Rafting Rapids and Birthday Bash: YOS 3's American River Adventure!
July 26, 2024
Our first morning on the American River was a slow and easy one. We made breakfast potatoes and eggs before packing up our bags for a day on the rafts. Walt and Kayman took advantage of the free time and free space in our campsite and spent the morning tossing the frisbee. Mary Margaret and Madeline found a camp store filled with baked goods and coffees to complement breakfast. The whole group agreed it was nice to have a relaxing morning but was ready for some excitement on the river that afternoon.
We met our rafting guides at their office and were fitted for helmets and life jackets before receiving a quick safety briefing. After separating into rafting groups we finally got on the water. Quentin and Walt headed up the “roll tide” boat. To keep everyone’s paddles in sync they chanted roll tide or the names of people in the group. The temperature was already up to 95 degrees by noon, so we definitely didn’t mind the splashes of icy river water from the rapids…or from the other boat. Before lunch we hit a couple of class two rapids and swam in Turtle Pond. We pulled the boat over right before our first class three rapid to eat lunch and get out of the sun for a bit. Our raft guides set up an amazing sandwich spread with lots of different meats, cheeses, veggies, and even some homemade hummus. We all ate our fill before hopping back on the raft and heading down into the gorge for an exciting afternoon. As we drifted down the river the shores turned into steep rock walls as we entered the canyon. The narrow walls meant the water was moving faster and there were more fun obstacles for our boats to move around… or hit! After several class three rapids back to back, we reached the swimmer’s rapid and everyone got out of the boat to float down the rapid in their life jacket. It was lots of fun and so refreshing to be in the water after baking in the sun for a few hours. Macy got caught in a wave train and took a lot of water to the face but came out smiling and laughing. After getting back in the boat we had one last rapid before being towed to our take out spot and heading back to camp. When we got back everyone hit the showers while our wonderful raft guides prepared our dinner. We ate chicken, steak, pasta, garlic bread, and salad until we thought we couldn’t eat anymore. Then after everything was cleaned up they surprised us with a platter of brownies for Dallas’ birthday. There was another birthday at a nearby campsite and they came over with some cupcakes too! Kate used the icing they brought over to make Orla a cupcake. Although we were full from dinner, we all agreed that there is a separate stomach for dessert and ate our fill of the sweets too. That night moonup was led by Austin and Aubree. They asked the group to share a little bit about a person who has had a major impact in their life. Our group is lucky to be surrounded by some pretty amazing people! By the time we finished moonup it was dark in the campsite and we all settled into “tarp city” for bed, excited for another day on the river.
Just as the sun was beginning to light up the sky, we woke up and had another delicious meal prepared by the guides before hopping in the van to head back to the river. This day we would be rafting the middle fork of the American River. While our first day was mostly class twos and threes, our second day of rafting was filled with class fours. Not even five minutes after hopping in the boat we reached our first rapid. Affectionately named “morning cup of coffee,” we found out why when the first wave of freezing cold water splashed into our boats and erased any lingering sleepiness. Afterwards our guides reviewed some paddling instructions with us and we scouted out our first class four rapid. Tunnel Chute is a rapid that formed as a result of the original California miners blowing a hole in the mountain to redirect the river and look for gold. Nowadays it’s an explosive rapid enjoyed by rafters like us. When the first group went down their boat got stuck under water for a moment and Austin and Dallas fell out, they emerged laughing, grateful for the reprieve from the heat!
Tunnel Chute got everyone’s blood pumping and excited for what was to come.
In between rapids, we took the time to get to know our guides a little better. One of the guides, Sam, was from New Zealand. The kids took turns trying to imitate his accent. On another boat, “queen” Brendan tried to make the kids laugh with his long form jokes, but they were not easily impressed.
We pulled over for lunch around noon and enjoyed another excellent lunch spread. After lunch we got back in the boat and went down the water a little ways before getting back out to pick wild blackberries. Everyone agreed they had so much more flavor than the ones you find in the grocery store. Quentin found a bunch and made sure to share them with the group!
The American River has one rapid that is a class six and not safe for us to raft. Instead we got out and hiked around it while the guides sent the boats through it and caught them at the bottom. Following the class six, there was a series of class threes and fours, each one more exciting than the next. One of them got a little too exciting when Mary Margaret was launched out and stranded by a rock in the middle of the rapid. Rest assured, the boat coming up behind her was able to pick her up and deliver her back to her group.
We finished off our day swimming, jumping off the rafts and pulling each other in the water until we got to our takeout point where cold sodas were waiting for us in the bus. However, the excitement of the day wasn’t over as we still had Dallas’ birthday celebration to look forward to!
On the way to our campsite we stopped at the grocery store and went all out for our birthday dinner. We bought chicken, Hawaiian rolls, chips and lots of ice cream. We ate it at our campsite and then headed to the lake to watch the sunset and have our second to last moonup. At the lake some of us swam and all of us laughed a lot as we shared stories about the strange traditions at our schools and reminisced on our favorite parts of the trip. Once the sun was set, we went back to our tarp city where the kids stayed up talking until we all fell asleep.
For our final day together we explored the Sacramento area, cleaned our gear, took showers and ate a delicious dinner. The group was such a big help in cleaning the van and U-Haul. It was the most efficient clean up James or Rachel had ever seen from a group. We celebrated with lunch and showers in a luxurious gym before heading to goodwill to get our silly outfits for banquet. Dallas took the cake for best thrift, but Orla and Kayman definitely deserved an honorable mention.
For dinner we tried out a local Lebanese restaurant. For most kids it was their first time having Lebanese food and they all loved it. We ate chicken, salad, hummus, rice and soup, all served family style. Afterwards, the owner surprised us with complimentary homemade ice cream and baklava! It was delicious.
We had a nice drive back to camp listening to music and saw a beautiful orange sunset. We had our last Moonup in our sleeping bags before heading to bed. Everyone is sad to go but excited to see friends and family back home and tell them about all the amazing stuff from the last two weeks. We will miss this group so much but know our paths will surely cross in the future!
Bye for now!
YOS 3!!
Spending some time on Shasta!
July 24, 2024
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise the next morning at Siskiyou where we made oatmeal and took in calories to prepare for the climbing ahead! We drove to our guide’s office to go over our packs and ensure we had the necessary gear. After an efficient pack check – we hit the road to the trailhead. Our excitement and anticipation built as we turned off of the main highway to a gravel and then dirt road that put us at a trailhead surrounded by a forest of beautiful pine trees. We separated into two groups and began the hike up to our base camp. The trail gave us our first taste of the challenge that was yet to come. As we climbed up through the tree the girls kept busy with games and the boys group spotted some wild deer! We watched a waterfall cascading over a cliff, all snow melt. Eventually the tree line began to thin and we found ourselves in a rocky alpine environment. After a solid 2 hours of hiking with minimal breaks – our guides meant business – we finally made it to base camp! Situated 8,500 ft above sea level, we camped with a beautiful view of the surrounding area and the summit looming overhead. The best part of our campsite was the water source- a 900 year old spring. The water was cold and refreshing and very welcome after our strenuous hike. After a bit of rest, our guides came over to teach us how to use our mountaineering gear and give us a safety briefing for our big climb the next day. Then it was time for a quick dinner. Moonup was led by Orla and Austin. One of the questions was “What did you want to grow up to be when you were in Kindergarten?” There were many laughs. We went to bed with the sun still up, our next day started with a 3 am (!!!) wake up time.
3 am came very quickly but it was hard to sleep with all the excitement and nerves. The group woke up to Macy exiting her tent giggling loudly with the other girls. Everyone was a little delirious. The boys huddled up and went through every piece of equipment, ensuring that each one was ready to go. When we started to hike it was completely dark and we could only use our headlamps to illuminate the way. After a couple of hours of hiking, we saw the sun begin to peak over the horizon painting the mountain in an orange glow. As we went higher, the winds became stronger – Quentin and Kayman agreed that it was some of the most intense weather they had been in. There was one pitch where we put on our crampons and pulled out our ice axes to traverse over the snow. The group thought this was one of the coolest parts of the ascent. Step by step we progressed towards the summit. According to our guides, the Clear Creek trailhead is the longest trail up the mountain as well as the one that requires the most grit. Every student was pushing themselves to reach the top. After a number of hours of physically and mentally taxing climbing, Orla, Quentin, Madeline, and Aubree agreed they had reached their personal summit and made the decision to descend back to base camp.
Before 11am our first group summited the mountain! Austin and Dallas were elated to have reached the top. The duo pulled out the Moondance flag and let it fly. They were both relieved to have finally made it to the top. The view was truly incredible. They signed their names in the summit book and slowly began to make their descent. On their way down they met the other group about to summit: Kayman, Mary Margaret, Kate, Macy, and Walt. Austin and Dallas passed over the flag and the groups went their separate directions.
The second group had the opportunity to stay at the peak for about 30 minutes. Mary Margaret captured the moment for everyone and snapped many photos so everyone could relive this moment in the future.
On the way down Austin and Dallas stopped at Mushroom rock with their guide for some well-deserved snacks and the chance to talk about mountain guiding and to rest their legs and stay out of the wind. The second group had the chance to glissade (fancy term for sliding on snow) down parts of the mountain. The group agreed that this method was more exciting than climbing down.
After arriving at the base camp the group refilled their bottles in the glacial-fed stream, took their packs off and relaxed. Aubree and Madeline helped whip up a quick dinner for the crew which everyone appreciated after such a long day. Macy and Walt led us in Moonup after a challenging yet rewarding day. We discussed goals and what else we desired to accomplish throughout the rest of the trip.
The following morning, after a deep and restful sleep. We all got up and began to make our descent down to the van. It felt nice to keep the legs and muscles moving after the long day before. We got to the van and sang happy birthday to our birthday boy, Walt!
We drove into the town of Shasta and wrote postcards (stay tuned families!) and then went to a local diner to celebrate Walt’s birthday as well as our accomplishments. After a tasty meal we headed back to our campsite for a swim in the lake! Everyone took a turn on the rope swing and enjoyed cleaning off the dirt in the lake. After a relaxing afternoon, the group took advantage of the camp showers while James got started on our birthday celebration for Walt: steaks on the grill, with ice cream for dessert. Everyone ate their fill and afterwards we all sat down for a moonup where we discussed our favorite birthday in honor of the special day. When we were finished the sun was set and we were all ready to rest. We are looking forward to rafting and spending our last few days together. The time has flown by and we can’t believe we have less than a week together. We hope all is well back home!
Talk soon!
YOS 3
California Bound: Our Exciting Beginnings in Yosemite
July 18, 2024
Hello friends and family! We are off the an amazing start out here in California. After collecting everyone at the airport, we headed south towards Yosemite, stopping for pizza along the way. The drive was long but a good opportunity for everyone to catch up on some sleep after a long day of travel. Austin impressed James and Rachel with his musical knowledge during a “Guess the Artist” song game, and James kept the group entertained with trivia questions. We arrived at camp just as the sun was setting (and the air was finally cooling off), put up our tents, had our very first moonup, and hit the hay.
The following day began under some much welcomed cloud cover as we headed into the park for our first look at our home for the next three days. Kate and Max put on their chef hats and whipped up some bacon and eggs for the group while everyone else prepared their snack bags for the backpacking section. After breakfast it was time to work as the group set out to pack all the food, clothing and gear they would be carrying up the mountain. Once our bags were ready, we headed over to the visitor’s center where the park ranger gave us a talk about wildlife safety, the importance of water, and how to keep the park clean. Equipped with all the knowledge, food and gear we could handle, we made our way the trailhead to begin our climb to the top Chilnualna Falls.
And what a climb it was! For our first hike together we walked 5.6 miles and gained 2,300 feet in elevation. Walton and Dallas kept the group distracted on the trail with multiple rounds Wavelength and Aubree showed everyone how to purify the creek water with our trusty aquamira. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by how cold and refreshing the water was. As we continued up the mountain, we started seeing some incredible views of the valley and the waterfall.
When we finally reached the top, we set up camp on a big granite slab overlooking the park. We could even see where we started, and, man was it far! But there was no time to rest as there was a lot of work to be done before the sun went down. We split into teams, with some people setting up tents, others getting water while the rest joined Rachel and James in the “kitchen” for cook crew. The menu for the night: penne pasta with tomato sauce, onions, peppers and gourmet (canned) chicken. The cook crew learned how to properly dice an onion and pepper while Macy got a crash course in the whisper light (our portable stove) from James.
After such a long and strenuous day, everyone was hungry and scarfed down the pasta in no time. As the sun dipped below the trees, we cleaned up, brushed our teeth and settled in for moonup before heading to bed. At moonup everyone shared their “mountain” “valley” and “horizon”. Which were the best part of the day, the most challenging part, and something we were looking forward to. It was a great way to reflect on the day’s achievements and adversity.
The next morning we woke earlier than expected to black skies and the crack of thunder. Storms are a rarity in this part of the country and not many people get to experience a summer shower in Yosemite. As the clouds moved across the valley, we scrambled to secure the rain flies on our tents so everyone would have a safe and dry place to wait out the storm. After two hours of off and on rain, thunder and lightning, we began to see bits of blue skies. By the time we finished our breakfast, the sun was shining bright and our stormy morning turned into a perfect summer day!
LODs Macy and Quentin made the decision to give the group a much deserved rest day at a nearby swimming hole. We packed up our lunch food and water shoes and headed that way. The icy mountain water brought some relief to our sore muscles as we swam and explored the waterfall and swimming holes cut into the granite by the snowmelt from above. We had lunch on the sun-soaked rock and passed the time with brain teasers and riddles jumping in the water whenever we needed to cool off.
Once back at camp the group learned how to play “Bro don’t touch my rock!” and “three hack wack”. Mary Margaret and Dallas emerged victorious. For dinner Quentin and Macy prepared fajitas and the group ate while watching the sunset behind the mountains. After moonup and some good conversation, everyone fell asleep under the stars.
The next morning we woke up and enjoyed a breakfast of oatmeal and morning ramen before setting out on a day hike. The group took it slow and steady, enjoying all Yosemite has to offer. After about 2 miles we reached a beautiful wildflower field where we stopped for lunch. On our way back for camp we saw our second Yosemite thunderstorm and this time we got a little wet. Although it was uncomfortable at the time, everyone learned the meaning of Type 2 fun, and we all look back and laugh about it now.
We celebrated our last night in the backcountry with Mediterranean bowls and cookie butter for desert. Then we settled in for moonup led by Walt and Aubree. With an early morning ahead of us we went to sleep soon after, dreaming of showers and chicken that didn’t come in a can.
The next morning we were up with the sun as we began our final trek down to the van. It was incredible to see how far we had come up just two days prior and everyone was left with a feeling of accomplishment.
Nothing beats the sight of your car after a few days in the backcountry, and this time was no different. After packing everything back into the U-Haul we all piled into the van, excited for a bit of AC and music. On our way to the next campsite we stopped to see the famous tunnel view of Yosemite Valley. Austin excitedly told the group about El Cap, and we were even able to pull over to snap a few photos.
For the next view hours we enjoyed some downtime in the van while taking in the always-changing California landscape as we made our way back north towards Mount Shasta. For lunch we made a stop at In-N-Out where we all enjoyed a bit of food not cooked on the whisper lite. Dallas liked it so much he ate two burgers!
Once at camp we had some downtime to play spikeball, frisbee, and of course three sack wack. Kayman and Mary Margaret made taco bowls for everyone and finished off the night before leading a hilarious moonup. We all shared stories that had us in tears about some of our most embarrassing moments. The moonup lasted well after the sun went down and we went to bed feeling happy and tired.
Day six was spent traveling to the town of Shasta with some fun stops in between. First up, we took the group into Costco to pick out some snacks for our big climb. Our Costco first-timers, Orla, Macy and Kate were all amazed by how big everything was! When we finally made it to our destination there was just enough time to take a dip in the lake and have a much needed shower before dinner. When we walked to the lake we were all pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful view of Shasta and a rope swing! The kids took turns jumping into the lake from the swing before hitting the shores and chowing down on burgers and hot dogs that James had prepared while everyone swam. Madeline and Dallas led an exciting moonup (I’ll let them tell you about that in person), and then we all set out to get a good nights sleep.
Tomorrow we start our ascent of mount Shasta. Everyone is excited and nervous but determined to make it to the top. We can’t wait to tell everyone back home about all of the great friends we’ve made and beautiful things we’ve seen!
Until next time!
YOS 3
Walton- hope you guys are enjoying Paris and Maine. Make sure to stock up on candy for when I get back.
Dallas- hey mom and dad, all is well and I’m having a blast. I would love a nice home cooked meal when I get back. Bye, love you.
Kayman-hey mom Joe and Parker miss y’all a lot.Im having a pretty good time out here hiking around and enjoying the views.hipe all is good back home see y’all soon.
Kate – Hi fam!! I’m having the best time and my group is great. We are hiking Shasta in a couple of days and I’m super excited😛. I miss and love y’all and can’t wait to tell you all about it. 💗
Macy- hey. All is well. I pooped after many days not very great. Awesome trip. (Tell Morgan to tell Abby happy birthday from me on the 19th) Thanks for the knives dad very handy! See u soon❤️
Aubree- Hey mom and Wil I miss y’all so much I hope y’all are having fun at the beach and all is well. I’m having so much fun and I have an amazing group and I have made some really good friends already. tell Mary and Lucy that I miss them too and tell Harrison I miss him too if you don’t mind 😀. I miss you guys so much mom and Will take care of the dogs until I get back! Love y’all so much!
Madeline- Hey mom and dad! I’m having so much fun at Moondance. I miss you so much and can’t wait to see you (but I don’t want to leave!!!) sleeping is a little rough being on the ground every night but I’m getting used to it. I slept in my eno last night! Everybody here is so nice and funny and I’m making lifelong connections. I love you so so so so much!!!! We’re in the car right now on the way to Shasta.
Mary Margaret – Heyyy … hope all is well back in Bham. I miss y’all so much but I am having so much fun! Everyone is so nice and it feels like I’ve known them for so long. We are heading to Shasta right now, don’t worry I am downing some LMNT 😉. See you soon!
Orla – Hi Mom and Dad, I’m alive! Miss you. Love you.
Austin- Thank you so much for sending me on this trip it’s is incredible. El Cap and Half Dome were also mans I can’t wait to see you. Tell Alana I miss her. Love You!
Quentin – the views are even more incredible than I could imagine, I am so thankful for everything y’all did to prepare and the planning it took for this trip. I love y’all so much and I miss you guys. Je taime!
Safe Arrival in Sacramento!
July 12, 2024
Hello Yosemite Families!
We heard from our leaders this afternoon that 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.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! 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
