Farewell!
June 21, 2024
The morning of our first day of climbing we awoke after we all slept under the stars. Our first day of climbing and mountain school was here! Our campsite had a wonderful view of Mount Shasta which only increased our anticipation of getting on the mountain!
We headed to our outfitter to get the proper gear we would need for mountaineering and to also meet our guides.
We were issued snow shovels, ice axes, crampons, trekking boots and harnesses for the mountain. Our guides went through every piece of gear we would need for the adventure. Everyone was dialed in and through to ensure they had everything they would need on the mountain. After a quick lunch – we drove to the trail head.
At the trailhead, we secured all of our gear to our backpacks and hit the trail. We had views of other snow-capped mountain peaks as we headed to Horse Camp (our base camp site). Our guides: Brad, Brede, Colin, Winston were wonderful. They are all experienced guides with wonderful senses of humor and eclectic personalities.
We broke up into two climbing groups for the trek to Horse Camp. Wyatt and Anderson kept their group laughing and giggling with their jokes and funny conversations with our guide, Colin.
After a 1.7 mile uphill trek through snow, rock, and dirt – we made it to our campsite!
Milo, Augie, and Dalton went to work making a snow igloo big enough for a person to get inside of! Quite the engineering feat with the snow that was around us. We set up tents, made our beds, and then got started on dinner. We enjoyed some delicious and savory hot ramen that really warmed us up as the temperature started dropping. Isaac and Wyatt so gratefully sumped our chicken juice from our canned chicken, which while not appetizing to most – they said they enjoyed it! Wyatt and AG led our first Moonup on the mountain asking us if we could choose any restaurant to have access to all of the time what would it be. The answers varied and were all funny – many local spots from the groups hometowns were named! Their second question was what was everyone most nervous about over the next couple of days. We appreciated everyone’s vulnerability in answering this question. Attempting to climb a mountain is no easy feat, being willing to openly admit what about that challenge makes you afraid – this group continues to teach and impress us. We got into our warm sleeping bags with the sun still up and went to sleep – excited for what Mountain School would teach us the next day.
We woke up with the sun and crisp mountain air. The group had breakfast and then we broke up into our climbing groups for our Mountain school lessons. We learned how to properly step in the crampons using various methods, Dalton, Reilly, and Isaac caught on quickly and were fluidly moving up and down the hills we were practicing on.
We also learned to self-arrest (a risk mitigating move) with our ice axe. Milo, AG, and Augie had this one dialed in quickly. A favorite amongst the entire group was glissading (sliding down on snow in a seated position), everyone loved sliding down the snow and then being able to utilize the tactics we learned if one got to sliding too quickly. After glissading practice, we had a lunch break where we fueled up with tortillas, Sun Butter, protein bars, cheese, summer sausage, and jelly. After everyone was full, Ansley and Martha led us all into a card game that had us laughing and created our big inside joke “Peanut Butter”, which Vivian and AG always managed to say in a funny accent that kept the group rolling with laughter throughout the entirety of the trip. This night, Ansley graciously sumped our chicken and then we had all you can eat pasta with cheese. This meal fueled the group for our big climb ahead. We even had some hot chocolate mix thrown in!
We woke up at 12:15am the next morning, donned our headlights, and began getting dressed for the climb. The air was chilly but our adrenaline kept us warm and excited! We broke into our two groups, had a safety briefing with our guides and began trekking. Our headlamps luminating the snow around us along with the stars and the moon – it felt surreal. Our guide Colin had some great conversations with Anderson, Wyatt, Vivian, AG, and Ansley on the way up before the sunrise – the group of us agreed we could have our own podcast. Shortly before sunrise the group with Ansley, Vivian, AG, Wyatt, Reilly, and Anderson made the decision to reach a place to watch the sunrise and not continue moving up the mountain. The window to reach the summit was closing and the group did not want to feel rushed attempting to go higher. They all enjoyed a stunning sun rise over the mountain – many of which said it was one of the best views of their entire life. After hydrating and eating at the sunrise spot the group enjoyed some snow naps and giggles. Milo, Augie, Issac, Dalton, Anna, Martha, Samantha and Prater had started a few minutes earlier and were continuing on with guides, Brede and Brad. The group chugged along, giggling as Brad told tales and sung songs. Soon enough they reached a point of splitting into two ropes teams, the girls and the guys split up into two groups of 4 to continue their ascent onto the summit. After some strenuous terrain the girls realized a summit at their pace would be tough. They found their own version of the summit and enjoyed the view from 12,000 feet, looking at the incredible hills they had conquered. They descended with great pride for what they just accomplished. The boys continued on towards the summit! Once Samantha, Martha, Prater and Anna met up with the others – the group spent time laughing, recounting stories of their climb and snacking before they all had the opportunity to rappel down a hill into a gulch. While there, Reilly, Anderson, Ansley, AG, Prater and Vivian all had a snowball fight. It was then time for the entire group to then glissade or “glizzy” as the group liked to call it – almost all the way back to our camp. AG and Prater won the award for the fastest glizzy as they sped down the hill towards our base camp. Shortly after arriving back at camp, our guides received a radio call that Dalton, Augie, Milo, and Isaac had reached the summit of Mount Shasta and were beginning their descent. The group was so proud of them for their perseverance and determination. The group who descended early went to back to camp to eat and nap. Before we knew it, Dalton, Milo, Augie, and Isaac had made it back in record time. We began packing up, Samantha won the award for being most organized as she was packed up in little to no time at all! We hiked down and then headed to a dinner of pizza which was devoured. Back at our campsite everyone reveled in their personal successes on the mountain before we all fell asleep as a group under the stars.
Our final day together began with a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, bagels, and oatmeal. We hit the road to Sacramento, before arriving at our campsite we had to have a local ice cream stop. After settling into our campsite we headed to Old Sacramento, the group enjoyed browsing through the unique stores and taking in the sights that are still standing from the Gold Rush Era. After our exploration, we headed to a thrift store for pre-banquet attire. Everyone chose a unique outfit that we donned as we went to a local Mexican restaurant – every outfit was hilarious and each person described why they chose the outfit that they did. After dinner, we stopped one last time for some group ice cream before heading back to our campsite for a final Moonup.
This group has been nothing short of incredible and has taught us more than we could ever teach them. We have had an absolute blast being a part of their Moondance experience and are grateful to have met each of them. They are kind, respectful, and loving. Shoutout to all you parents for raising such amazing kids. We cannot wait to see them in the future and relive some of our Yosemite 1 memories.
With Gratitude,
Anna and James
SPLISH SPLASH HOORAY!
June 17, 2024
Hello family and friends! We have had quite the days soaking up and making a splash on the American River since the last time we checked in. And a quick fun fact – the middle fork of the American river is one of the only places you can still hunt for gold!
We woke up ready to hit the water and started the day strong with a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, eggs, and bagels. We set off to meet our amazing raft guides – Joey, Claudia, Micheal and Kent! They gave us a risk management spiel, geared us up and we hit the river ready for rapids! We hit one of our first big rapids within the first 20 minutes on the water – Tunnel shoot. After a run through with our guides on how approach this we were ready to conquer it. Martha, one of our LODS sat in the front of her raft set an example of paddle technique prior to the “GET DOWN!” call from our guides. After we came out on the other side we all agreed it was an absolute blast and it relieved any initial rafting nerves. Truly a real-life water slide!
We kept on down the river before stopping for an an amazing lunch spread prepared by our raft guides. Dalton motivated a group to jump in and ride the lazy river to our take out point. After lunch we played the cookie challenge. Each of us took a chips-a-hoy with a bit of jelly and stuck it to our forehead, attempting to bring it down to our mouth. Ansley took the W in this challenge! Our guides pulled out a couple “duckies” (inflatable kayaks) to accompany our boats. Augie hopped in one and quickly showed off his ability to navigate the rapids. We splashed our way down the river and through a couple more rapids before reaching our camp. When we got there Issac showed us all his skilled rock skipping, giving the rest of us a couple pointers. Milo began working on his rock towers and Prater kept everyone giggling, encourage us all to share our best jokes. We enjoyed a big ole meal of steak, chicken, pasta, garlic bread and salad. As part of our dessert we all tried to hit whipped cream from our hands and then land it into our mouths. The results were absolutely hilarious, Milo and Ansley were most accurate. After Moonup and (of course) a game of mafia, we hit our sleeping bags under the stars to the sound of the river lulling us to sleep.
Day two of rafting started strong with a breakfast of egg sandwiches, fruit and coffee cake. We packed up our camp, got in the boats and waved goodbye to our beachside home. We had a quick stop in which we took a scramble hike up to the top of a waterfall. Samantha was an absolute natural on the rocks able to navigate the route with great expertise. As we continued headed down the river towards our take out, we had the option to jump in through the rapid and ride it, Reilly jumped at this and led others to do the same. AG and Dalton respectively took the opportunity to take a lesson in raft guiding and call out the necessary commands to their boats! We hit our take our point, thanked our guides for a rad adventure and hit the road to our next campsite. After a quick grocery run that everyone absolutely crushed, we whipped up an Asian-inspired meal and headed to bed.
When we woke up on the 16th, we were celebrating two super sweet super golden birthdays! Wyatt and Anderson our bday boys enjoyed a breakfast paired with some ice cream, brownies and bday wishes. After a well-deserved leisurely morning, we packed up camp and headed up to the Shasta area for our final big adventure of the trip! With a quick stop at a gear shop to grab a couple necessities for our climb, Vivian was a big help around the store efficiently getting our supplies while keeping us laughing while doing so. We prepared for our mountaineering adventure with a duffle shuffle, group gear distribution and some hearty GORP bag packing. Per bday boys request, we indulged in a fun and filling cookout with all the fixings to celebrate our birthday boys, Ansley and Samantha got in on the action flipping burgers. As we close out the evening it’s only normal to a be a bit nervous alongside the excitement as we head into this next adventure. We could not be happier with of groups resilience, goofiness and high spirits. They are truly rock stars – all of them! We know they will complete this final stretch with smiles on their faces alongside their new best friends. Thank you for sharing your amazing kids with us this summer.
Until next time,
Anna and James
Enjoy some shout outs below from your kids…
Prater: Hi Mom and Dad! Yosemite has been so cool and I’ve loved all of my experiences so far. We are about to climb Mt. Shasta and I’m excited but also a bit nervous. I miss y’all! Happy Father’s Day, and tell Vaughan happy birthday for me.
Martha: Hi! I am having so much fun and can’t wait to see you all soon! Happy Father’s Day Dad!! Next we have snow school and then are going to climb Mount Shasta.
Samantha: Hiiiiiiiii mom and dad!! Yosemite was definitely an unforgettable adventure and now we are headed to Shasta and I’m soooooo excited! Love and miss everyone and Happy Father’s Day!! Give pickles a big hug for me!
Vivian: Hii parents!!! I miss you guys so much!!! Cannot wait to see y’all, but I’m having so much fun!! Shasta is next and I’m really excited. Happy Father’s Day dad, and tell Baker happy birthday for me!!
Ann Grier: Hello fam! Having so much fun! Happy Father’s Day!! I can’t wait to tell y’all about everything!!! Hug y’all soon (:
Milo: Hi Mom and Dad!!!! I hope everything is going well at home, and that Sadies read to GRADUATE, jeez. Also a wonderful happy Father’s Day to the best dad ever, I miss you so much and can’t wait to come back to see y’all. Rest assured I’m having so much fun, taking so many pictures, and I can’t wait to share everything with you back home!
Augie: Hi mom and dad!!! Just writing before we head up Shasta – I’m having so much fun! I hope everything is well at home, and I hope you have an awesome Father’s Day, dad! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you, but I’m so excited to come home. I miss everybody so much, and I’ll see you all soon!
Reilly: Hi mom and dad!! Hope you are doing well. Happy Father’s Day by the way dad hope you have a good day. I am having a lot of fun on this trip and am very very excited to see you when you get back from the golf tournament. I hope that Italy was very fun and hope you got some good stuff. I love y’all and will see you soon!
Isaac: Hey guys, I hope you guys are doing ok. Happy Father’s Day dad and happy birthday Naomi. We’re about to summit Shasta! See you guys soon.
Dalton: Hey mom and dad, happy Father’s Day and belated birthday , we are currently heading Shasta where we will do mountaineering school and then ascend. We recently finished whitewater rafting and it was a lot of fun, I will tell you guys all about it when I get home, but next time we are in Cali we should go to this section which I read about.
Anderson: Hey mom and dad! I hope you guys are doing well and happy Father’s Day. We are heading to Shasta which I’m a little nervous about but I’ve had an amazing time rafting and backpacking the past few days. I’ve met some amazing people and can’t wait to tell you guys all about it.
Wyatt: Hey Mom and Dad, happy Fathers Day and I hope y’all are doing well. We are about to go do mountaineering school in preparation for Shasta. I am so excited to tell you all about the trip when I get back! -Wyatt
Ansley: Hey guys!! So first of all HAPPY FATHERS DAY and GOOD LUCK at nationals!! I am having so much fun and I’m so glad that I came this is one of the best two weeks ever. Thank you guys for letting me come. Tell moby and the Nelson’s I say hi, and tell Natalie her crazy creek is amazing. I can’t wait for our family trip when we get back where I can tell y’all all about it. We are heading to Shasta today and I, a little nervous nut I know it will be fun. I’ve met really amazing people. See y’all soon.
Greetings from the Golden State!
June 14, 2024
We have been moving and grooving ever since we left the Sacramento Airport. We first made a stop at a nearby park where there was a celebration being held. The boys had a competition to see who could get the most balls in the goal from the greatest distance while the girls walked around and took in the live music. After a short time, Ansley arrived fresh off of crushing the ACT and we headed south to our first campsite.
Our first group dinner was entertaining for all as the group bonded over their love for pizza. Milo and Augie were designated as our pizza experts as they have spent significant time tasting pizza all over New York. After our first group dinner, we rode back to our campsite. A beautiful site amongst fruit groves and orchards with a river running through it. We had our first Moonup under a beautiful starlit night and everyone spoke about why they decided this trip and a goal they wanted go get out of the experience. This entire group is made of go-getters. The first LOD’s (leaders of the day) were decided to be Reilly and Prater – two experienced Moondancers who would keep the morale high and the team on point.
The next morning, Milo, Reilly, Augie, Ann Grier, Vivian, and James took a morning walk and tried to guess all of the various fruits that were growing around the campsite. Who knew California was this bountiful!? Wyatt, Dalton, and Ann Grier whipped up a wonderful meal of breakfast burritos. Wyatt absolutely has a future In the culinary world should he choose to pursue that, he knows his way around a kitchen. After breakfast, we hit the road towards Yosemite. The drive took us from flat farmland up into mountainous terrain with Pine Trees and wildflowers. We stopped at a fruit stand along the way. Everyone had the chance to try: cherries, mangos, peaches, apples, and some California citrus. Our first Yosemite campsite was in a meadow bordered by pine trees. The team broke into two groups and learned how to properly pack their backpacks, Dalton won the award for most detailed and well-thought out questions, you could not tell it was his first time backpacking.
Our first day of backpacking! We had a breakfast of pan-fried summer sausage, hash browns, and fruit to fuel us up for our first day of backpacking. We stopped at one of the Yosemite Park Information centers to rent additional bear canisters and listen to one of the park rangers tell us about what to expect in the Yosemite Wilderness. We slowly made our way to the trailhead, after seeing so many things named Mariposa (Spanish for butterfly), we decided to name our van Mariposa – it fits. Wyatt and Ann Grier set the pace as we climbed up. We stopped for lunch by a river and learned how to treat our water, Sun Butter and Blackberry Honey have become staples for the group at lunch time. After lunch, we continued our trek up. Wyatt and Ann Grier decided on a beautiful campsite nestled amongst pine trees and boulders with a nice flat area for sleeping – but most importantly, a creek nearby for swimming/polar plunging. Augie, Anderson, Milo, Reilly, Isaac, Wyatt, and Dalton walked down to take their polar plunge – the water was invigorating and they came back to camp very rejuvenated. Milo and Samantha made the team a delicious and hearty pasta that refueled everyone. When we finished washing dishes, we circled up for Moonup and were amazed how clear the stars were to see.
On Day 2 we headed out to conquer more of the trail. We came to a beautiful, meandering stream with small trout. We took off our boots and waded across the stream – a refreshing reprieve. We continued up the trail, the landscape was covered with huge pine trees, boulders, and rock formations, and scattered groupings of wildflowers. Ansley and Anderson kept the group energized and focused as well as made sure everyone made it safely over and under any logs in the trail. After hiking for a couple of miles and gaining a few hundred feet of elevation we found a campsite that was again close to water. It was grassy with a few tall trees for shade. The campsite bordered more rock outcroppings and groups of pine trees. In the afternoon, we headed to a part of the river where there was a rock beach – perfect for wading and even sliding into the water. Wyatt took the award for most times sliding down, while Ansley, Vivian, and Anderson had the most entertaining and exciting rides down the rock. Milo practiced his engineering skills making a variety of cairns with river rocks. Dalton, Augie, Wyatt, and Reilly got into a heated competition of seeing whose stick would float down the rapids the fastest, the entire group got a great laugh out of seeing their competitiveness. Later in the afternoon, we headed back to camp made a Greek style dinner of gyros. Martha, Vivian, Samantha, Ansley, Ann Grier and Prater all took part in preparing the fresh and tasty dinner.
The third day of backpacking began with a tasty breakfast of oatmeal and strawberries. We hit the trail with Milo and Samantha leading the group, our goal was to hike up in elevation in hopes of finding more views and watering holes. We went over, under, and around logs. Isaac pointed out a garter snake on the trail with his sharp eyes. We had lunch next to the creek, enjoying the views and conversation with each other. We then headed back to our campsite to pack up and trek to a new site that was higher in elevation, providing a stunning sunset and also a waterfall as a sound machine. We all took another polar plunge and then moved into the sunshine to warm back up. This group does not pass up the opportunity to get into water! After swimming, Dalton, Wyatt, and Augie made the group fajitas. After we brushed our teeth and cleaned up dinner. We had a beautiful Moonup with views of the valley below and a fantastic California golden hour. The entire group slept under the stars sans tents in a big circle. The stars could not have been more beautiful.
We woke up at sunrise on our final day of backpacking and hit the trail with Augie and Vivian setting the pace. We made great time and the group cheered as we made it back to our van, Mariposa. The group pit their bags in the U-haul and we set off for El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridal Viel falls and the Yosemite Valley. The group reaction upon siting that tunnel into the view of the valley was pure awe. Isaac was our Yosemite climbing expert, he was able to answer any question about Yosemite climbing or Free Solo – the documentary of Alex Honnold’s ascent of El Capitan. Ann Grier, Prater, and Ansley got some great shots of El Capitan in the background while they did handstands in front the views. After taking the views, we hit the road. We stopped at a local restaurant that was built in 1852! The walls were covered with historical photos of the California gold rush. The group was so grateful for the burgers. After lunch, we made our way to our campsite before we start rafting tomorrow. The group was elated to find out that this site has showers. Isaac and Anderson made a true delight of a meal, an Italian dinner with pasta and vegetables. After dinner, Martha became the ultimate winner of mafia getting everyone else out without being caught!
Vivian and Augie led us in a Moonup with the insightful of question of what has been the most challenging thing you have gone through. This group is a resilient one that embraces new challenges.
Tomorrow, we begin our adventures of rafting on the American River. We adore this group and cannot wait to see them enjoy the next few days on the water. Stay tuned for the next update!
Signing off,
Anna and James
Safe Arrival in California!
June 8, 2024
Hello Yosemite Families!
All students have landed safely in Sacramento and the group is headed to their campsite! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
