Farwell from Wyoming!
July 26, 2024
As things come to a close here Out West, we could not be more thankful for our time together! James and I have enjoyed getting to know all of your students, and we are so grateful that they chose to be a part of the Moondance family this summer.The past 5 days have consisted of wild fun on the Salmon River in Idaho! After a lengthy drive filled with sing-alongs and many (MANY) gas station snacks, we finally arrived at our campsite. We were all excited to be able to watch the beautiful pink Idaho sun as it set over Lake Cascade. Everyone was pretty exhausted from the drive, so we whipped up a quick dinner of Spaghetti and climbed into our sleeping bags.
Day one of rafting was LOADS of fun. Abby took to the front of the boat immediately. She 100% wanted to be in the splash zone. Michael also enjoyed being up at the front and the two of them spent our days laughing and encouraging everyone to jump in! Stella, Price, and Harper preferred soaking up the sun in the back while telling funny stories with James. Our guides did an amazing job of safely floating us through our first couple of class three rapids. The Salmon River snaked its way through the twists and turns of different canyons. We were all amazed at the landscape that surrounded us and it certainly wasn’t anything like we see at home! Everyone was filled with excitement when we pulled off to our first beach campsite. Our guides quickly worked on an amazing chicken fajitas dinner while we all pitched in where we could. Everyone opted to cowboy camp (camping under the stars with no tent) so we set our mats up in a circle. Gillian absolutely loved sleeping under the stars and led us through a stellar moonup along with Owen as our LOD’s!
The sun rose on our next day and we were up and at it! We filled our bellies with a yummy breakfast of French toast and bacon before loading the gear boat. We assembled a fire line to lift bags and gear onto a larger rafting boat, captained by our guide Jack. Then we set into our new boat assignments for the morning. Bailes was always seen with a water gun in hand, ready to defend his vessel. Henry and Ryan enjoyed launching off their boats in an attempt to steal the water gun back! It was absolutely hilarious, and the escapade continued throughout much of our trip. When we arrived at camp, the skies seemed to be a bit darker. A slow but sure pitter-patter of rain began as we settled down after dinner. Most students would have run for cover, but not our crew. Instead, Ian and Chloe led everyone to the water for a rainy swim party! It’s safe to say that this moment might be a group favorite. We spent the duration of the rain shower laughing til we cried and jumping off of the boats.
Our final day on the river was spent motoring down toward our final destination, but not before crossing through Oregon and Washington too! The crew was able to hit 3 different states in one day. Needless to say, we were mind-blown. After thanking our incredible rafting guides and loading back into the moon van, we were on our way back to Wyoming. Upon arrival, after a lengthy drive, we dawned our best banquet attire and headed into town for dinner. Cowboy hats, funny t-shirts, sparkly belts, and more were worn by all at our feast of champions. James and I decided it was only fair that we treat everyone to desert after their amazing attitudes throughout our last section! Everyone dined on sweets back at camp before a lengthy final moonup.
To our students, we love you DEARLY. Each of you is wildly beautiful inside and out. Continue to be your most authentic and hilarious selves back at home. Remember that you are capable of greatness!!! Be good people, do good things, and make good noise. We are better for knowing you.
Signing off <3 ,Kate + James
Greetings Big Wild families and friends!
July 22, 2024
We write to you from the magnificent state of Wyoming with full hearts and great vibes. We have had A BLAST getting to know your amazing kids. They continue to blow us away with their kindness, humor, and all around awesomeness. It has been a joy to watch their friendships grow as we end our backpacking section and travel back to Jackson to start rock climbing!
Airport day started strong with lots of hacky sack, football, and card games. One by one we greeted our crew as they came through the doors of baggage claim. Excitement was in the air! Once the last of us had arrived, we loaded up the Moon Van and made our way to our first campsite. The majestic mountains of Wyoming rose from the ground above us as we travelled south of Jackson Hole. The Gros Ventre (pronounced “Grow Vont” by the locals) Wilderness encompassed us as we settled in to a stellar river-side campsite.
The sun rose bright and early the next day, and so did we. Our first full day together was nothing short of awesome! Fly fishing on the Green River was certainly entertaining. Stella was absolutely amazed by the scenery around us and loved chatting with her fishing guide about the differences between Louisiana and Wyoming. Price even caught an impressive whitefish! Don’t worry, we have pictures to prove it. Some boats even got the chance to see some huge hawks. Everyone was able to master their fly fishing skills so that we could continue fishing on our backcountry section. After a great morning on the river, we continued on to our next campsite. Once we arrived, we spent the afternoon learning how to set up tents, properly pack a backpack, and the correct layers for camping. We closed out the day with a delicious dinner of chicken, pasta, and vegetables.
Ian and Owen woke us up the next day with a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausage! It was definitely a good idea to fuel up before our big day. We put the last of our group gear into our bags and made our way to the trailhead to meet our guides, Darby and John (+ their dog, Red!) Together, we entered deeper into the Gros Ventre Wilderness to begin our backpacking expedition. Harper fearlessly took to the front of the group and did a fantastic job of checking in on everyone. We crossed rivers, streams, and even saw a few waterfalls on the way to our campsite. Once we arrived, Abby entertained us with some hilarious stories. We feasted on a dinner before Moonup and then headed to bed – everyone was definitely sleepy after our big hike.
After some rain showers throughout the night, we awoke to a chilly Wyoming morning. Our first full day in the backcountry consisted of a day hike up to a beautiful alpine lake! Henry and Chloe did an excellent job as our Leaders of the Day (LOD’s). They were kind enough to carry everyone’s lunches in their packs. Gillian and Michael also kept spirits high with some hilarious trail talk. We trekked through meadows and rivers to reach the stunning lake. Upon arrival, our guide Darby started a fire and we all sat around to share stories. Bailes and Ryan had the amazing idea to bring some fly fishing rods and tried their luck in the lake! We munched on lunch and soon returned back to camp for our final night of backpacking.
James and I are so proud of all of our students for their tolerance for adversity and willingness to dive into new things! They did an amazing job of looking out for one another and we are so excited to continue to watch their group collaborate. The future is bright as we continue on to our rock climbing section. For now, we’re soaking up the sun and enjoying every moment! Please see student shoutouts below…
Cheers,
Kate + James
SHOUT OUTS!
Gillian: Hey y’all! I love and miss y’all but know that I’m having a really good time!! I’m excited to tell you all about it when I get home. Dad, we are sleeping near the Tetons. There’s a reason why we’re not a camping family. We just backpacked for three days which was hard but rewarding! We are rafting in Idaho soon. Tell the dogs I love them! Bye love y’all!
Price: Hey Mom, Dad, and Jdog! I’m having a great time. I can’t wait to talk to you about your trip in NY. I have made many new friends. Hope y’all had a great time in Colombia! Also Dad, I think about Owning Manhattan all the time. Miss you and can’t wait to hug you! And Mac!
Abby: Hi! It’s Abby! I’m having a lot of fun and we go white water rafting soon! I hope you’re having a great time in Mexico and I hope Charlie had a good time at McCallie. I made so many new friends and it’s been a lot of fun. My favorite part of Moondance so far has been sleeping outside under the stars and eating food around the campfire. I will see you in a week. I love you and miss you!
Chloe: Hey Mom and Dad! It’s Chloe. I’m having a blast! My favorite part has been the nights because they’re super fun. Backpacking was super hard but really cool, and you should be jealous. I had such a blast at the pool at the aqua center! I also climbed up a mountain. Anyways, see you in a week. Miss you! Hope you’re having fun at home. Love, Chloe
Ryan: What’s up gang! I’m having a good time in Wyoming. We had to hike through mud but it was really cool. I’m sure y’all are having a great time in Italy. But I’m having a great time and we’re about to go rafting. We’re going to the rodeo tomorrow! I’m probably going to get a cowboy hat. Tell RK I say hi.
Harper: Hi Mom and Dad! I hope you have a safe trip out here. I promise I’m putting on lots of sunscreen Mom. I’m excited to raft down the same river as you Dad. Hi MiMi and Aunt Michelle! I don’t have any ticks and a dog backpacked with us that reminded me of Raven. Hi friends! I miss running and hanging out. And I can’t wait to make you listen to me when I get back! Hi Abby! I hope you’re having a blast in the Serengeti and telling people all about you climbing Kili. Can’t wait to do so many fun things soon! I love you and miss you all!
Henry: Hey! Trips going well. Miss y’all. See you soon! I really liked backpacking with the boys. I can’t wait to tell you about it. It was lit. I’m excited to go rafting soon. See y’all soon!
Owen: Dear mom and dad, love and miss y’all. Having a great time! The backpacking was fun and the food is pretty good. See y’all soon.
Ian: Sup guys. It’s pretty chill out here. Co-leaders are awesome. James is really cool. And Kate is also pretty cool and chill. The group is great! James makes some insane food and he gave me a pretty sick shirt. See yall when I get back. I’m wearing Big Mike’s hat.
Stella: Hey y’all! We’ve had a great time. We backpacked and that was very rewarding. I’ve had a great time camping which I’m kind of surprised! I’ve learned how to cook really well. I’m excited to see you when I get home and tell everyone I miss them!
Michael: Hey yall! The past week has been really fun. We went backpacking in the backcountry. I attempted to fish but didn’t catch anything. All the kids here are really nice and we all get along really well. I’m trying a bunch of new foods! Love y’all and see you soon!
Bailes: Hey mom and dad. I’m having fun. Can’t wait to see y’all soon. Backpacking has been really fun. I’m excited to go rafting. See yall soon!
Safe Arrival in Jackson Hole!
July 13, 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
