Journey Through Prince William Sound!
July 1, 2024
Hello again from Prince William Sound!!! The past four days have been smooth sailing, and I can’t believe our travels are coming to an end. After our backpacking section, it was hard to imagine anything better, but once we hit the water, there was no looking back.
On our first day, led by Lavinia and Rollins, we set out in pairs in our kayaks, cruising along the coastline and counting bald eagles. By day’s end, we had spotted five of them, sparking a bet between Ana and McKee on how many we’d see by trip’s end. Our first campsite resembled a fairyland: a beach strewn with the roundest, softest pebbles imaginable, perfect for Ellis and Sara’s afternoon nap. Narrow boardwalks led us to tent platforms nestled amidst lush green forest. While the rest of the group swam and played, Sara impressed us all by floating contentedly in the chilly water under the sun. After dinner—pesto orzo with zucchini—we enjoyed a Moonup on the beach before retiring to our forest fairyland for the night.
Our next campsite, about ten miles away, felt easier after the previous day’s warm-up. Ellis, leading the day, pointed out a humpback whale breaching nearby, delighting us all as we watched its majestic dives. Lunchtime brought a well-deserved break, especially for Sara, who battled seasickness like a champ. Nutella-filled wraps provided an extra boost of energy. During breaks, we amused ourselves by skipping rocks, with Bays proving a pro with the least-splash technique. Switching kayak partners kept conversations lively, especially with Sally, our Queen of chat. Rollins added intensity with a spirited game of 20 Questions while paddling, ensuring we stuck to the rules. At camp, we set up a large tent and enjoyed homemade pizzas, lovingly prepared by Ana and Sara, who may have sampled “a few” extra pepperonis. Another cozy night in the forest ensued.
The following day, we enjoyed a leisurely morning without breaking camp. Daisy, Scarlet, and McKee treated us to a lazy breakfast of cinnamon-apple tortillas with Nutella and peanut butter, which everyone loved. Setting off, we headed to visit some glaciers. A hike to Lawrence Glacier provided awe-inspiring views, with Sally and Bays finding the perfect sit-spot rock overlooking the boulder field. At Beloit Glacier, we marveled at the thunderous calving of ice into the water. Bays and Ella, leading from the rear, kept our spirits high. Ella, an exemplary Leader of the Day, exemplified expedition behavior, sharing everything from food to bug nets. Even when a whale breached nearby, she graciously shared her bug net so others could witness the spectacle. After returning from the glaciers, we savored our final dinner together—chicken, cheese, and veggie quesadillas—prepared to perfection by Lavinia. As we sat in our bug tent, we reflected on our journey so far and the days ahead.
The next morning started early as we packed up and headed to our water taxi pickup. A breakfast of cheese grits fueled us for the last stretch, and we arrived with time to spare. Lounging on the beach, we played hacky sack, listened to McKee’s tunes, crafted last-minute friendship bracelets, and wrote letters to each other. The drive to Talkeetna was peaceful, setting the stage for our final day. To celebrate our adventure’s end, we enjoyed a banquet dinner with fresh salmon burgers, curly fries, and sweet treats from a local Talkeetna store. The evening continued with a poignant Moonup by the river, as the sun dipped low but never fully set.
Our grand finale was an air taxi flight around Denali, North America’s tallest peak at 20,310 feet. Jaws dropped and conversations hushed as we took in the breathtaking mountain views from this dramatic perspective. This last adventure perfectly captured the essence of our group and trip: exhilarating, awe-inspiring, enduring, and incredibly fun. We’re grateful for the cherished time we’ve spent together and look forward to more adventures ahead!!! Cheers!!
It has been an honor to know and love your kids,
Daisy, Scarlet, and McKee
Thank yous:
Lavinia- Thank you mom and dad for such an incredible trip! I’ve had the experience of a lifetime and can’t wait to see y’all soon!
Ana- I’ve loved this trip so much thank you for giving me this opportunity! Love you guys so much, see you soon to tell you all about it!
Ellis- Hey guys! I’ve have such an amazing time on my trip and I can’t thank y’all enough for this opportunity!! I can’t wait to tell everyone about it! See yah!!
Rollins- Hey Pops and Ma, writing this message is not nearly enough of a thank you for allowing me to be on this trip but… Thank You! I cannot wait to see y’all in a few days!
Bays- thanks aunt dos and uncle choochoo!!! Love ya to bunches! From Bays and Scarlet and Daisy and Mort
Sara- Thank y’all soooooooo much for this trip!! It has been absolutely AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to see y’all soon!! Love y’all!
Sally- Thank y’all for such an amazing trip, I couldn’t have thought of a more amazing way to spend my summer!!!!!! Love y’all!!
Ella- hello family!!! I love and miss y’all so much, thank you for this incredible trip! See ya soon!
Greetings from the Talkeetna Mountains!
June 25, 2024
Greetings from the Talkeetna Mountains!! Our group has spent the last 6 days trekking through the wild tundra of the Alaskan outback and has returned stronger, smarter, and closer than ever.
Day one we got our first real taste of the trail. Within the first 10 mins a moose sighting in the FAR distance reminded us to keep our bears calls rolling, and we sure did. Ana led the charge with the bear calls and kept us consistent while also providing some creative renditions of her own best calls to encourage the others. Short but strenuous, our hike took us up a steep incline and led us right to the campsite. We started out our first night with a surprise birthday celebration for Lavinia which took place at the most breathtaking view we’ve had all trip. Gazing out across the Chugach mountains, our group wore pointed colorful party hats and made an interesting new version of birthday cake that hopefully Lavinia will never forget. Our next day was eye opening in more ways than one.
We left our beautiful campsite view for another one featuring the wide open valleys and vast riverbeds ahead. We stopped for some peanut butter and jelly tortillas and played some jams on the speaker while we shared lunch. Further down the trail we got to experience a classic Alaskan rain shower. The group didn’t skip a beat. Rain jackets were whipped out and Ella, per usual, kept the group upbeat and positive as we practically skipped through the storm. Finding our campsite proved somewhat difficult after the rain but once we secured our spot by Hicks Lake, Bays was on top of the cook crew. She delegated dinner tasks while Ellis, Ella, and Rollins went to gather water. The chicken pesto pasta didn’t stand a chance that night. We had a beautiful view for Moonup and then hit the hay. The next day was one of mega exploration. We had 3 river crossings, all of which were done flawlessly. Seeing this group encourage and support each other throughout the crossings was heartwarming and showed us how far their team building has come. Sallys energy throughout each day was contagious. Whether it was thought provoking and intriguing conversation or a random “fire me up” to get the group dialed in, she was much appreciated. We got to a point of decision making for our next campsite. Rollins helped us do some surveying and exploring before making our next move. Once we arrived at camp Ellis showed us the joys of finding small treasures in nature like cool rocks, left behind objects around camp, and Alaskan artifacts. She was always hopping around showing us her new discoveries. The next morning we were locked in and ready to take on our longest day yet. After a breakfast of cheese grits and oatmeal, we took off with speed and made it to camp hours earlier than planned. I’ve never seen a group so determined. Sara kept the trail games comin throughout the day and the hours passed in a flash. From the safety of our tarps and tents we watched a storm turning dark in the distance and ate pasta with sausage and red sauce and had Moonup before bedtime. Our zero day was much needed. Everyone woke up lazily, snoozed a bit more, journaled and read, then cheffed up some pancakes when we were ready. We had our eyes set on a ridge line in the distance for a day hike. More incredible than we could’ve imagined, the view from the top revealed a panoramic horizon of snow capped peaks and the Matanuska glacier we had ice climbed only days before. After some individual quiet time, Sally, Bays, Ana, Ellis, and Rollins started up a dance party that took us all the way down the mountain. Vibes couldn’t have been higher as we rejoined camp and got a hacky sack game going while dinner prep began.
We’ve been incredibly lucky to see so much wildlife on this section. During Moonup we got to watch a baby moose chasing it’s mother across the ridge line and the group went wild. The next morning we packed up for a final trek down the mountain With lightened packs, muddy boots, and smiling faces the group made the final push to our pickup location, but not before stopping in a meadow nearby for a final backpacking lunch and a game of hacky sack. A backpacking trip is never complete without ice cream so our first stop was just that.
After our days out in the backcountry, rafting was a fresh restart. The first morning we were awake early getting suited up from head to toe in our dry suites. We got to know our guides and the rapids started out slow before gaining in size and speed as we got further down. You could hear the whoops and happy yells following us the whole way. A moose and her cub were spotted crossing the river together which makes our animal talley almost around 2 moose a day. Absolutely amazing! Sally and Lavinia were powerhouse paddlers on the raft, keeping time and enthusiasm to the highest of levels. When we got to the take out spot we had a full deli sandwich lunch and headed back out to the water to continue our journey. Our beach could not have been a more perfect spot. We settled down and Ella, Sara, Lavinia, and Ana decided to show us some new hacky sack skills that shocked us all. Even the raft guides wanted to jump in. Our enchilada dinner filled us all up and the guides surprised us with a chocolate cake that Bays made sure was completely empty before washing it clean! We ended the day with a beautiful Moonup spot on the beach watching the clouds and admiring the incredible views on all sides of us. For our last morning of rafting we took it easy and slow. We ate breakfast burritos in the sun and topped it all off with a polar plunge in the river to get us moving again. This group has been absolutely blessed with the luckiest of weather. We’ve had a few rain showers here and there but everyday has been a sunny one and we sure have appreciated it. Back on the rafts and back in the water, we made our way down the river and thanked our guides for showing us a fantastic two days. Our next adventure is taking us to Prince William Sound for sea kayaking in the morning!! More to come!
Cheers,
Daisy, McKee, and Scarlet
Shoutouts:
Ana- hola familia! Im having the most fun this place is beautiful and the people are amazing. Les extraño y les mando besos!
Lavinia- BELLOOOOO!!! The mountains are insanely gorgeous and you feel so small. We just got back from backpacking and stopped for ice cream and when I looked in the mirror at the place, I gasped! I love and miss y’all,especially my juice and bean <3.
Sara- hi mom, dad, Jim, and my puppies! I love and miss you all! Alaska is soooo beautiful! If you can, say hi Amelia and Lily for me! 🙂
Rollins- Hey Ma, Pops, dep, and Dario, I’ve never missed y’all so much… Alaska is way more jaw dropping than I imagined! Can’t wait for the Arthur’s, bricktops, and “the chosen” upon arrival!
Bays- hey mama and dad! Hope y’all are doing as awesome as me (I’m doing awesome). Y’all would love it here, it’s epic saucesome sauce. Love B master
Ellis- Hey Buddy’s!! I’m having so much fun in Alaska bet you wish you were here!! Anyways, I hope everyone is doing well and I can’t wait to see everyone! Peace out ✌🏼
Ella- Hey Davis (2X), mal, Dylan and mom!! Hope y’all are having fun in the atl. Miss you guys and the dogs (the dogs way more). Love you guys!!
Sally- hey fam!!! Having an absolute blast out here (best grad gift EVER). I love you guys so much, and thank you for giving me this trip it means so much!! See y’all in a few
Arrival Update
June 12, 2024
Hi Northern Lights Families!
Everyone has safely landed in Anchorage and are well on their way to their first activity. We cannot wait to share more about their adventure with more updates coming soon.
-Moondance HQ
