Our Final Days in Colorado!
July 9, 2024
COT 2A arrived at our campsite outside of Gunnison and immediately jumped in the lake for a sunset swim. Everyone waded in the dark pool with big smiles as Elly and Jamie prepared a delicious stir fry dinner. During dinner and Moonup, Henry exclaimed joyously each time a shooting star flew overhead; we rolled into our sleeping bags backed by the confidence of their luck.
The next day was very important: Will’s 13th birthday. Cereal, fruit, and muffins were enjoyed before we embarked on our first day of climbing. Everyone scaled the slab with commendable enthusiasm for its more challenging features, cheering on peers as they persevered to the top. Will impressed everyone with a Spiderman pose on the hardest route, hanging backwards with his feet tucked in a wide opening. CC and Bee also showcased their climbing experience through expeditious navigation and knowledge for the game. Harper J embraced understandable trepidation on her first time on the wall, learning the ropes with characteristic optimism and joie de vivre. Meanwhile at base camp, seizing every free moment as a window for game time, Natalie, Bennett, Henry, and Will played Black Jack and Texas Holdem with a pot full of rocks. After every route was climbed, the team packed up and headed to Crested Butte for a pizza lunch and ice cream. The revolving table at the restaurant quickly became a mechanism for selecting the Sheriff in one of our favorite games, Poison Dart Frog, and we played amidst conversation before the large pies arrived on their saucers. Window shopping and dog watching ensued on Main Street, and we hit the road for a shower before celebrations back at the campsite, where everyone pursued individual destinies. Harper E ran loops around the campsite circuit until dinner was ready, (Including his morning run, he successfully completed 13 miles that day). Harper J, Bee, CC, and Elly taught Bennett and Jamie how to thread bracelets with string. McCree and Natalie prepared an amazing pasta and meatball dinner. Will and Taylor tossed the pig skin. Henry and Alice provided oversight and conversation between the different activities. Chocolate cake and birthday candles were brought out before Moonup, and we chowed down as another surprise cake was used as a celebratory launching device in the birthday boy’s face. Everyone laughed and we honored the end of a special day with a meaningful Moonup question with thoughtful answers before hitting the hay for an earlier morning.
Patriotic music blasted around camp as we prepared an eggs and bacon breakfast on the 4th of July!! Donning our American colors, we drove to the climbing wall for a higher climbing route. Henry read to the group from his new book as we waited at base while others climbed. Everyone finished their route with ease. Will attempted a challenging route at the end of the morning, specifically tailored to challenge his prowess on the granite, and the entire team encouraged him on from below. We finished with sandwiches in the parking lot and drove to Salida to start the real 4th of July celebrations. A parade marched through Main Street, and before we knew it Will, Natalie, Bennet, and Henry joined the parade in celebration, taking the candy they were gifted on the receiving end and throwing it to bystanders in the crowd. Noticing a draining supply, a quick trip to the candy shop was made to replenish the fun. The weight of the bag determined the price of the candy, and our savvy financiers quickly found a loophole in the system: free candy could be acquired if the selection in the bag was paltry enough not to activate a value on the scale. They made their rounds with various scarcely filled bags, and the cashier couldn’t help but laugh, excusing the gesture as an ingenious tactic that matched the holiday’s entrepreneurial roots . Meeting up with the rest of the group with their spoils, we ventured into the town park for live music, hoola hoops, people watching, and food vendors. Will went on a rope swing into the river and the group gathered around Abraham Lincoln and George Washington for a photo shoot. As we prepared to cook burgers and hotdogs at the park and settle down for the fireworks, word from the other Colorado session surfaced that their van had broken down in a remote location near Gunnison. Naturally, elected as the pickup van that would save the day, our Salida ambitions were thwarted as we re-situated at camp for festivities while Elly shuttled to the other team. Watermelon and cookies were enjoyed as poppers were thrown by the fire. Although we missed Elly, it was a fun evening with meaningful conversation and plenty of game time.
We rafted in Browns Canyon for the final day of activities. The rapids were calm and we cut through easily, much less of a challenge than the first round on our opening day. After a delicious sandwich lunch at shore, 3 rocks was a technical rapid that quenched our thirst for risk and thrill. Taylor picked up pizza for dinner and we dined before the team practiced their choreography for a Justin Bieber song named Maria. Afterward, marching to the other Colorado session’s tents to strut their moves, they performed the dance in front of the rivaling audience, interspersed by Henry’s jokes and bat skills. The audience was left stunted without a response, and we ventured back to our camp content with such an action packed day. The next thing we knew, it was time to step up to bat for the piñata. Everyone got a swing, but it was Bee who landed the swing that spilled the candy. We enjoyed it at our final moonup around the fire and Bennett rounded off the evening by serenading us with his guitar skills.
On our drive to Denver on the final day, we stopped for delicious in n out burger lunch, a first time for many. After paperwork and housekeeping, the team swam in the vast campground lake. The water was warm and walled off by a highway dam, funneling travelers into the Rockies, and we embraced the moment with chicken fights and splash battles as our final real adventure together. After showers we departed for our banquet dinner at a sports grill, rounding off the meal with a late sonic dessert. The team got to the campsite eager to stay up until the early wake up. We had Moonup and a talent show for Oreos – in which Henry won the gang over with his impressions, McCree and Bee told a hilarious story about a sneaky Starbucks run, and Natalie, Bennett, and CC did gymnastics! The leaders tucked into their sleeping bags as the students continued to pow wow under a slightly less astonishing, but still beautiful front country sky.
It was truly such a joy hanging out with this group for the past two weeks. The students were kind, hardworking, hilarious, and eager for adventure – everything a trip leader could ask for. Throughout activities and time at camp, they embodied the live in the moment spirit toward which Moondance aspires, losing themselves in the task at hand, helping each other up in the face of adversity, and learning to never take themselves too seriously along the way. Memories were forged that I am confident will last a lifetime. Jamie, Elly, and I are going to miss them so much. Thank you thank you thank you for such an amazing two weeks!
Sincerely,
Taylor, Jamie, Elly
Farewell from COT 2B!
July 7, 2024
Hello everyone!
It’s hard to believe that two weeks have passed since we first picked up your incredible kids at the airport. It feels like just yesterday, yet at the same time so much has happened. These last few days have been especially amazing as we’ve soaked up every second together.
Since we last checked in on the fourth, we’ve had an eventful few days! Starting off with a bit of a surprise when our van broke down :/ but the kids were troopers and we all got to experience our first ever tow truck ride. While we were waiting to be picked up, Lane and Owen played ninja while Stella, Cici and Field got some sun rays. Thanks to Oliver keeping up the energy (and Happy, the tow truck driver), we made it safely to Gunnison just in time to see the fireworks. We had a perfect view! Seeing fireworks was such a special way to end our double birthday by celebrating Sydney and America.
The next morning we were up early for our final activity, rafting. Except this time we were at a new location where we faced even bigger rapids, up to class four!! The kids absolutely crushed it and the weather was gorgeous, making for a glorious day on the river. Our favorite rapid was Sharks Tooth, which gets its name from the massive rock in the middle. Our guides helped us through safely, and afterwards we celebrated by jumping out of the boats to cool off in the river. Following the lead of Mercer, Matthew and Alex, everyone else jumped right in! After rafting, we had such a fun night at our campsite because we made up our own version of the Olympics, boys vs. girls. Max was our judge and mandated the games. The boys took the W on rock throwing and the girls crushed it with the dance competition. The running portion was quite competitive, as Sydney and Field raced Lane and Oliver. We took a brief break for dinner to do a cookout with burgers and hot dogs, but shortly after we got back to it and finished the competition with capture the flag. Everyone was tired after a long, but incredibly fun filled day!
Our final hours together were spent celebrating Camilla’s birthday and sharing laughs while tie dying tshirts. We had a delicious banquet dinner and finished off the night with Moonup and s’mores around the fire. Our last question was about our greatest takeaways and favorite memories from the trip, and we can’t wait for them to share with you how empowered and appreciative they feel. We gave each other big, heartfelt hugs and cowboy camped side by side under the stars.
As our unforgettable adventure exploring Colorado comes to an end, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible memories we’ve made together and to thank each of you from the bottoms of our hearts for sharing these precious people with us. It is unbelievable how fast time can fly when you really embrace living in the moment and being where your feet are. If you were to tell us two weeks ago how much we would learn from this group of kids and how much better we are off just by knowing them we’d think you’re crazy. We love each other more than what is humanly possible and I confidently believe we all feel exceptionally impacted by the connections we’ve made and the conversations we’ve shared these two weeks. From hiking through breathtaking mountain trails to discovering perfect small towns, every single day our cups have been overflowing with laughter, excitement, and the pure joy of being in the best company in the whole wide world. Saying goodbye is never easy, but the priceless experiences we’ve shared and the friendships we’ve created will truly stay with us forever. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to help show this group their extraordinary worth. We can’t wait to watch these amazing souls grow into the spectacular people they will soon become. Thank you for sharing your amazing kids with us.
So much love,
Emily, Ansley, and Will
Fun Times in Colorado!
July 5, 2024
Friends and family,
It has been a busy and fun filled few days since we last checked in and we can’t wait to tell you everything! We’ve climbed dunes and mountains, seen waterfalls, slept under the stars, played so many card games and everything in between. This group of kids is remarkable; they love each other deeply. We are eternally grateful for the brief yet unforgettable two weeks we get to spend together. Let’s jump right in!
We began our summit to the highest dune in North America, Star Dune, at 3 a.m.! We strapped on headlamps and sang along to Taylor Swift as we hiked. Luckily, it rained the night before, so the sand was packed and much easier to walk through. The sun rose slowly as we ascended. Pink and orange hues shone through the scattered clouds, making the views especially gorgeous. A couple hours later we made it to the top-there is truly no better feeling! Alex, Max and Owen all continued along the upper ridge to take in the views from the other side of the dunes. Meanwhile, Lane and Oliver surfed, and the girls took turns tandem riding the sand boards. It felt magical to spend the morning laughing and playing on the dunes with no one else in sight! Eight miles later we reached our van. Despite how tired we were, our buckets were overflowing after a perfect morning. Before packing up camp we rewarded ourselves with cake pops, croissants, and bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches. Thanks to Matthew’s suggestion, Oliver tried his first chai latte and proceeded to invent his own drink: a chai-colate latte (chai and chocolate milk)! Everyone enjoyed well deserved naps as we drove towards our new campsite to prep for backpacking. Along the way, we stopped in Ouray for dinner. It looked identical to a quaint European town, and we agreed that we want to move there when we’re older. Our dinner in town was just what we all needed, making for a great end to a long yet fulfilling day!
Today marked the start of our four-day backpacking adventure. The morning was spent prepping for the days ahead. Will and Ansley helped everyone “duffle shuffle” and the kids learned the proper way to pack a backpacking pack, so the weight is evenly distributed. Emily organized the food into bear cans and made GORP (good ol’ raisins and peanuts) snack bags for everyone. And with that we were off! At the trailhead, we absolutely devoured chicken Caesar wraps to fuel us. Into the San Juan mountains we went! Our LODs, Cici and Owen, led the group and helped set the pace. We played wavelength, a group favorite game and listened to lots of different genres of music, too. The trail begins in an aspen forest, switchbacks through open fields, has several river crossings, and ends in a thicker pine forest. Before we knew it, we had reached our campsite which sat right above the intersection of not one but TWO waterfalls! The sun was setting over the mountains, creating the perfect backdrop for our evening. The card games broke out, marking the start of a multi-day competitions. Matthew and Alex gathered the boys to play Texas Hold Em while Camilla, Field, and Stella started a game of BS. For dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed delicious tortellini with pesto, and we always end the meal with a sweet treat and tonight everyone had huge handfuls of M&Ms! Our first Moonup in the backcountry was special and we all talked about something we want to improve on about ourselves.
We woke up to the sun, enjoying no alarms and extra sleep! For breakfast we ate oatmeal with a topping bar including honey, pb, Nutella, and more M&Ms. After our leisurely morning, we set out on a day hike to a nearby lake. Along the trail we talked about our “perfect days”. The majority of us expressed we’d spend the day on a beach or in the mountains. And most of the kids mentioned that if they could be with anyone it would be their families! At the lake, Lane and Will set up a few fly rods and taught the rest of the group how to cast. Lane was the first to catch a trout and caught 3 on the day! We explored around the lake and spent all afternoon in the sun. We encountered a marmot which was definitely a highlight of the excursion! Alex, Oliver and Emily even found some snow and had a snowball fight. The way back was all downhill, which everyone was especially grateful for. We played more cards back at camp and admired the beautiful stars thanks to the clear night!
We slept in again before our last full day of our backpacking section! Catching up on sleep in the backcountry is a huge plus and we all took advantage of it! Emily made pancakes and Ansley made hot chocolate for everyone and no better way to start the day than with a chocolate overload! More card games were played before Mercer led the group on the trail to the waterfall. We all stood under the cold water for a quick polar plunge and Matthew found some blue Quail eggs on the walk back to our campsite. Everyone felt rejuvenated for the afternoon filled with hanging out with each other and playing lots of camp games. After much relaxing, we packed up our bags and prepared for our hike out towards the trailhead. Our LODs helped us decide to camp closer to our van so we would make it to Telluride for bagels and the Fourth of July parade!
This morning was a very special one because it was a double birthday! Sydney and America!!!!!!! Sydney kindly shared powdered mini donuts with everyone to hold us over on our way to Telluride. We absolutely jammed out on our drive back to civilization with only the greatest of USA hits. Oliver requested Free Bird five minutes out of the parking lot! Many of us also love the music artist Zach Bryan who released an album for the fourth, so we listened and chose our first impression favorites. We went to an adorable breakfast stop in Telluride and everyone indulged in pastries and lox and Philly bagels. The parade was way better than we expected, and Owen and Oliver even joined a youth gymnastics team going down the main street. We, of course, stopped in some cute local shops for some retail therapy.
We can’t wait to see how life changing these last few days are and to soak up all the time we have left to form memories and friendships that will live on forever!
Lots of love,
Ansley, Emily, and Will
Climbing our way through Colorado!
July 1, 2024
Friends and family,
Greetings from Colorado! We are having the most wonderful time together and are so excited to tell you all about it. Thank you for sharing your amazing kids with us. We love them so dearly and are holding on to every second of the two weeks we get to spend with one another.
As soon as we picked everyone up from the airport, we hit the ground running and have been so busy ever since! We loaded up the van and drove towards Gunnison where we spent the next few days rock climbing. Along the way we jammed out to a playlist of the kids favorite songs and admired the stunning landscapes. It wouldn’t be the first night of a Moondance trip without pizza, so we picked some up and ate at a nearby park. Sydney and Alex started the first of many games of volleyball and everyone else joined in on the fun! An absolutely gorgeous sunset welcomed us as we arrived at camp and Will taught everyone how to set up tents. Max’s group was the first to get their tent up, so he kindly helped the rest of the kids with theirs. It has been so special to watch our group bond so well, in part because of their care for one another.
Before our first magical night under the stars, we had our very first Moonup. Moonup is a time when we gather at the end of the night to celebrate all the day’s joys and get to know each other on a deeper level. It’s a Moondance ritual that we all cherish so very much. We elected Lane and Mercer as our first LODs to set the tone for our trip by leading us through the next day – our first day of activities!
On our first day of rock climbing the kids all absolutely crushed it. Not only did everyone climb multiple routes, but they learned how to belay each other, too! Oliver, Owen, and Camilla completed all four routes with smiles beaming across their faces. Everyone was so encouraging and constantly cheering each other on and it was truly incredible to see the camaraderie within this group before our first twenty four hours together had even passed. After the activity was over, we went to a park and made sandwiches (our first of many) for lunch! Max introduced us to his new go to lunch: everything sandwiches! We played more volleyball, of course, before getting back in the van to go into the town of Crested Butte for a little visit and our first ice cream stop! Stella, Sydney, Cici, Mercer, Camilla, and Field bought matching t-shirts from one of the cute local shops and have barely taken them off since! Once we returned to camp, we threw on our bathing suits and swam in the lake. This moment was when it became obvious how much fun this group was about to have on this trip. Chicken fights were fought and the girls gave each other shampooing treatments in the lake which ended in so many belly laughs. Before dinner, Emily and Ansley led a cooking lesson making delicious burrito bowls and they soon became a group favorite. Lane and Mercer led a wonderful Moonup and everyone shared someone they look up to as a role model. So many of you were mentioned and it was so clear how much these kids love you and appreciate you.
Our second day of rock climbing was even more spectacular than the first. The scenery was insanely beautiful and everyone woke up with a little extra confidence to crush these routes. Each of them gave 100% of their effort into climbing and we were extremely impressed with the courage some had to try out the challenge course of the day as well. Lane, who should probably become a professional rock climber one day, successfully reached the top and everyone cheered him on as he lowered down. We had a blast with our guides and thoroughly enjoyed the snacks, views, and radiant positivity throughout the entire morning! After more sandwiches, we headed to our next campsite which became Matthew’s favorite. The landscape was different from our last site, but just as beautiful. We camped above the Arkansas River- our rafting destination for the days to come. Before dinner that evening we all hiked up the mountain beside our campsite to see the stunning views. The river was raging below as we all admired the beauty. Will, Oliver and Owen explored even further, reaching the top! We then prepared for our rafting trip by packing our bags for the chilly waters ahead. Thanks to Max’s suggestion, we ended the night with a game of broken telephone. These kids know how to have the most fun and never fail to stop laughing!
Our first day of rafting was extra special because it was Cici’s 13th birthday! The morning started with bacon, eggs, and bagels to fuel us all for a full day ahead. During breakfast, we had a dance party and jammed out to some of Cici’s favorite songs. Before we could get on the river we had to get suited up. We all looked a little ridiculous wearing our outfits which were full wetsuits, booties, splash jackets, life jackets, and helmets. But once we got on the river we were all very grateful to be protected from the cold! In just a couple of minutes we conquered our first class three rapid, silver bullet, which included a boat chute. It takes serious coordination to hit some of the more technical rapids just right, especially since the river is especially high right now. Despite the challenging conditions everyone did a great job working together. We followed the lead of Alex and Lane in the first boat and Oliver and Owen in the second. They set the pace for our paddle strokes and Max declared the speed was 80 BPM if case y’all were wondering! After a full day of rafting, we reached our campsite for the night along the river. The kids were all helpful in starting a fire line to help our three guides offload the gear and set up camp for the night. One of our guides, Zach, led us up to a nearby peak where we could watch others raft down zoom flume, a rapid that we were doing first thing the next morning. The evening was spent playing mafia, enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by our guides, and roasting s’mores.
We all enjoyed some extra sleep and woke up feeling well rested for our second day of rafting. After breakfast Zach and Brennan took us on an adventure to explore the canyon and we ended up at an amazing view after a little scrambling up the rocks! Once we were antsy to get back on our rafts, we took on the much anticipated zoom flume as well as the seven stairs rapid. Sydney and Oliver “rode the bull,” meaning they sat on the front of the boat facing the rapids. The sun was shining and everyone loved getting splashed throughout the journey! During lunch, Matthew lost a tooth and threw it in the Arkansas River which allegedly brings a year of good luck! While Max helped Emily at the grocery store, everyone else enjoyed a well deserved ice cream before heading to our campsite for the night. After eating jambalaya we locked in for a game of capture the flag. Spirits were high and we ended the night by talking about challenges we’ve overcome at Moonup. All of the kids have a strong tolerance for adversity and it was really special to see each of them support one another as they shared.
Off to our next activity: ropes course and ziplining! The group tackled awesome ropes courses from yellows to black and all the ones in between! Everyone had a blast and worked up so much courage to get from obstacle to obstacle. Mercer was everyone’s biggest cheerleader and made everyone feel so proud of themselves! Our super fun guides, Carrie and Lanie, loved getting to know the group and cracked jokes with them all morning and afternoon. Ziplining was a bit nerve wracking for a few of us at first but we played hype songs and once we all stepped off the block, everyone was grinning ear to ear. We did tricks on the different ziplines like going upside down or spinning around! Lane surprised us with striking a new pose on each of the seven different ziplines. We even learned about some of the history of ziplining along the way! We rolled back into the van with sore arms and legs and headed into Salida for ice cream and shopping. The thrift store was a huge hit and some of you should be expecting cool merch coming your way! Our shopping spree came to a close and we were on our way to the Great Sand Dunes to get ready for our next adventure! We had a fiesta making quesadillas in the rain and being as silly as possible before wrapping up the day with Moonup. We got to bed much earlier than usual for our earliest wake up call for our huge journey up the dunes!
Sending all of our love, until next time!
Ansley, Emily, and Will
Some shoutouts!!
Field: Hi mom and dad! I’m having so much fun in Colorado. I miss ya’ll so much!!! Can’t wait to see you soon! Say hi to Walker and Stuart if they haven’t gone to camp yet! Also say hi to Gennie for me! I love ya’ll so much!!!!!!!
Sydney: Hi guys! Having a lot of fun. Miss you! Love you!
Cici: Hi guys! Having so much fun and can’t wait to see you. Love you!
Stella: Hi mom and dad! I’m having a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see you guys again. Say hi to Guapão for me. Love you! ❤️🤩🤫🧏♀️
Lane: Hi birthgiver and birthhelper hope all is well on planet earth. 🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🗿👌🏼🤓🌞👽🙅🏼♀️🕵️♀️🧚🏿♂️🧏🏾♂️👨🏽🦯➡️🐶🌒
Mercer:hi mom and dad and Walker!! hoping yall have fun with out me in the Bahamas! Walker I hope you’re having a good time at big wild!
Owen: Dear mom and dad! I’m having so much fun in Colorado and it is so beautiful. We’re about to hike into the backcountry and I am really excited, except we have to carry heavy backpacks. Miss you guys, see you soon.
Alex: Hey mom and dad, I am having a twice as good time as high harbor. This is not what you want to hear but it is hard to miss you when I am having so much fun. We went sand surfing in the dunes and it was really fun!
Matthew: Hello Mom and Dad, I am having so much fun and I miss you so much and I can’t wait to see you. Colorado is so fun and beautiful. My favorite activity was ziplining and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Bye! 😘
Camilla: Hey fam!!! How are you guys?! I miss you sosososososo much you don’t even know. I am having sm fun!! I can’t wait to see you on the 7th!! I miss and love all of you so much. SO MUCH. SOOO MUCH! Ilysm!!! See you guys soon!! Bye!!! 🩷(Hey div!) -Sassy, Millie,
Camilla!
Max: Salutations Mother and Father, I am having a great time. I really enjoyed the zip line course and ropes course. I also got a new towel for Greenwich. Best regards, Max
Oliver: hey mother it is the most fun and I will love to see you and tell you all about the dunes and see you. Hope your knee is better and I will play cards with you when I get there 😘
Save arrival in Denver!
June 24, 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
