Naturally, we headed to Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream next for some waffle cones and scoops. Ice cream and games in the park were the perfect way to end our last evening together. Lily Kate and Niall showed off their tumbling tricks and inspired a few nearby onlookers too. Our final LODs, Eloise and Lowden, lead our final Moonup with an inspiring quote and a couple sentimental questions. It was so touching to hear everyone speak to how they’ve grown over the last 2 weeks and about their favorite memories. We truly have had the most fun. Rob and I made Paper Plate / Most-Likely-To awards for our crew, and it was such a touching experience for us to go around and speak of each kid with such pride and delight. A big, long group hug ended our final Moonup, but we all made sure that the Nug Jug was left slightly open so that Nugs can be given and shared for time to come.
Thank you again for sharing your kids with us, and providing them with the experience of a lifetime. It has been an absolute joy to get to know them, make memories with them, and watch them grow and conquer their fears. Your support means the world to them and to us. We already miss them terribly. Luckily with phones back in hand, group chats, Snapchats, and Instagrams have already been shared.
Best of all,
Janie + Rob
Smores, Rafting, and Incredible Memories!
June 23, 2024
Hello again!
We just got off the Salmon River today after 4 fun-filled days of rafting. The days were filled with big rapids, games, delicious meals, and sounds of laughter.
For the first day of rafting, we woke up early at our campsite, to pack up and head to Riggins, Idaho. We met our guides – Jack, Jayden, and Chase, and packed our dry bags. We also picked out our wetsuits, splash jackets, and life jackets then headed for the rapids. Our guides taught us the rafting commands and instructed us to match their enthusiasm. Lucky for us – they were always upbeat and ready for some fun!
The water was pretty chilly on the first day, but that didn’t keep us out of it! Between jumping off the rafts, using the rafts as slip and slides, and Henry’s hourly cold plunges, everyone was happy to be in the water. The sun was high and bright and made for long days filled with excitement and fun. We paddled into our first campsite on the river and got our first taste of the guides’ cooking skills and our first hand at their games. We enjoyed Asian Chicken Salad followed by a slip and slide raft, a core-crushing paddle game, and lots of spikeball. Lily Kate managed to beat the guys at the paddle and stick game while George and Mathews could usually be found dominating opponents at spikeball. After an afternoon of beachside fun, we enjoyed hamburgers fresh off the griddle followed by a campfire and smores. Our guide Jack even taught us the method to make a perfectly toasted marshmallow which Eloise loved! We ended our day with Moonup and were lucky enough to have our guides join us too.
The second day of rafting was filled with big rapids and more excitement. Our guides woke us up to the smell of french toast and bacon to fuel us up for an adrenaline filled day. We put our teamwork and rafting skills to the test on big rapids like “Ruby” and “Chair”. Mills, Niall, and Addy were always eager participants to ride the “Bull” at the front of the raft through these roaring rapids. Lowden was great at leading our crew in paddling through the rapids and staying in sync with the other side of the raft. Once we got to camp, Emma and Lily Kate fully embraced getting their hands dirty in a mud-slinging fight which made for lots of laughter and a bath in the river afterwards. We then played capture the flag with life vests. Henry and Lowden lead their team to victory with some top notch communication and strategy. Once again our guides delivered and cooked us a great dinner of fajitas followed by strawberry shortcakes. The evening was capped off with Moonup and a late-night sunset (as the sun didn’t set until close to 11 PM).
The third day of rafting was just as amazing as the other two days. Plenty of fun rapids and historical site-seeing on the float down to camp. The kids had a tasty surprise waiting for them at camp- ice cream! Everyone enjoyed their cold treats at the ice cream shop and Abigail showed off her ring toss skills, nailing it perfectly on her second try! The afternoon was filled with napping, rock throwing competitions, and swimming. Lisse and Niall always have a knack for finding secret beaches around the campsites to explore. Our final dinner with the guides was phenomenal. They outdid themselves with pork tenderloin, sweet carrots, salad and potatoes. Then they capped it off with a delicious desert of pineapple upside down cake.
Our final day of rafting was bittersweet. Our last breakfast was fluffy pancakes and sausage. Our last float down the river was leisurely and started out with 10 minutes of silence for the kids to reflect on their trip. Henry was able to take his last dips in the water which he loved to do. About eight miles down river was our takeout at Hammer creek. We said our farewells and thank-yous to the guides and headed on the road to our next campsite in Glenn’s Ferry, ID. Our leaders of the day, Mills and Lissie, cooked up a delicious dinner of steak and barbecue chicken tacos to cap off an amazing session of rafting.
We want to give a big thanks to our guides: Jack, Jayden and Chase of wild river adventures for giving us an amazing experience on the river that the kids will never forget. Another huge thanks to Moondance and the parents for making this amazing trip possible! This has truly been an experience of a lifetime!
Hello from Beautiful Wyoming!
June 18, 2024
We have had a great first half of our trip – jam packed full of fly fishing, backpacking, climbing, and camp fun! Our kids have really enjoyed challenging themselves to try new things and make new friends. There always seems to be someone laughing, cracking a joke, or telling a funny story. The weather has been nothing short of wonderful with blue skies and sunny days, and even a snowy afternoon in the mix (it snowed today out of nowhere!!) We as leaders are so lucky to have shared these memories with your kids and are so grateful for them to have this opportunity – thank you for trusting us and Moondance with them.
It’s been so fun to watch them grow so much in this last week. Once they arrived, we enjoyed some delicious pizza from Pinky G’s and experienced our first sunset over the Tetons. We had a visitor at our first Moonup too- an antelope! Our second day we spent at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park and fly fishing at Flat Creek here in Jackson. The kids were brave and jumped straight into the cold water; we could tell from the start that we had an awesome group who was ready to jump into the challenges to come. Niall really took to fly fishing with her natural ability to cast a fly rod. Lowden loved being on the water and fishing too.
After fly fishing, we headed south to Pinedale and set up camp for the night. Lowden, Mathews, and Lily Kate learned to cook on the Coleman stoves and everyone pitched in to help wash dishes. We started backpacking early the next day with heavy packs and full hearts. Our awesome guides from Darwin Ranch lead us down Kinky Creek Trail, through Darwin Ranch, and down the Gros Ventre River Trail to a cool spot sandwiched in between the Gros Ventre River and a roaring waterfall. Our kids really persevered through backpacking and embraced the newness of it. Eloise, Mathews, and Mills were champs and demonstrated excellent Expedition Behavior throughout backpacking. George and Henry made sure to keep everyone laughing with their jokes and stories. The time in the backcountry was extra special as it allowed everyone to bond and explore the great outdoors here in Wyoming. The second day of backpacking we base camped and had a hike in the morning followed by some good ole fashioned fun in the afternoon. Mills and Lowden found a waterfall up the trail and got everyone to hike up there with them. They took baths in the creek and really looked after one another. Lowden’s leadership skills shined as he made sure everyone was included and safe as they ventured into the woods. Addy, Abigail, and Emma loved campfire games and trail conversations with leaders and our Darwin Ranch guides – Darby and John. With nights spent by the campfire and days spent in the forests and by the water, everyone enjoyed themselves and bonded together as a group.
After the last day of backpacking we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Burger Barn in Pinedale. Henry, Mills, Mathews, and Lowden got their name up on the walls of the establishment by completing the Colossal Triple Burger Challenge – they were pretty proud of themselves for that too. We headed to the Jackson Hole Rodeo that evening which was big fun for all. George sat proudly on Henry’s shoulders (cowboy hat on of course) to try and win a fan challenge. Despite not winning, they walked away with a frisbee to boot. The girls loved the excitement of the Rodeo and there were smiles from ear to ear.
We just wrapped up our climbing section with Exum Mountain Guides in Grand Teton National Park. Addy, Emma, Niall, Abigail, and Lissie faced their fears as they all repelled and climbed some tougher routes. They were all so proud of themselves and really embraced the opportunity. Our guides were awesome in teaching the kids the techniques of bouldering, slab climbing, and multi pitch climbs to name just a few! Despite a fear of heights, Mathews stepped up to the challenge of repelling and conquered an old fear. Mills lived up to his nickname of Billy Goat as he would speedily climb up the cliff sides. Everyone grew in both their hard and soft skill sets throughout our 2-day climbing school with Exum. And the views were unbeatable- what an incredible experience.
Around camp, our kids have been learning what it takes to work together as a group and divide up our responsibilities. Lowden has been keeping everyone warm with his top notch fire building skills. George and Mathews have been perfecting their frisbee throws and even learning a few new ones. Henry has been eager in asking how he can help out the group. Each and everyday we have been learning how to help one another out which has been fruitful for all. Addy and Niall have stepped up the plate in helping clean up dishes. Eloise and Lissie have been an excellent sous chefs in prepping for meals. Emma and Abigail have been crushing it in helping keep our group organized. Lily Kate and Mills have been eager participants in every moment, and their enthusiasm is infectious. We are so lucky to have such an awesome group of kids.
We start our next section tomorrow – rafting the Lower Salmon River in Idaho. Everyone is excited and looking forward to the memories to come as we camp on a different riverside beach each night.
Here’s to the adventures to come and until next time,
Janie + Rob
Safe Arrival in Jackson Hole!
June 12, 2024
Hello Big Wild Families!
We heard from our leaders last night that the group has landed safely in Jackson Hole and made it to their first campsite! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
