Howdy from Wyoming!
July 22, 2024
We have had the best first week jam packed full of fly fishing, backpacking, rock climbing, and a rodeo to beat! Thank you for sharing your kids with us on this Big Wild adventure – we have such a fun group of adventurous, inclusive, hilarious, and helpful kids. They’ve kept us (and themselves) laughing since the moment they landed in Jackson Hole.We started our grand adventure first in the airport actually – playing cards, asking icebreaker questions, making playlists, and running up to each kid who stepped off the tarmac. The kids embraced the Moondance philosophy of “Living in the Moment” from Day 1 and found adventure whether it was in the airport or at our first campsite. Eliza, Alex, and Ellen battled Janie in an epic game of war and the Jackson Hole airport benches were covered with cards and kids playing Spades and BS. Once our group piled into our 15 passenger van and threw their duffels into our U-Haul we headed out for our first “family roadtrip”. With some famous Pinky G’s pizza to kick off our first evening and the newly crafted Big Wild 6B Spotify playlist playing through the van speakers, we set out for Pinedale, Wyoming. Upon arrival, our kids learned how to set up their polyester palaces – aka their tents. Once camp was set up with tents overlooking the Green River and the night-sky sparkling above, we gathered around for our first Moonup.
The next morning, Dallie and Anna Kate woke up before the sun to see it rise and journal along the river. Once everyone was barely bright eyed and bushy tailed, our first Leaders of the Day – Charlie and Caroline – crafted a breakfast spread of assorted bagels and cream cheeses, scrambled eggs, and hashbrowns. With full bellies and sleepy eyes, we set out for our first activity- fly fishing! With sunscreen and bug spray “perfumed”, newly licensed Wyoming fishermen and women, we set out on drift boats for a morning of hopefully catching “hogs”. Everyone learned how to cast, set, and spot the perfect fishing hole. Shoutout to Caroline, Eliza, and Big Rob for being the big winners of the day with their boat catching the most fish! After a morning on the water, we stopped in town for a surprise ice cream treat. Big scoops made for some big smiles! Once our sugar highs settled in, we made it back to our lovely spot by the river to explore, fish some more, and prep for backpacking the next day. Crazy creeks, Moondance journals and pens, fly rods, and some awesome 14 and 15 year olds lined the shoreline. Big Rob (aka Rob the leader) shared some of his best fly fishing tips to our crew and Charlie was even able to reel in a big one standing on shore! The girls found the best hilltop overlooking a horse shore turn on the Green, and we eagerly ran up to hang out, jam out, and continue getting to know each other better. Dallie and Anna Kate practically scaled the steep hillside as they scrambled from the river below to the top. With a jam session to beat and Alex capturing the moments on his camera, we all soaked up the precious camp time. After our afternoon of exploring and fishing, our cook crew fired up the Camp Chef stove to craft a delicious dinner of Turkey Bolognese and toasted Rosemary Sourdough Bread. Our chefs made our first home cooked camp dinner taste like it came straight out of an Italian Grandmother’s kitchen! A breathtaking sunset, campfire, and s’mores capped off our first full day together.
The next day we started our first day of backpacking through the Gros Ventre wilderness. Everett guaranteed that we Left No Trace at our campsite as we headed out, and he and Dallie made sure all of our duffels, backpacks, gear, and food fit into our U-Haul – they’ve been awesome helpers the whole trip too!! We said bye to our riverside home and drove to the trailhead to get the big day started. Little Rob and Anna Kate, our Leaders of the Day, started us off with positive vibes and an inspirational quote as we hit the trail. While we hiked, our group really bonded through stories, jokes, and both deep and silly conversations. Caroline was an excellent and hilarious motivator – she made sure everyone was “locked in” and “in the zone” even when our bellies hurt from laughing and legs grew weary during steep hill climbs. She also taught us the best method for PB & J quesadillas at our lunch spot! “ACP” – Eliza, Ellen, Peter, and Charlie – kept spirits light and morale high with their brain rot jokes and constant laughter. Once we arrived at our backcountry oasis, we set up our tents and placed our “smellies” (be sure to ask your kiddos about this) in our kitchen area and truly settled into our new home for the next couple of nights. Then, we headed straight to the Gros Ventre River for cold plunges and rock skipping. The cold water rejuvenated all of us after a long, hot day! Alex shared his rock skipping methodology and ensured that everyone could successfully hit a few skips. He also quickly became one with the woods and we coined him our backcountry man of the trip. Little Rob and Anna Kate whipped up jambalaya with chopped bell peppers and sausage over the fire, and boy was that a hit! Peter even tested the limits of his test buds that evening! Once the last bites of jambalaya were gobbled up, we made brownie batter and passed spoonfuls around of the sweet, chocolatey batter. Later that evening, Little Rob and Anna Kate planned an epic Moonup with a creative story to open the Nug Jug and a thoughtful question to ask the group. With a sky full of stars and a big, bright moon above, we settled into our tents and all slept soundly after our big day.
The next day started with a slow camp morning, warm sunshine, and of course a campfire. That morning felt so magical as the sunlight leaked in through the trees and we soaked up each other’s company and our breathtaking view of Upper Falls. With packs left behind at camp and rejuvenated energy, we hiked to Chateau Lake for a day of swimming, games, and fishing. The water was chilly, but that stopped no one from finding the perfect spot and jumping in. Avery, Eliza, Alex, and Dallie braved the cold water and swam across and back the lake! I’m still amazed at their cold water tolerance! Dallie smiled ear to ear for the rest of the day and said that was the highlight of her day. Big Rob, Little Rob, Charlie, and our backpacking guide, John found some shoreline spots to cast their fly rods and even caught a few trout! Ellen found a warm and flat rock that made the perfect spot for laying out and an arena for many games of Poison Dart Frog and Mafia. Ava narrated our many rounds of mafia with creative tales of murders, rescues, and sleuthing. Everett nearly captured a mafia victory before accidentally confessing to his lakeside hi jinx. After we had our fair share of fun at the lake, we hiked back and made a pitstop above the towering waterfall by our campsite. Our LODs, Dallie and Everett, fancied up our ramen with stir fry veggies and chicken and continued our streak of delectable dinners. Naturally, we cooked it right on the campfire and all sat together slurping down the delicious meal. Once we finished dinner and Dallie and Everett drafted their dish crew – Caroline, Anna Kate, and Little Rob to help them clean up the meal. I (Janie) brought the speaker and tunes to entertain the dish crew and it quickly turned into an epic dance party. With Rihanna and throwback hits blaring, everyone gave their best performance. Everett then led the dish crew down the creek as we played Floor is Lava and hopped from rock to rock. And we even managed to clean all of the dishes amidst a dance party and exploration!
On our last day of backpacking, we woke up early to pack up camp and have our last oatmeal packets by the fire. Our motivated hikers hit the trail with positive attitudes. We made it out in record time, and everyone audibly cheered at the news of lunch at Burger Barn and a shower. Once we reached Burger Barn, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, fries, sodas, and milkshakes covered the picnic tables. After our fair share of the roadside grease trap, we all took much needed showers and headed to Jackson for our next section of rock climbing. Since everyone looked freshly pampered, a photoshoot followed once we reached our next campsite. With the Tetons and a cotton candy colored sky, how could you not take pictures?!The next morning, we woke up early to the LODs, Eliza and Peter, stirring hashbrowns and flipping chocolate chip pancakes on the griddle. And what better way to top chocolate chip pancakes than with syrup and whipped cream?! With full bellies and maybe some tired eyes, we drove to our climbing spot of the day to meet our Exum Mountain Guides and learn the basics of bouldering, top rope climbing, knot tying, and rappel. We rode the gondola up to our climbing spot and looked out at the mountains surrounding us all around. Dallie and Alex were oozing with excitement of climbing to new heights and trying hard routes. Amidst our climbing, we were hit with a hail storm out of nowhere! We huddled together under the cover of the tall pines for the short storm. Once it passed and the sky was once again bright blue, our guides taught us how to rappel and everyone tested their fears of heights. As little Rob says, “Courage is being afraid and still sending it, not about lacking fear.” Everett and Eliza took his saying to heart and proved their apprehensions wrong; they were both so so proud of themselves for climbing and rappelling on the steep Teton terrain. Once we wrapped up our first day of climbing, we drove back to camp for some friendship bracelet making lessons and dinner. Little did our kids know that we were headed to the rodeo that night too! Once we broke the news to them, audible excitement once again ensued. With french braids and country nicknames adopted, we headed to the rodeo for a night full of bull riding, cowboy sightings, and big smiles. The cowboy hat stand and mechanical bull greeted us at the entrance, and many of our kids adopted the cowboy persona for the night. Peter was the first to hop on the mechanical bull and started us off with a strong performance. Ava followed with an epic ride and maybe a shriek or two hah! Dallie decided she should LITMO (Live in the Moment) and hop on the bull as well. Avery wowed us all as she managed to have the longest ride – she could have snuck into the rodeo lineup that night with that kind of talent! After some encouragement, I (Janie) was convinced to round out our Big Wild mechanical bull riding of the night. Avery was a tough act to follow, and hopefully my performance at least held a candle to hers haha! Once the rodeo started and everyone had at least one concession stand snack in hand, we were wowed with the real deal bull riders, team ropers, barrel racers, and bare back riders. The rodeo was a hit all around; we were all smiling ear to ear the whole night.
After a late evening at the rodeo, the proper wake up call had to be cinnamon rolls, sausage, and eggs hot on the griddle- that surely got everyone up and out of their tents lickety-split! Ava and Ellen prepped our Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps for lunch and showed off their burrito rolling skills. With daypacks full of lunch, snacks, water, sunscreen, and rain gear, we drove to our next climbing spot smack dab in the middle of Grand Teton National Park. Talk about views!! We met our guides for the day and took the boat across Jenny Lake to hike to our spot for the day. Jaws were dropped as we took in the breathtaking panoramic views. With harnesses and helmets on, we scrambled high up above Hidden Falls. We continued with our bouldering and knot-tying lessons and then took on an epic multi-pitch to reach the top. Big Rob, Alex, and Dallie took on a hard route complete with a cave. Ava and Anna Kate climbed with me (Janie) and we marveled at both the incredible views of Jenny Lake and the Tetons and our guide’s calves – hah! Once we all met up at the top and finished our multi pitch climbs, we lunched with priceless views surrounding. Our guides gave us a rappel review, and we went over the overhanging cliff Mission Impossible style. Caroline, Alex, and Peter made sure everyone “sent it” and at least tried to go fully upside down! Talk about living life on the edge! After a long day on the mountain, we hiked back down and rode the boat back across Jenny Lake. Naturally, we had to stop for an ice cream treat to cool ourselves off and reward our brave efforts. After we finished up our ice cream, we headed back to our campsite for a fajita quesadilla spread complete with chips, salsa, queso and watermelon! Climbing was a blast; Big Rob and I loved watching each and every one of our kiddos try something new – whether they had climbed before or not – and really embrace the experience. Seeing each kid beam with pride and accomplishment is fulfilling to say the least.
Once again, thank you for sharing your kids with Moondance this summer. Big Rob and I are filled with gratitude at the opportunity to make these incredible memories with your kids and get to know them better. Each and every kid brings a different and irreplaceable vibe to the group. Whether it’s Dallie asking what she can help with, Peter engaging everyone in deep conversations, Avery eagerly embracing new experiences and inspiring others, Charlie keeping the jokes flowing, Anna Kate naturally stepping up as a leader, Caroline sharing all of her Camp Chef kitchen tips, Little Rob making us laugh, Eliza inspiring the group with her mature yet light hearted demeanor, Alex being the backcountry and rock climbing king, Ava looking like an old pro at every new skill she tries, Ellen being the best listener and friend to both old and new pals, or Everett seizing the opportunity to try new things and learn more about himself — we are immensely grateful for each and every kid and love seeing them thrive in the Moondance environment.
‘Til next time, Janie and Rob
P.s. we have some shout-outs from your “Big Wilders” !!
Everett – Love yall, I have the best group. The food is pretty good too 😁
Charlie – Hey Mom and Dad, I have the best group and the food is so so good. P.s. I’ve caught a ton of fish… 12 inch Brook Trout, 15 inch Brown, 12 inch Rainbow … I win Dad!!
Alex – Love both of you, Mom and Dad! The trip has been super fun and I have such a good group.
Eliza – I miss and love y’all so much! I have such a good group and so many stories to tell ya! xo Za
Ellen – I miss and love you! I have a great group and am having a good time!
Peter – Hey Mom and Dad, I miss you guys but I am having a great time. We went to a rodeo and climbed in the Tetons! Love ya.
Anna Kate – Hi Mom and Dad! I am having so much fun! I love y’all – see you soon!
Ava – Hi Mom and Dad, I’m having the best time and can’t wait to see yall! Love and miss y’all so much.
Rob – Hi familiar I don’t miss you guys because I’m having so much fun! Jk – miss ya!!
Caroline – Hi Mom, Dad, and Trey! I miss you guys so much but I’m having the best time. Tell Hank and Zops I say hi!
Avery – Hey Mommy, Daddy, JM, and Collins! I’m having so much fun here with the absolute best people, I’m not ready to come home yet, but I love y’all so much and can’t wait to see yall!
Dallie – Having a blast with the best people in the coolest place!! Love yall!!
Safe Arrival in Jackson!
July 15, 2024
Hello Big Wild Families!
We heard from our leaders this evening that the group has landed safely in Jackson and is off 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 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
