Final Days under the Tetons!
July 9, 2025
Hey Big Wild Family!! The past few days since our last update have flown by, and we cannot believe the trip is over 😪 We miss the kids so much already, but we can’t wait to tell you about the final days of Big Wild 3C.
On Thursday, we finally got to put our fly fishing skills to the test. We ate up some oatmeal and grits before meeting our guides for the day and heading to the fishing spot. We ended up catching a ton of fish, with Amelia and Olivia leading the charge. They both ended up catching 3 trout each. Gincy caught our biggest Rainbow Trout, and nearly all of the kids got to hook into or reel in a fish. Louie probably had the most fun out of everyone- he caught a few trout and hooked into some of the sucker fish. By the end of our fishing adventure we had never seen so many fish in the water, all of the sucker fish had lined up down the river ready to feed, and it looked like there were hundreds. Our amazing guides switched our bait to fish for the sucker fish, and Poppy must have caught 4 of them. This was the perfect way to get out our energy before our next road trip to the Bruneau Sand Dunes. The kids all picked out their outfits for the 4th of July at Walmart along the way to make sure we were ready for the next day. When we got home, the kids had their favorite meal, Chicken Quesadillas with Mac and Cheese. Marin, Louis and Anna Logan were a huge help with dinner and made an amazing meal. This was followed by an epic game of capture the flag. Both teams hid their flags too well and neither ended up as champions.
Friday was the 4th of July!!!! Our wonderful nation decided to show us what it was capable of that morning- the group woke up to pouring rain and howling winds. Nonetheless our spirits would not be brought down. The kids got their 4th of July outfits on in the rain, fully embracing the weather. As we packed up camp the sky cleared, and we were able to Sand Board on the Dunes after all. At the base of the highest freestanding dune in North America, the kids ate Watermelon, Strawberries, Grapes, and Donuts. They raced down the sand dunes on boards and sleds, then listened to the National Anthem looking out over our great country. Nothing more American than that. After the festivities it was back to the road to get to Jackson before dinner. We stopped for some Five Guys for a real American meal and continued on the trek. Dinner was an ole fashioned cook off, and the kids were split into two teams. Team One was made up of Denver, Gincy, Laura, Poppy, Olivia, and Jackson who faced off against Louis, Amelia, Anna Logan, Jasper, Marin, and Betsy. Team one prepared hot dogs, corn on the cobb, and lots of treats, while the other team had Louis cooking steaks, Anna Logan on the pasta, and the rest helping wherever needed. Team 2 pulled ahead by 1 point in the final judging. To finish off the day, we found a spot to watch the Fireworks over the Grand Tetons and celebrated an amazing day with Moonup.
On Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to go climbing in the Tetons. We ate bagels with cream cheese and fruit before heading to meet our guides in Teton Village. We took the gondola up the mountain and made our way to our climbing spot. Gincy and Jasper started strong up the rock face, leading the pack behind our awesome guides. We breaked for lunch, eating while looking out over the stunning views of the mountains and laughing at Louie and Denver’s jokes. Next, the kids learned how to rappel. Amelia conquered her fear of heights and descended down the side of the rock face. We headed down the mountain and drove back to our campsite for some afternoon games. The kids played yet another spike ball tournament. Louie and Laura out-matched their competition and brought home the W. After spike ball, we constructed their very own pizza oven using the grill over the fire pit and our camping stoves. The kids all made personal pizzas with caesar salad, and Gincy and Marin devoured theirs excitedly, reporting that this was one of their favorite meals yet. After pizza, we got dressed for THE JH RODEO! Anna Logan disguised herself as a 10 year old and competed in the shoe-finding race, which had us all laughing. We enjoyed pretzels and dip ‘n dots while watching the bull riders and bucking broncos with a beautiful Jackson sunset in the background. Feeling grateful, we did moon up back at camp then went to bed.
On Sunday we were ready for our last day of climbing, after an amazing time at the Rodeo. We ate yogurt and oatmeal with fruit and granola. We traveled into the Teton National Park to Jenny Lake to meet our guides and rode the ferry across the lake to Hidden Falls. We started first with bouldering, which the kids loved, before hiking higher to our climbing location. Worn out from climbing, we surprised the kids with Dairy Queen blizzards in Jackson. Back at camp, we played a spike ball tournament and hung out. Louis and Laura came out as Champions. Then we started cooking dinner- table nachos. Olivia and Anna Logan helped prepare the meal, and the kids had a lot of fun eating the giant stack of nachos. Bellies full, we circled up around the fire with hot coco, marsh mellows and whip cream. We wrote individual nugs (words of gratitude) to each other, filling little mason jars with words of kindness towards each other. It was awesome to see their enthusiasm in taking a moment to appreciate one another and the memories they had made. Moon up afterwards was really special.
On our last full day, we made sure to still have some tricks up our sleeve. We got the kids up around 8am, and Denver helped Claire prepare scrambled eggs and fruit while getting ready to leave for Teton Village. We took the Aerial Tram to the very top of the Jackson Hole resort mountain. We got waffles at 10,000 ft in the sky and looked out over the snowy mountains. We hiked down on the Cirque Trail to the Bridger Gondola. The trail was still partly covered in snow and everyone had a great time launching snowballs at one another and laughing. After hiking we took the Gondola down and headed back to camp to pack up. Next, we hopped in the van for Downton Jackson, hit the local thrift store, and picked out our finest attire for our final Banquet Dinner. Poppy had one of the best outfits in the group, dripped out in a hello kitty kid’s shirt and patterned red skirt. In our stylish outfits, we walked around town confidently to buy souvenirs before heading to the Jackson Drug Store for our Banquet dinner. We dined on nachos, wings, fries and a giant pretzel. Jasper broke his wing-eating PR, eating with 17 wings! After playing one last spikeball tournament back at camp, we headed back to our first Moonup location, Mormon Row. The sunset was beautiful as we shared our last Moonup together, and everyone shared personal “nugs” to one another.
We want to send a special thank you to the amazing parents for letting us spend two of the best weeks of our lives together in the Grand Tetons and Idaho. We truly could not have asked for a better group- we love these kids so much. They inspired us to be better people. We’re glad the kids are all home safe, and we wish you all the best rest of your summers. Keep in touch!
Lots of love,
Claire Haley and Dugger Niemer
Wraps, Rafting, and Wonderous Views
July 3, 2025
What’s up Big Wild 3C friends and family! We hope you all are doing well. We just got off the river from our four-day rafting expedition on the Lower Salmon River. The kids had an absolute blast, and they can’t wait to tell you all about it when they are home. In the meantime, we will run you through our day-by-day adventures highlighting a few of the many exciting memories we made.
On Sunday, we woke up bright and early and ate oatmeal, fruit and yogurt before driving down the mountain to Riggins, Idaho to meet our raft guides. We met Alan, Jaden, and Kellan, our raft guides who courageously steered us down the river. Alan gave the kids the river safety talk, keeping the kids locked in and interested while the rest of the team loaded up the rafts. We set out on the river, paddling for several miles and enjoying the scenery. Our LOD’s, Jackson and Olivia, prepared a delicious Asian salad for lunch with grilled chicken. After lunch, we paddled to see pictographs painted by the Nez Perce indigenous people thousands of years ago, and we learned about the Chinese mining communities that lived in the area in the 1900s. We made it to our riverside campsite a few hours later. There, Denver, Louie, Jasper and Jackson had fun throwing the frisbee while Poppy, Olivia, Amelia, Gincy, Laura, Marin and Claire played a fun game of cards. Soon after, dinner was served. After dinner, we played some more before settling down for Moonup led by Jackson and Olivia. Finally it was time for bed, and we all dozed off under the beautiful starry sky. Anna Logan and Betsy slept in the raft on the beach… proof of their commitment to the expedition 🙂
The next day, we woke up and packed up camp. Our guides had prepared an incredible breakfast spread for us– French toast with fruit and syrup, bacon, and orange juice. Today was our biggest day of rapids; we got to paddle down some epic class III and IV rapids. At a class IV rapid known as China, we got out of the rafts and hiked up past the rapid to scout the rapid and assess our path down. Jackson and Denver excitedly led the charge back to the boat, ready to conquer the waves. We stopped for lunch and ate chicken Caesar salad wraps in the sun. Jackson and Louie bravely ate the lettuce in the wraps and enjoyed it 🙂 We continued down the river and arrived at another awesome campsite. We set up camp, then the boys eagerly ran to the water to explore the rocks and find a place to jump in. Betsy and Anna Logan swam to a shallow rock face to soak in the views, while Poppy plunged from the rocks into the water with Laura. After exploring our campsite, we congregated together on the beach to set up the raft slip ‘n slide. Jasper and Denver went first and launched into the water, laughing. We spent a good hour sliding into the water on the makeshift slip ‘n slide and just enjoying being all together on the river. Worn out, Dugger and Louie took to fishing with our guide Alan and caught seven fish! Dinner was chicken fajitas. We ate till we were stuffed, then our guides brought out a surprise… pineapple upside down cake baked in a dutch oven. The kids were thrilled and impressed by this delicious dessert. Who knew backcountry cooking could taste so good?! Ready to wind down, we did Moonup led by our LOD’s, Laura and Marin, before heading to bed.
On Tuesday, we began the day with pancakes, sausage and cantaloupe, then hopped back in our rafts. Our guide Jaden taught us about the geology of the Basalt columns lining the canyon walls along the lower Salmon. We caught an eddy on the side of the river for an awesome cliff jump off of the columns. Displaying some crazy courage, the kids all bee-lined up to the highest column and leapt into the water one by one. Jasper, Marin and Poppy were so enthusiastic and jumped again and again. We ferried across the river to a nearby beach for lunch– taco salad with chips and salsa. Oreos for dessert energized us for the afternoon paddle. Soon after lunch, we paddled along the border of Oregon and Idaho through the deepest canyon in the US, Hell’s Canyon. The canyon walls were breathtaking, and the warm breeze made jumping into the river even more inviting for Louie and Jasper. We made it to the confluence of the Salmon and Snake rivers, where we found our campsite. We set up camp excitedly before swimming to cool off. We drew names for spike ball teams for a tournament we had been planning for a few days. After drawing the bracket in the sand, all 16 of us and our guides competed for the win. After several close games, Betsy and Dugger won the bracket! Anna Logan and Jackson finished in second place. Amelia, Gincy, Laura, Olivia, Anna Logan, Betsy, and Claire built the biggest sand drip castle we had ever seen while enjoying the waves coming onto the shore. Later, the kids were eager to help cook our final dinner with the guides. Denver learned how to season and cook pork tenderloin, and Louie, Gincy, Poppy and Olivia cut up and prepared Idaho potatoes for a delicious cheesy potato dish. Soon after, our meal of pork tenderloin, carrots, cheesy potatoes and bread was ready! We all devoured our meals while taking in the breathtaking views of the Salmon and Snake for one last night. LOD’s Anna Logan and Betsy led Moonup, then we ate some s’mores and played a game of Mafia before hitting the hay.
This morning, we woke up early and packed up camp, pumped for our last few miles on the river. Our guides tied our three rafts together creating a “flotilla” or mega raft, attaching a motor to push us along to the take out. After eating an egg scramble and bacon for breakfast, we boarded the flotilla. Denver, Jackson, Gincy and Laura took on the waves at the front of the boats, while Poppy, Amelia, Olivia, Louie and Jackson conked-out for a mid morning nap. We made it nearly 22 miles to the take out where our river expedition sadly came to an end in Washington state. We packed up the gear and got on our way back to McCall, ID. We felt it was time for a mid trip pick-me-up, so we headed to Frenchies, a local food stop for burgers and fries. There, we met Anna from Moondance headquarters who will be joining us for a few days! We had a great time looking back on the past couple of days and all of the exciting things we got to do.
The kids all reported having an amazing time on the Salmon, and we can’t wait to see what’s next! We will be back in a few days for more updates, but for now, we want to say thank you to all of the families for sending your children out here on Big Wild. We are so grateful for this time soaking in the beautiful scenes of Idaho and Wyoming, making new friends and having lots of laughs.
Warmly,
Claire and Dugger
Rafts, Rapids & River Magic: BGW 3C Hits the Salmon
July 3, 2025
What’s up Big Wild 3C friends and family!
We hope you all are doing well. We just got off the river from our four-day rafting expedition on the Lower Salmon River. The kids had an absolute blast, and they can’t wait to tell you all about it when they are home. In the meantime, we will run you through our day-by-day adventures highlighting a few of the many exciting memories we made.
On Sunday, we woke up bright and early and ate oatmeal, fruit, and yogurt before driving down the mountain to Riggins, ID to meet our raft guides. We met Alan, Jaden, and Kellan, our raft guides who courageously steered us down the river. Alan gave the kids the river safety talk, keeping the kids locked in and interested while the rest of the team loaded up the rafts. We set out on the river, paddling for several miles and enjoying the scenery. Our LODs, Jackson and Olivia, prepared a delicious Asian salad for lunch with grilled chicken. After lunch, we paddled to see pictographs painted by the Nez Perce Indigenous people thousands of years ago, and we learned about the Chinese mining communities that lived in the area in the 1900s. We made it to our riverside campsite a few hours later. There, Denver, Louie, Jasper, and Jackson had fun throwing the frisbee while Poppy, Olivia, Amelia, Gincy, Laura, Marin, and Claire played a fun game of cards. Soon after, dinner was served. After dinner, we played some more before settling down for Moonup led by Jackson and Olivia. Finally, it was time for bed, and we all dozed off under the beautiful starry sky. Anna Logan and Betsy slept in the raft on the beach… proof of their commitment to the expedition 🙂
The next day, we woke up and packed up camp. Our guides had prepared an incredible breakfast spread for us — French toast with fruit and syrup, bacon, and orange juice. Today was our biggest day of rapids; we got to paddle down some epic Class III and IV rapids. At a Class IV rapid known as China, we got out of the rafts and hiked up past the rapid to scout the rapid and assess our path down. Jackson and Denver excitedly led the charge back to the boat, ready to conquer the waves. We stopped for lunch and ate chicken Caesar salad wraps in the sun. Jackson and Louie bravely ate the lettuce in the wraps and enjoyed it 🙂 We continued down the river and arrived at another awesome campsite. We set up camp, then the boys eagerly ran to the water to explore the rocks and find a place to jump in. Betsy and Anna Logan swam to a shallow rock face to soak in the views, while Poppy plunged from the rocks into the water with Laura. After exploring our campsite, we congregated together on the beach to set up the raft slip ‘n slide. Jasper and Denver went first and launched into the water, laughing. We spent a good hour sliding into the water on the makeshift slip ‘n slide and just enjoying being all together on the river. Worn out, Dugger and Louie took to fishing with our guide Alan and caught seven fish! Dinner was chicken fajitas. We ate till we were stuffed, then our guides brought out a surprise… pineapple upside-down cake baked in a Dutch oven. The kids were thrilled and impressed by this delicious dessert. Who knew backcountry cooking could taste so good?! Ready to wind down, we did Moonup led by our LODs, Laura and Marin, before heading to bed.
On Tuesday, we began the day with pancakes, sausage, and cantaloupe, then hopped back in our rafts. Our guide Jaden taught us about the geology of the basalt columns lining the canyon walls along the Lower Salmon. We caught an eddy on the side of the river for an awesome cliff jump off of the columns. Displaying some crazy courage, the kids all bee-lined up to the highest column and leapt into the water one by one. Jasper, Marin, and Poppy were so enthusiastic and jumped again and again. We ferried across the river to a nearby beach for lunch — taco salad with chips and salsa. Oreos for dessert energized us for the afternoon paddle. Soon after lunch, we paddled along the border of Oregon and Idaho through the deepest canyon in the U.S., Hell’s Canyon. The canyon walls were breathtaking, and the warm breeze made jumping into the river even more inviting for Louie and Jasper. We made it to the confluence of the Salmon and Snake rivers, where we found our campsite. We set up camp excitedly before swimming to cool off. We drew names for spikeball teams for a tournament we had been planning for a few days. After drawing the bracket in the sand, all 16 of us and our guides competed for the win. After several close games, Betsy and Dugger won the bracket! Anna Logan and Jackson finished in second place. Amelia, Gincy, Laura, Olivia, Anna Logan, Betsy, and Claire built the biggest sand drip castle we had ever seen while enjoying the waves coming onto the shore. Later, the kids were eager to help cook our final dinner with the guides. Denver learned how to season and cook pork tenderloin, and Louie, Gincy, Poppy, and Olivia cut up and prepared Idaho potatoes for a delicious cheesy potato dish. Soon after, our meal of pork tenderloin, carrots, cheesy potatoes, and bread was ready! We all devoured our meals while taking in the breathtaking views of the Salmon and Snake for one last night. LODs Anna Logan and Betsy led Moonup, then we ate some s’mores and played a game of Mafia before hitting the hay.
This morning, we woke up early and packed up camp, pumped for our last few miles on the river. Our guides tied our three rafts together creating a “flotilla” or mega raft, attaching a motor to push us along to the takeout. After eating an egg scramble and bacon for breakfast, we boarded the flotilla. Denver, Jackson, Gincy, and Laura took on the waves at the front of the boats, while Poppy, Amelia, Olivia, Louie, and Jackson conked out for a mid-morning nap. We made it nearly 22 miles to the takeout where our river expedition sadly came to an end in Washington State. We packed up the gear and got on our way back to McCall, ID. We felt it was time for a mid-trip pick-me-up, so we headed to Frenchie’s, a local food stop for burgers and fries. There, we met Anna from Moondance headquarters who will be joining us for a few days! We had a great time looking back on the past couple of days and all of the exciting things we got to do.
The kids all reported having an amazing time on the Salmon, and we can’t wait to see what’s next! We will be back in a few days with more updates, but for now, we want to say thank you to all of the families for sending your children out here on Big Wild. We are so grateful for this time soaking in the beautiful scenes of Idaho and Wyoming, making new friends, and having lots of laughs.
Warmly,
Claire and Dugger
Shoutouts!
July 2, 2025
Amelia – Hey Mom and Dad, I miss you guys so much. I hope that you guys are having a great time on your trip! I am having a grent trip so far and can’t wait to see you guys. Love, Amelia
Marin – Hi! I miss yall so much, but I’m having so much fun. We just finished rafting which was so much fun. We went cliff jumping and we’ve done lots of swimming. Also my group and Claire and Dugger are great! I can’t wait to see all of you again and tell you all about it!!! LOVE YALL SO MUCH!!– Marin
Olivia – Hey mom and dad! I am having so much fun on my trip! We have done so many cool things so far. Also my group and leaders could not be better. I miss you guys so much and can’t wait to see you soon. Love, Olivia
Denver – Dear Mom and Dad, I’m having so much fun. I hope you are too. I really miss you! Love, Denver
Jasper – Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having a blast here on Moondance. We have been to Wyoming, Idaho, Washington and Oregon so far. We have done many activities such as zip lining, rafting, and hiking. Can’t wait to see you soon! Love, Jasper
Betsy – Hey Mom and Dad! I miss y’all so much! This has been so much fun. We went rafting and slept on beaches for 3 nights! Im having SO much fun! I love yall so much! – Betsy
Anna Logan – Hey Mom, Dad, and Virginia! Just letting you know that I miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see you guys! We just finished a 4 day rafting trip which was so much fun. Anyway, I’m having so much fun and can’t wait to tell you everything! Love, Anna Logan
Louie – Dear Mom and Dad, I hope you guys are having a good time. – Louie
Jackson – Dear Mom and Dad, I hope you guys are having a great time in Wyoming. I love you guys and can’t wait to see you! Love, Jackson
Gincy – Dear Mom and Dad, I miss and love you guys so much. Thank you so much for sending me here. Im having so much fun. Love, Gincy
Laura – Dear Mom and Dad, thank you for sending me here! I’m having a great time. I hope y’all are doing well. I love and miss you guys lots. Laura
Poppy – Dear Mom and Dad, thank you so much for sending me here! I have had a blast! We just finished rafting and I love my new friends. Also I have seen Finn around and she’s having fun. I miss you guys! Love, Poppy
Big Fun on Big Wild
June 29, 2025
Hey Big Wild friends and family!! We are having an absolute blast out here with these kids. We wanted to run you through our past few days!
Starting out strong on Airport Day, our group had no flight delays making our travel day super smooth. We hung out in the Jackson Hole Airport outdoor courtyard while the kids arrived from Atlanta, Dallas, Winston Salem, Charlottesville, Charleston, and Nashville, playing hacky sack, uno, and getting to know each other. We drove to our campsite and learned how to set up camp. Before the lesson, we had to break in our new site with a game of “Birdie on a Perch” which had the kids laughing. Jasper and Louie defeated the others in our first round, and Poppy and Anna Logan took the W for the second! With our tents set up and our energy high, we hopped in the van and drove into downtown Jackson for pizza and salad from Hand Fired Pizza. We picked up our pies and made our way to town square for dinner, enjoying each others’ company already. With full bellies, we drove to Mormon Row, a classic Tetons sunset spot, to watch the sunset and do our first Moon up. What an epic opening day!
On Thursday morning, the kids were up and at ’em early even without a wakeup call from us leaders! Their positive attitudes and energy continue to impress us. Jackson and Gincy helped us cook breakfast and get ready for the day. We sat down together and fueled up for the day with pancakes with maple syrup, eggs, and bacon… yum!! We hopped in the van and headed to our first activity of the trip- Snow King Adventure Park and Zip line! We started off strong riding North America’s steepest zip line; it was awesome. Denver bravely jumped at the chance to go first and raced Claire down the mountain. We ate lunch on the mountain, looking out over the town of Jackson and the Tetons. Hyped from the morning ziplines, the kids eagerly set out for the ropes course. Amelia, Jackson, Jasper, Denver, and Louie all gave the red ropes course a shot, and Louie and Denver moved on to the most challenging course.
After conquering the Snow King mountain, we hopped back in the car and drove to Lower Slide Lake near our campsite. At the lake, the group all cold-plunged together before splitting up into clean and cool crews. Olivia, Anna Logan, Amelia and Jackson, the cook crew for the night, started on dinner- walking tacos and taco bowls! Dugger started a fire by the water so we could enjoy some s’mores after dinner. Louie and Jasper balled out with the spike ball. We all loaded back in the van and headed back to camp to pack for the next day. The girls decided to cowboy-camp sleeping under the stars, while the boys slept in the tents. Amelia and Denver led moon up, we played a hilarious game of mafia, then we went to bed.
On Friday morning, we got up early, ate yogurt bowls with fruit and granola, and got in the van for the trek to Idaho. We drove to Twin Falls, ID, listening to great music requests from the group and chatting, before picking up Chick-fil-A for lunch and eating at a park near the river. We did a stretch circle and some jumping jacks to get some energy out before embarking on the second half of the drive. Back in the van, Claire ran a game of trivia for the group. Jasper, Jackson, Denver, and Louie won by a land slide… They were so good at all of the quick facts! With the kids in high spirits, we pulled into McCall, Idaho a few hours later blasting ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue’ by Toby Keith. We settled into our campsite then immediately threw on our bathing suits and ran to the lake for an evening swim. Gincy led the charge and hopped in first.
Marin and Amelia helped cook pesto pasta with chicken and veggies, which the group devoured before a surprise dessert… a skillet cookie cooked over the fire! Jackson and Denver took on the task of dishes after the wonderful meal and dessert, and then Poppy and Louie led moon up before bed.
Today, the kids woke up to scrambled eggs and bagels before driving into McCall to meet our fly fishing guides for our first lesson. We started out on the local baseball fields to learn how to cast and tie knots. Poppy and Olivia were naturals, nailing the cast within the first few minutes. Next we headed to the river where our guides taught us about fish and bugs that we are trying to imitate to catch them. Louie and Jasper found some worms and nymphs in the river. Next we headed to Boulder Lake trail head for a hike up to a lake up in the mountains for fishing and swimming. The kids trekked up the mountain excitedly until we made it to the lake. Louie, Jasper and Gincy eagerly began fishing with Dugger while Claire played hacky sack with Jackson, Poppy, Gincy, Laura and Marin. Amelia, Marin, and Poppy then tried their luck fishing with Dugger. We ate our lunches in the sun and snacked on cheez its and chewy bars. The boys led the charge on an adventure higher up in the mountains, soaking in the beautiful views of Boulder Lake and the nearby reservoir. Olivia, Poppy, Gincy, Laura and Claire tagged along to find what was the best view of the trip so far. They came back to find Dugger and Amelia hooked into a rainbow trout! Dugger showed them how to hold the fish without hurting it, keeping its health and then releasing it back into the lake.
Following our afternoon excursion, it was ice cream time. We got “mountain-size scoops” at Ice Cream Alley, enjoying flavors like Huckleberry cheesecake and Caribou Caramel. Back at camp, we began packing for our next adventure…white water rafting! Laura, Poppy, Amelia and Gincy helped Claire cut the vegetables while Dugger cheffed up the rice and chicken for our chicken fried rice dinner. We were so excited to welcome Betsy to our group, completing our 12-person party. After dinner, the boys competed in spike ball and had a blast throwing the frisbee while the girls hit the lake for a sunset swim. At Moonup, we introduced ourselves to Betsy and filled her in on our groups’ jokes and happenings so far. Gincy and Jasper led us through Moonup, and Dugger played guitar to end the night.
We are so grateful for these kids and all of the fun we’ve had so far. They’re positive energy is contagious… we can’t keep a smile off of our faces! We’re so pumped for our 4-day rafting trip through Idaho, and we’ll update you all on the other side.
With love,
Claire and Dugger
Hey Big Wild friends and family!!
June 29, 2025
Hey Big Wild friends and family!! We are having an absolute blast out here with these kids. We wanted to run you through our past few days!
Starting out strong on Airport Day, our group had no flight delays making our travel day super smooth. We hung out in the Jackson Hole Airport outdoor courtyard while the kids arrived from Atlanta, Dallas, Winston Salem, Charlottesville, Charleston, and Nashville, playing hacky sack, uno, and getting to know each other. We drove to our campsite and learned how to set up camp. Before the lesson, we had to break in our new site with a game of “Birdie on a Perch” which had the kids laughing. Jasper and Louie defeated the others in our first round, and Poppy and Anna Logan took the W for the second! With our tents set up and our energy high, we hopped in the van and drove into downtown Jackson for pizza and salad from Hand Fired Pizza. We picked up our pies and made our way to town square for dinner, enjoying each others’ company already. With full bellies, we drove to Mormon Row, a classic Tetons sunset spot, to watch the sunset and do our first Moon up. What an epic opening day!
On Thursday morning, the kids were up and at ’em early even without a wakeup call from us leaders! Their positive attitudes and energy continue to impress us. Jackson and Gincy helped us cook breakfast and get ready for the day. We sat down together and fueled up for the day with pancakes with maple syrup, eggs, and bacon… yum!! We hopped in the van and headed to our first activity of the trip- Snow King Adventure Park and Zip line! We started off strong riding North America’s steepest zip line; it was awesome. Denver bravely jumped at the chance to go first and raced Claire down the mountain. We ate lunch on the mountain, looking out over the town of Jackson and the Tetons. Hyped from the morning ziplines, the kids eagerly set out for the ropes course. Amelia, Jackson, Jasper, Denver, and Louie all gave the red ropes course a shot, and Louie and Denver moved on to the most challenging course.
After conquering the Snow King mountain, we hopped back in the car and drove to Lower Slide Lake near our campsite. At the lake, the group all cold-plunged together before splitting up into clean and cool crews. Olivia, Anna Logan, Amelia and Jackson, the cook crew for the night, started on dinner- walking tacos and taco bowls! Dugger started a fire by the water so we could enjoy some s’mores after dinner. Louie and Jasper balled out with the spike ball. We all loaded back in the van and headed back to camp to pack for the next day. The girls decided to cowboy-camp sleeping under the stars, while the boys slept in the tents. Amelia and Denver led moon up, we played a hilarious game of mafia, then we went to bed.
On Friday morning, we got up early, ate yogurt bowls with fruit and granola, and got in the van for the trek to Idaho. We drove to Twin Falls, ID, listening to great music requests from the group and chatting, before picking up Chick-fil-A for lunch and eating at a park near the river. We did a stretch circle and some jumping jacks to get some energy out before embarking on the second half of the drive. Back in the van, Claire ran a game of trivia for the group. Jasper, Jackson, Denver, and Louie won by a land slide… They were so good at all of the quick facts! With the kids in high spirits, we pulled into McCall, Idaho a few hours later blasting ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue’ by Toby Keith. We settled into our campsite then immediately threw on our bathing suits and ran to the lake for an evening swim. Gincy led the charge and hopped in first.
Marin and Amelia helped cook pesto pasta with chicken and veggies, which the group devoured before a surprise dessert… a skillet cookie cooked over the fire! Jackson and Denver took on the task of dishes after the wonderful meal and dessert, and then Poppy and Louie led moon up before bed.
Today, the kids woke up to scrambled eggs and bagels before driving into McCall to meet our fly fishing guides for our first lesson. We started out on the local baseball fields to learn how to cast and tie knots. Poppy and Olivia were naturals, nailing the cast within the first few minutes. Next we headed to the river where our guides taught us about fish and bugs that we are trying to imitate to catch them. Louie and Jasper found some worms and nymphs in the river. Next we headed to Boulder Lake trail head for a hike up to a lake up in the mountains for fishing and swimming. The kids trekked up the mountain excitedly until we made it to the lake. Louie, Jasper and Gincy eagerly began fishing with Dugger while Claire played hacky sack with Jackson, Poppy, Gincy, Laura and Marin. Amelia, Marin, and Poppy then tried their luck fishing with Dugger. We ate our lunches in the sun and snacked on cheez its and chewy bars. The boys led the charge on an adventure higher up in the mountains, soaking in the beautiful views of Boulder Lake and the nearby reservoir. Olivia, Poppy, Gincy, Laura and Claire tagged along to find what was the best view of the trip so far. They came back to find Dugger and Amelia hooked into a rainbow trout! Dugger showed them how to hold the fish without hurting it, keeping its health and then releasing it back into the lake.
Following our afternoon excursion, it was ice cream time. We got “mountain-size scoops” at Ice Cream Alley, enjoying flavors like Huckleberry cheesecake and Caribou Caramel. Back at camp, we began packing for our next adventure…white water rafting! Laura, Poppy, Amelia and Gincy helped Claire cut the vegetables while Dugger cheffed up the rice and chicken for our chicken fried rice dinner. We were so excited to welcome Betsy to our group, completing our 12-person party. After dinner, the boys competed in spike ball and had a blast throwing the frisbee while the girls hit the lake for a sunset swim. At Moonup, we introduced ourselves to Betsy and filled her in on our groups’ jokes and happenings so far. Gincy and Jasper led us through Moonup, and Dugger played guitar to end the night.
We are so grateful for these kids and all of the fun we’ve had so far. They’re positive energy is contagious… we can’t keep a smile off of our faces! We’re so pumped for our 4-day rafting trip through Idaho, and we’ll update you all on the other side.
With love,
Claire and Dugger
The Adventure Begins!
June 25, 2025
Hello Big Wild Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Jackson Hole! The trip is off to a great start, and we are so excited to hear more stories as they begin their adventure.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next 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
