We miss all of you already!
June 22, 2024
What a bittersweet farewell to our time in British Colombia!!!
The last few days of our BCO trip have been nothing short of adventure, reward, celebration, and reflection. After two long days in the sun in Tofino, we packed up camp at Bella Pacifica early and drove 3 hours to take the Horseshoe Bay Ferry back to the mainland. This travel day allowed everyone to write fun memories and reflections down in their journals, play some group games in the car like Guess That Movie and various riddles, and of course have sing-alongs to our favorite tunes from Ryan’s musical aux. We treated the gang to sandwiches from a local stop in the ferry port as we waited to board, and once on the ferry, we enjoyed the views of the water and continued hanging out and resting. We just had a short 30 minute drive left to our final campsite at Klahanie Campground! This was one of our most remote, rustic campsites, and we set up our tents with insane views of a roaring waterfall right in front of us! Don led the group in a fun chanting game called Ronald McDonald to get everyone’s wiggles out, and we played lots of frisbee and joked around before having a fan favorite for dinner: Make Your Own Pizzas. After dinner, the kids had lots of fun playing spike ball, watching Sarah and Crawford upset James and Ryan, witnessing the ultimate rap battle between Ryder and Bridger, taking some glorious much-needed showers, and getting a surprise visit from a curious furry guest- a harmless raccoon who just wanted to make a pizza too! We had moon-up that night after sunset in a circle led by LODs Sarah and Mac and got some sleep to prep for a big next day.
The next morning we woke to make chocolate chip pancakes to celebrate the start of our grand finale activity, an overnight white water rafting trip on the Squamish River!!! LODs Stephen and Jane got the gang excited as we hopped in the car and met our guides at Canadian White Water Rafting just 20 minutes away. Here we had some lunch, geared up in our last round of wetsuits, ditched the van, and embarked on our overnight rafting journey. In two big rafts steered by our friendly guides Connor and John, the group had a blast paddling down some class 3 and 4 rapids, getting splashed by the chilly water, and soaking up the most incredible scenic views of ice-capped mountains, beautiful waterfalls, and greenery all down the river. We stopped for warm hot chocolate and cliff bars on one rocky beach in the middle of the journey. Crawford and Harper braved sitting front row for some of the biggest rapids, and everyone had amazing attitudes throughout the 2 hour raft ride! Around 5 PM, we reached our campsite for the night, a remote little island where our guides had set up a covered kitchen area with some delicious appetizers of hummus, cheese and crackers, guacamole, salsa, and fruit for the hungry voyagers. While the guides prepped dinner, the kids changed into dry clothes, set up their tents, and explored the small island. We ate a delicious meal of steak, salmon, mashed potatoes, and caesar salad, and polished off the meal with homemade berry crumble for dessert. The group showed off their dishwashing and clean-up skills and were very grateful to our awesome guides for such a great meal and setup. We had an early moon-up led by Stephen and Jane, and we enjoyed the last of our long day walking around the cool sand beach, skipping rocks, and the kids fell asleep under the stars in their first-ever night of cowboy camping- no tents necessary 🙂
The next day, we woke early to have warm breakfast wraps courtesy of our raft guides, and packed up everything into the boats for the last stretch of our rafting trip. This was a much calmer float down the river, and we had such a relaxing time admiring the Squamish scenery and chatting it up in our rafts. We docked the raft where the bus was parked to take us back, and the kids helped get everything out of the boats and loaded up before taking a lunch break back at the rafting spot. We laughed at some action pictures taken of the group, relaxed for a bit, and then changed clothes for our last hoorah- competing the challenging Chief Hike for supreme views of Squamish! LODs Crawford and Ryder set the pace for this group hike, which was no easy feat, about 1.5 miles of steep climbing to get to the first and second peaks. The team had awesome attitudes the whole way up, and man were the views worth it! We celebrated our climb looking out over all of Squamish, the beautiful bay, town, trees, mountains, and river that we had just rafted as a team. We got some group pics, and after our hike down, got some well-deserved gas station treats post-hike. Tired but rewarded from our final day of fun in Canada, everyone returned to the campsite at Klahanie to make some tasty fettuccine alfredo and ate it family-style at a couple of picnic tables. Special shout-out to Emerson and Harper, who tackled cleaning a DAUNTINGLY dirty pasta pot and made the impossible possible with their persistence, leaving it good as new We laughed about our favorite memories, played some group games, and had a sweet moon-up led by Ryder and Crawford, where we all shared what we were excited and nervous for with the upcoming year.
We woke up the next morning early to pack up camp and embark on our travel day back to the U.S.! We surprised the group with donuts from Tim Horton’s, a classic Canadian breakfast chain similar to Dunkin’ Donuts, and drove 3 hours to Seattle. We made some pit stops to clean the van, which Mac, Jack, and James had almost a little too much fun power washing, ate lunch and stretched our legs at Volunteer Park in Seattle, and purchased some funny outfits from local Goodwill for our Banquet dinner, which Bridger, Stephen, Harper, and CC in particular got creative with. We ate that evening at Azteca Mexican Grill, and the group had a blast celebrating the end of an amazing trip over yummy Tex-Mex in their hilarious costumes. After dinner, we checked into the Double Tree airport hotel, where everyone packed up, cleaned up, got ready to sleep in some comfy hotel beds instead of tents (!!!), and rejoined for our final moon-up. This was a bittersweet moment for the crew, and we spent some time going over funny memories, our favorite days of the trip, and sharing how thankful we all were for this beautiful group of people and everything we were able to accomplish, learn, and experience together. After some big group hugs, laughs, and even a pillow fight, the kids rested up for a very early airport morning.
On our final day, we got everyone to the airport safely nice and early by 3:00 AM to prepare for their flight departures. Airport days are always hectic, but this BCO group had amazing attitudes and made the day run as smoothly as possible. We said our goodbyes in intervals, and though these moments were sad, the bittersweet tears from students and leaders alike made us realize how lucky we are to have something that makes goodbye so hard 🙂
From your Moonmom, moondad, and moon uncle– we miss you all SO much already!!!! BCO 1A will always have a special place in our hearts. You were our first-ever Moondance session, and we feel so grateful for this special group of kids. Yes, we surfed, we hiked, we camped, we climbed, but most importantly, we became a family, and it was each one of you brilliant young people who made this trip magical. Thank you for sharing your personality, your goofiness, your kindness, your helpfulness, your hard work, and your hearts with us for 2 weeks. We can’t wait to stay in touch and see all the amazing things you do!!!
Stay fired up and motivated, BCO 1A. Ryannadon OUT!!!
Love,
Your leaders
Annabel, Don, and Ryan <3
Feeling 'Swell' in Tofino!
June 17, 2024
Hello again from BCO 1A!
These last few days have been chock full of adventure, hilarious moments, inside jokes, group bonding and reflection. On Tuesday, the group got to enjoy a late morning after being on the go for so long, and had a great time making banana, blueberry, and chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. We packed up camp and took the ferry off of Quadra and back to Vancouver Island. Just 10 minutes away we stopped for a hike to Elk Falls, a magnificent waterfall in Elk Falls Provincial Park. After the hike, we drove about an hour to our next campsite in Cumberland! Right when we got there, Jack and CC led the group in a classic Moondance polar plunge into beautiful Lake Comox, right on the shores of our campsite. The kids had a great time jumping off of the raft into the water and warming up with hot chocolate while we all prepped dinner. LODs Mac and Emerson were our superstar chefs this evening for everyone’s favorite… TACO TUESDAY! After a dinner full of dancing and cheffing it up, we enjoyed a warm campfire masterly crafted by Jane and some singalong guitar tunes from James for moon-up.
There was no better way to start off the mid section of the trip than our first day of rock climbing and rappelling! Wednesday morning we joined Island Alpine Guides Jan (pronounced “Yawn”) and Tom around 9 AM ready to climb, and hiked up to some awesome rock walls in the forest near our campsite. James was one of the first to volunteer to climb, followed by Harper and Bridger, who both were stuck to the wall like spider monkeys all day! Both the guides and us leaders were pleasantly surprised with how into climbing the group was- there were four routes up the wall, and every student tried each of the four routes up the wall at least twice. Ryder and Stephen were master belayers by the end of the day, while Mac was having a great time swinging from side to side on his rope on the way down his route. We ate sandwiches at the bottom of the rock wall and continued climbing/rappelling until around 3 PM. As a treat for their hard work and great participation, the crew got to go into town for a local treat stop at Love’s ice cream! After a little town stop and the best ice cream everyone had tasted in a long time, the crew took some warm showers at the campsite and hung out by the beach. Bridger, Harper, and Emerson braved the cold water once again (along with their leaders this time!) while the rest of the gang played spike ball, and just hung out chatting and laughing. Dinner tonight was grilled cheese bar and tomato soup, which LODs Bridger and Sarah executed to perfection. We had enough time after dinner clean up to catch the sun as it set behind the mountains and over the lake. The group sat in silence for a bit admiring this spectacular view, and each shared a little bit of gratitude for this place and the people we were sharing it with. It was an amazing end to our full day.
The next morning the group rallied for day 2 of rock climbing and rappelling. Our guides split up to monitor one taller rappel and a new rock wall with trickier routes. The gang continued to impress us with their helpfulness and participation, taking turns to climb, rappel, and belay one another, and doing consistent safety checks. Crawford volunteered to rappel first today and everyone put their all into the climbing wall. After a couple hours, we hiked up to the famous Devil’s Ladder, an amazing climb and rappel that overlooks the lake. We ate lunch with breathtaking views and took turns cheering each other on as each student successfully attempted the Ladder. We were so proud of everyone who tried the daunting route! Stephen, Ryder, Emerson, and Jack kept us entertained playing one of leader Don’s improv games at the top while we waited for everyone to finish. After a long day of climbing, the group napped and journaled in the van as we said goodbye to Cumberland and headed to Tofino for our next few days of activities. We had a late dinner of chili and cornbread when we got to Bella Pacifica campground, and LODs Ryder and Crawford led our moon-up around the campfire before we hit the hay, falling asleep to the pitter patter of rain on our tents.
Our first day in Tofino welcomed us with partly sunny skies, despite a rainy early morning! Everyone got ready for their first day of surfing and stand up paddle boarding, fueled by some hearty eggs and bacon. Our first activity was surfing at 11 AM, and everyone had a blast with our helpful instructors, both standing up and falling in the waves. Jack, CC and Mac had natural success on the waves and led the group’s energy as everyone progressed. After a morning surfing the cold pacific ocean, we took a lunch break in the sun and headed over to SUP for the afternoon. Guides Alby and Robbie led us through kelp forests, where we saw tons of kelp crabs (and got to pick them up!), did some paddle board yoga, which Harper excelled at, and played games like World Domination. James and Stephen put their all into the day’s grand finale, an obstacle course diving over and under our paddle boards, and everyone ended the day in happy fits of laughter. Once back at the campsite, the kids enjoyed games of charades and relaxed while we got a few more groceries for the rest of the trip. Dinner tonight was everyone’s favorite- burgers, hot dogs, and mac n cheese! Everyone enjoyed moon-up on the beach tonight, where LODs Bridger and Harper led us in thoughtful reflection of the trip thus far under the moonlight.
Day 2 of surfing and SUP brought even better weather and lots of time in the sunshine. Today we paddle boarded first, and got to explore a new area of the beach. CC and Sarah spotted a few otters running up the rocks, while guides pointed out a sea lion further out in waves too! Jack and Leader Ryan entertained us all with the ultimate showdown for who could knock the other off first. This afternoon we took to the surf waves, and with our practice from the day before, everyone did amazing! Crawford and Ryder both made relentless efforts in the waves, while Bridger tried his new favorite vegetable- sea kelp! (recommended by our guides, of course). Emerson and Jack showed us all how it was done today, and everyone did an amazing job catching waves, wiping out, and getting back after it again. After a very long day in the sun, everyone got dry and got to explore the town of Tofino for our town day! We shopped for souvenirs and postcards, and everyone cheered on Mac as he took on a Tofino local in 1v1 basketball at the park. The group ate fresh fish n chips and chicken tenders from local spot Big Daddy’s Fish Fry as the sun began to set. With full bellies, we headed back to play spike ball, strum the guitar, and enjoy the sunset for our last beach moon-up at this campsite. LODs Emerson and James led us in thoughtful reflection of our amazing time in Tofino as we prepped to leave for the final stretch of our journey.
Time has flown for this adventurous, insightful, and fun BCO crew! We feel so lucky to get to spend every day with this group and love seeing each student in full form. Everyone is in high spirits and looking forward to the next and final few days of our amazing trip! Stay tuned for more.
BCO A
Greetings from British Columbia
June 14, 2024
Good morning from British Colombia! Contrary to popular belief, Seattle welcomed us with sunshine for days. The first night we made it to our campsite near the Canadian border where we hung out on the beach. We watched the breathtaking sunset while James and Annabel serenaded us with some righteous tunes on the guitar. A picture perfect start to a wonderful adventure! We had an early start the next morning, where the leaders of the day, James and Harper, led us on our first big test: Canyoneering. We strapped up head to toes in wet suits, helmets, and harnesses to repel down magnificent waterfalls into the crystal clear water below. LOD Harper took the lead by volunteering to go first on the repel to show the group how it’s done! Crawford, ecstatic to take on the challenge, volunteered within seconds after Harper. We wrapped up the day at a near by campsite where Mac and Emerson took charge on a classic hearty Italian Ziti with toasted bread. Mac found the bread cutting very “satisfying” and promises to bring those skills back home. A much needed meal after a long day of adventuring.
We woke up even earlier to catch the Ferry to Vancouver Island. Stephen’s idea to have Oreos on the deck while we watch the water added a major boost to the already electric start to the day. The ferry offered awesome views of the island and gave us lots of time to get to know each other and play some fun games. Once we made it to the island, we ventured to Comox to take a second shorter ferry to Quadra Island, our home for the next two nights. The group had a blast at our campsite decorating the van, led by the girls natural artistic vision, throwing the frisbee, which Bridger and company have named Peter, and checking out all the crabs and “sea stars” (Canadian for star fish) at the rocky beaches.
The following day, we hit the water hard in the sea kayaks. The wind speeds were high and so were everyone’s spirits! CC and Jack, the day’s LODs, lead the charge as we ventured into the Quadra Island coastal waters. We had snacks on the shoreline and watched a group of seals sunbathing from afar. Ryder and Sarah spotted a a curious seal peak its head out of the water near their boats, and the seal became our mascot for the remainder of the journey. Dinner that night was meatball subs in honor of meatball Monday, and the kids enjoyed surprise s’mores after before Moon-up.
Overall, these first four days have been a whirlwind- we have loved watching each student come out of their shells and look forward to seeing them in full bloom. We can’t wait for all the activities, group bonding, and fun memories to come!!
Stay tuned 🙂
Safe arrival in Seattle!
June 7, 2024
Hello British Columbia Families!
All students have landed safely in Seattle and the group is headed to their first campsite this evening! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
