Final Goodbye from Colorado

June 20, 2024

Family and friends,

What a magical two weeks. It is truly remarkable that in such a short period of time strangers turned to best friends. We’ve been operating as a family of fifteen these past several days. Whether singing at the top of our lungs or whispering by the fire, every single moment has been so special.

Life has been busy since we last checked in! Our first day post backpacking was spent on the Arkansas River where we rafted through even bigger rapids than the first section of our trip. Because of the high snow melt, the water is still especially aggressive. Many class 2s have become 3s or even higher, so the kids had to be locked in to get through the rapids. We are pleased to report that no one ended up in the river! Pierre, Calvin, Walker, and Stella were all up front in their respective rafts, leading our paddling. We stopped along the way for lunch provided by our guides and then hopped back on the river in the afternoon. Our favorite rapids were “lose your lunch” and “shark’s tooth”. The water felt great, especially after backpacking.

That afternoon we stopped in Cañon City for two of our favorite activities – eating ice cream and thrifting! Alex had a couple of good finds while thrifting to add to his growing t-shirt collection. In the evening, Frankie and Will grilled burgers and brats which were a big hit. Meanwhile, we played several games at camp, including handball and some makeshift baseball using the spike ball kit. Britt Marie was our pitcher and Deaglan and Law were especially good batters. We ended the night as per usual for us by now: moonup, under the stars. This was one of our most special moonups. We talked about who we were most excited about seeing when we got home. Pets and loved ones were the most popular responses. It is so evident how much they cherish their relationships with each of you.

On our final day together, we packed up camp and hit the road back to Denver. Along the way we stopped to clean tater and tot (much needed!!!). Once arriving at our new campsite we spent time hanging out, enjoying our last moments together. Sometimes the most special ones are the most impromptu. Taylor, Davis and Maria all soaked up the sun and tanned. We played more handball, too. Alex, Calvin, and Andrew dominated, despite only being a 3-person team! For our banquet dinner we went to a great pizza restaurant and made a fire to roast marshmallows for smores at camp.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two weeks since we first picked up the kids at the airport. In part, it feels like we’ve known each other forever. But the time has also flown by, as it usually does. Thank you for sharing your most precious, wonderful kids with us. We love all of them and are forever grateful for the time we’ve spent together.

BIG LOVE,

Emily + Frankie + Will

Checking in from the wilds of CO!

June 20, 2024

“I have heard many theories about why we are here on this planet, but I think my favorite is that we are simply the universe wanting to experience itself. We’ve made life so complicated and stressful, but maybe we are just the stars curious about the earth. A little piece of the galaxy wanting to feel the dirt beneath its feet. Wanting to fall in love and feel its heart beat. Maybe our purpose here is to simply be and enjoy what unfolds.” – Unknown

Family and friends,

Hi all, all we have to say is wow. These past couple of days have been even better than the ones before. At the time, we did not think it was even possible. Yet here we are. This group has truly hit its stride. We are movin’ and groovin’. We look out for each other like siblings, laugh like childhood friends, and love like family. Our first Colorado adventure is coming to an end, and it’s hard to believe. What a couple of days it has been. Writing this will prove difficult, being that there are few words, if any, to describe the past couple of days. Yes, we can give you a day-by-day description of activities or events, but to feel how we feel now, to be here in this moment. I fear only we will understand. Nevertheless, we will try our best to relay these sentiments and are so excited to share where we have been.

Last we wrote, we were about to embark on our early morning Great Sand Dunes hike. With a 3 am wake-up call, we set out to see the sunrise. The kids piled into Tater (our van), and through half-shut eyes, we made our way to the trailhead. Our hike was only a couple of miles, but the sand made it feel much more challenging! All of the kids crushed it, following the lead of Calvin and Andrew. We hiked along the ridge of one of the tallest peaks to reach our destination just in time for the sunrise. It’s always a magical experience to see the sunrise from a beautiful spot, but nothing truly compares to the Sand Dunes. Pierre was the first to surf down the dunes on the sandboard, but Deaglan and Law were quick to follow. We spent the morning playing in the sand, running up and down the dunes, just enjoying time with one another. The girls made sand angels, we practiced handstands, and even did some tandem sandboarding. It was truly magnificent and a memory we will all certainly cherish for the rest of our lives.

After hiking back down, we all enjoyed our first much-needed showers and began our drive towards the San Juan National Forest – our destination for backpacking. Along the way, we drove through some of the most picturesque views we’ve experienced yet. Our favorite town was Ouray, which has a reputation for being the “Switzerland of the Rockies.” Even the drive was absolutely breathtaking.

The next morning, we prepared for backpacking by performing the “duffle shuffle” and learning how to pack a backpack. We loaded up Tot (our U-Haul) and headed into the backcountry. The hike to reach our base camp destination for the next few days was stunning. As we hit the dirt, Britt Marie and Taylor were natural leaders on the trail, maintaining a positive attitude the whole time and keeping vibes high for the whole group. We had a few small river crossings along the way as we gained elevation. It was pretty late when we set up camp, so we all scarfed down dinner and quickly headed off to bed.

The next morning, we did some scouting around the area and found an even better campsite that sat at the intersection of not one but TWO waterfalls. Complete with pine trees, campfire pits, and stunning views of the stars, this was our new home. We decided it would be a better campsite, so everyone was helpful in packing up and moving down the trail to our new spot. Walker, Maria, and Davis all braved the cold and even went under one of the waterfalls. The rest of the group followed their lead, and soon we were all exploring the river! We spent the afternoon in the water, making friendship bracelets, and sharing laughs by the fire. It felt like a perfect backcountry day, and we all agreed that it was one of the most incredible campsites we’ve ever stayed at.

Day 3 of backpacking was just as special. We slept in and had a lazy morning, ate chocolate chip pancakes, and geared up for a day hike to a nearby lake. Spirits were high as we arrived, and most of the group plunged in. Navajo Lake is a snowmelt-fed alpine lake surrounded by 14,000 ft peaks. It was absolutely stunning. Calvin impressed us all with his rock-skipping skills, setting the record of 27 skips! After a much quicker hike downhill back to camp, we made dinner on the fire, played mafia narrated by Alex and Stella, and mooned up under the stars.

There is something special about the backcountry that not a lot of people know about or understand unless they’ve spent a lot of time there. First thing is time is directed by the sun and stars. We rise with the sun and fall with the stars. Everything becomes simpler. Your needs and wants become very focused. Very clear. Water, food, shelter. Once those are met, you find yourself with no worries. No anxiety, no purpose, no responsibility. It’s a beautiful state of mind. All we strive for is fun and relaxation. A little RnR.

This morning we packed up to hike out of the backcountry, retracing our steps from the first day. We enjoyed a well-deserved lunch in Telluride, followed by snow cones and some shopping. As we head to our last activity, we’re reminded of the opportunity to soak up every moment with each other. There’s this thing about Moondance which is paradoxical. Yes, we strive to live in the moment, but we are human after all. Our minds wander. We think of home and days to come. We think of you. Sometimes to be grateful, you must remove yourself from the moment. Reflecting on time gone by and the mysteries that lie ahead. Although they are nice thoughts, we are where our feet are, and we are grateful for it. Grateful for all of you. This all would not be the same without your love, and we send it back to you from across the country. Eager to see your faces yet saddened at the thought of saying goodbye to the ones in front of us. We have just a few more days. We will check back in one last time. Until then, be well.

BIG LOVE,

Frankie, Will, and Emily

Greetings from Colorado

June 14, 2024

Friends and Family,

Hi all, Frankie, Will, and Emily here. Greetings from the colorful state of Colorado. We are about halfway through our grand adventure and we could not be more happy. This group has been absolutely incredible. We are completely blown away. Watching them come together and work as a team these past few days has been so rewarding as leaders. Colorado is at its peak. Summer at its finest. It is absolutely beautiful here. It’s almost day seven now and what a week it has been. The start of this trip is a perfect balance of relaxation/adjusting and a sneak peak of the things to come. This group is off to an incredible start. Even though this is everyone’s first Moondance trip (with the exception of Walker), it feels like they are so accustomed to the culture already. It is truly a lovely surprise. We are truly performing and it’s so cool. Will, Emily, and I are beyond excited to start our Colorado summer with such an amazing group of people. We also can’t wait to share it with all of you as well. So buckle up, this one is going to be special.

After receiving the kids on day one, we loaded up the van to head towards Gunnison. Alex with the help of Walker, lovingly named our van and U-haul Tater and Tot. Along the way, we got to know each other by playing two truths and a lie and wavelength. Breaking the ice on any trip is always a bit funny and definitely awkward, too. Especially when it’s everyone’s first trip. This group sailed right through it. It’s as if they’d known each other all along. After a couple hours, we stopped for pizza before settling into our first campsite. We set up camp on a little peninsula surrounded by an absolutely gorgeous lake. After learning how to set up their tents and sleeping bags we all circled up outside under the stars for our first Moonup. Moonup is a debrief of the day and briefing of the next day. It is our group’s time to share music and poems, get to know each other better, and laugh a lot. It is also a time to reflect inward and learn more about ourselves. Every Moondance trip has Moonup every night and we believe it is one of the most important things we do. It is also a nice thought that all around the world, in the future, in the past, across oceans and continents, in different cities and countries, all summer, people are connecting through this practice. Since it was our first Moonup, the three of us kicked off the festivities, but after this evening the students will take full control of this space. We chose the leaders of the day, or LODs, for tomorrow which were Davis and Pierre. They impressed us with their maturity and eagerness to dive right in, helping to form a beautiful group dynamic that has lasted ever since. They will be in charge of encouraging the group tomorrow, keeping up the energy, and leading our moonup. Once moonup was over everyone was exhausted after a long day of travel so we headed off to bed.

Here in Colorado, the sun rises early and thanks to the time change, the kids were up with the sun ready to go on day two. We made some Kodiak Cakes for breakfast with chocolate chips and blueberries and headed to our first activity-rock climbing. Stella, Walker, and Law crushed all four routes and even went back to climb for a second a third time! After a full morning of climbing we visited the beautiful mountain town of Crested Butte for some well deserved ice cream. Surrounded by mountains and stunning views we checked out the local shops. Alex and Walker bought some funny shirts and we set off. Back at camp, the lake was calling our name. Following Andrew and Calvin’s lead, the entire group plunged into the freezing water! That night the kids learned how to cook a front country meal. We mooned-up by the lake and Frankie even played guitar for us. (Emily here) he won’t say this, but I’m going to brag on him and share how talented he is. He played a couple original songs and some group favorites, too. There is truly no better way to end the night!

The next day we rock climbed at a new spot which happened to be even more remarkable than the day before. The crag sat atop of a small cliff with all kinds of cool routes to climb. Declan and Britt Marie impressed us all with their speed and fearlessness on the climbs. Davis also crushed it and conquered her fears! That evening we headed towards a new campsite. Along the way we picked up a football and volleyball. Frankie and Will put together a football game where Andrew and Pierre played top notch. Law had the best touchdown of the game by a mile. Despite the rain the boys played for hours. Meanwhile, Davis, Britt Marie, Stella and Maria played a volleyball match. Emily cheffed up some burrito bowls thanks to the help of Taylor, Calvin and Walker. The campsite was along the river, so even though the rain subsided, we still fell asleep to the sound of moving water.

The next day, we woke up early yet again to begin our first rafting section. This summer has seen record high temperatures which is causing the snow pack on the mountains to melt faster than normal. Because of this, the water was at especially high levels. This mean extra splashes and some intense rapids! We met our guides, got geared up, and headed to the river. Our favorite rapid was The Flume, which kind of came out of nowhere. I think even the guides who have seen everything were pretty stoked. Back at camp, Maria and Law learned how to play euchre. Our guides were nice enough to give us some wood for a fire. We all sat around roasting s’mores and telling jokes. Andrew set the marshmallow record by a long shot, reaching 30. Needless to say he won’t be eating marshmallows again anytime soon! Alex, Stella, and Walker decided to cowboy camp under the stars. There’s truly no better way to fall asleep.

Our second day of rafting began with a delicious breakfast of eggs, sausage, and potatoes, graciously prepared by our guides. The kids got to sleep in and were feeling well rested which made for a great day on the river. The sun was shining and it felt so refreshing to be on the water. We loaded into the boats, which we named Spud and Curly. Andrew and Pierre led Curly and Declan and Calvin led Spud. Class three rapids on a hot summer day is exactly as refreshing and fun as it sounds. That afternoon we explored our favorite town yet and stopped for ice cream, because why not? When we arrived at our new campsite the kids eagerly explored the area. They scaled up the mountain and had possibly the best view of the trip so far. Other highs of the day included a dance party, quesadillas, playing mafia, guitar, and another campfire. At Moonup we talked about how we wanted to live a “rich” life. We talked about our friends and our family and how spending time with y’all is most worthy of enterprises. We are all so grateful for all of you. These experiences you have enabled us to be a part of will set us up for the rest of our days. Much love to you.

We spent most of our sixth day at a ropes course and zip line compound. The ropes course gets progressively more challenging as you “level up” to different sections. Once passing through the yellow and green lines you can move to blue, and Calvin, Andrew and Pierre even reached the black level. Maria and Taylor were especially excited to zip line and often took the lead. The afternoon was filled with more ice cream, thrifting, and volleyball back at camp. The sunset absolutely floored all of us. The colors were straight out of a Van Gogh. That night we had a special moon up where we talked about challenging things we’ve all faced in life. We all learned that no matter who you are you have hard times. How you respond to those situations is who you are. We all walked away feeling we could tackle anything throw at us. At moonup, we like to begin with a serious question and end with something more light hearted. The duality of both sentiments is essential in cultivating an environment of trust, love, and respect. It allows us to be more than group but more of a family. Through these moments we can be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Learning a little about the world one person, one experience at a time. One foot in front of the other. Able to be the truest version of ourselves.

This morning we’re headed to the sand dunes. We now find ourselves in the middle of something beautiful. Fearful of only one thing. Time. We know it’s running out. The ever looming thought that this too shall pass and our wonderful journey will come to end sits in the back of all our minds. We have come to love each other and can’t even imagine saying goodbye. It feels unnatural. It’s as if the past seven days have been seven years. Yet at the same time it has been a blink of the eye. Time is weird on Moondance. It stretches and it squeezes. It does not, however, go backwards. In life the only thing we will ever really take with us is memories. At the moment, we are in one of those memories. The ones that last a lifetime. As we all well know, we might forget who we met, or what we did, but we will never forget how we felt. We miss you all dearly. We will check back in soon. Until then, be well.

BIG LOVE,

Frankie + Will + Emily

Some shoutouts!!

Alex : Dear, Bella, Bobby, Mom and dad,I am having a great time in Colorado thanks for packing me mom. Happy early Father’s Day dad, dance well Bella, and have fun at film camp Bobby miss you lots and can’t wait to see you again. Xoxo

Stella: Camp is amazing! Thanks SOOO much for sending me to camp. I’m having so much fun and I loved rock climbing. The sand dunes were great. Happy early Father’s Day. Dad, did you take my gloves to Vegas? Love you all so much. See you soon. Xoxo

Walker: Mom and dad miss you a tonnnn. The star park makes coni bark. Squeak gives the falcon its beak.

Maria: Happy early Father’s Day dad, I miss you mom camp is fun ig. xx

Britt Marie: Hey mom and dad! Happy early Father’s Day, dad! I’m having such a good time in Colorado. This morning we woke up at 3am to go hike the sand dunes, and it was so pretty. We also got to see the sunrise on the dunes. Colorado is doing pretty, and I’m having so much fun doing all the activities. Tell Max, Brad, and Kiks that I miss them so much and that I say hi! I love you xxxx

Davis: Hi Mom and Dad! Happy Father’s Day❤️! I am having an amazing time in Colorado with my friends. One of my favorite things has been the sand dunes that we had to wake up at 4 to hike. It looked so unreal. I also loved the ropes course and zip line we went on yesterday. All of the activities have been so fun!! I love you guys, G and Ellie!!

Taylor: Happy early Father’s Day! I miss you all so much and hope it’s not to hot down in Tampa. I hope maverick is feeling better and that Ella and her friends are having lots of fun at the house with my room being empty for them to have big sleep overs. Here in Colorado I’ve been sleeping in tents where there’s dirt everywhere and it’s almost always cold. But it’s awesome. Miss you lots xoxoxo

Calvin: hi mom and dad. I am having fun. My favorite part was the sand dunes.

Pierre: hi mom and dad. I am having fun! My favorite part was the sand dunes.

Andrew : hi mom and dad. I am having so much fun. My favorite part was the ropes course. I went crazy.

Deaglan: I’m having fun. My favorite part of this trip is rafting. Love you

Law: hey mom and dad and maybe sister so this is a check in so far I have done zip gliding white water rafting and rock climbing. I have backpacking the banquet and then I come back to you I am having so much fun love you ❤️😘😍. Ps I bought to much candy 🤣

Emily: Love y’all so much. I’m having the most amazing time and never want it to end. Miss you! Xo ems

Frankie: if you’re reading this, be healthy, be happy, be you. Much love

Will: hope everyone’s keepin it real, thank you. We are livin up in CO. Bless up

Safe Arrival in Denver!

June 7, 2024

Hello Colorado Trail Families!

We heard from our leaders this afternoon that the group has landed safely in Denver and is headed 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