One Last Time...
July 10, 2025
The kids are just about tucked away into their planes, heading home to their lives and their loved ones. Our hearts are full, our eyes are teary and all the memories we’ve made this summer will always be with us, living on BIG AND WILD. Henry and I have so loved getting to know all of your sweet kids and each of them should be proud of the mountains we’ve climbed and the rivers we’ve rafted. But more importantly, they should be proud of their abilities to show up entirely as themselves in a new environment and to be loved even more for it. This was a special group and the Moondance magic was ever present during our wild weeks of wandering.
After rafting we began our long journey back to Wyoming, with our playlist “Meese on the Move” as the soundtrack to our final adventure. Jack, with his insane musical repertoire, added the perfect songs to the queue to match the vibe and James kept him company in the front row with his magic tricks that I will never understand, but will always be impressed by. AC, Lil, Charlotte and Eloise were constantly dying with laughter in the back row, proof of just how close this group has gotten over the weeks. Only the best of friends could keep each other occupied during a 7 hour car ride, and this group had absolutely no problem with that.
To break up the drive, we stopped in McCall and Radha finally got the ice cream she’d been dreaming about all of rafting. That night we stayed in the Bruneau Sand Dunes State park, an insane campground only minutes from the Bruneau sand dunes. Katie and Stafford led us in a meaningful Moonup, and to close out the tradition, we howled at the “almost” full moon for one of the last times.
And then the sun rose on our final day, a day that we all felt had come far too soon. Henry and I woke the kids up with oreo pancakes and bacon before we hit the road one last time. As soon as we got to Jackson, we headed to a thrift store so that the kids could be “dressed to the nines” for our banquet dinner at Sidewinders. Parker and Grayson easily had the best outfits- Parker with his plaid bellbottoms and Grayson with this fedora, vest, and checkered pants. Everyone in Sidewinders was probably wondering what had led us to these outfits, but we couldn’t have cared less. We knew we looked AWESOME. And we felt awesome. Because we were ending the trip with a whole new group of people to lean on and to laugh with and to love.
For our last Moonup we drove over to the Wedding Tree, where we watched the sun set over the Tetons and soaked up our final hours as a family. We all went around and talked about what we were taking away from the trip and everyone had beautiful, thoughtful answers. Elsa talked about the importance of letting go of your worries, stepping out of your comfort zone, and allowing yourself to be loved by the people around you. This is exactly what Henry and I think Moondance is all about- being free, and being loved. We couldn’t have said it better than sweet Elsa.
And now here we are, our final morning. I will never be good at saying goodbye to the kids I’ve gotten to know and care for, and this morning was no different. These kids made parting ways so tough, which is all a leader can hope for. What an incredible and wise and grounded and hilarious group of young people. These kids are the best of the best. Henry and I cannot wait to watch as everyone’s exciting and promising lives continue to unfold, and we’ll always be here if they ever need reminding of how CAPABLE and INCREDIBLE each of them are.
To the families thank you for trusting us with these goofballs- we couldn’t love them more if we tried. And thank you for trusting Moondance and all that it stands for, we really do believe that these trips have the power to change lives and I know it has changed mine.
And finally, to our kiddos- WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH. So, so, so much. We can’t even begin to express our gratitude for all the hard work you put into letting down your walls and loving the adventures of Big Wild. And thank you for your kindness towards each other- what a family we’ve all found. Henry and I will always be here to cheer yall on!!! Don’t forget it!
Signing off one last time,
With so much love,
Ella and Henry
Canyons, Carabiners, & Cannonballs
July 9, 2025
Howdy from Idaho!!
We are soaking up our last couple days together after an epic rafting trip, which I know was many of our favorite trip activities. None of us can believe that we are parting ways in a couple days but I know we’re all grateful to have a few more sacred moments as a Moondance family. This trip has flown by- evidence of the wild, incredible time we’ve been having out west. You’re awesome kids have proven time and time again that they are ready for adventure and eager to laugh and take care of one another. This trip has been something out of a movie, and I’m so glad we’ve still got a couple of adventures up our sleeves before the kids hop on their planes and settle back into their lives.
After backpacking we threw some ropes over our shoulders, tightened our helmets, and pulled on some harnesses for our climbing section. For the first day of climbing school we drove over to Teton Village and took a gondola up to our climbing spot for the day. Radha, who didn’t have much prior climbing experience, found a new love for the sport. She told me it felt “just like a jungle gym but for adults” which I think is pretty accurate. Elsa also found a new love for climbing and raced up the mountain during our multi-pitch climb. The smile on her face after she finished the climb was unbeatable.
The next day of climbing we drove to the beautiful Jenny Lake, where we piled into a little ferry and enjoyed some summer boating on our way to the mountain. Eloise, who climbs back home, was a patient and caring leader while everyone took on bouldering. Later on in the day the group split up based on what they were interested in. The boys took on the hardest top-rope climb and everyone made it to the top!
And then came everyone’s favorite- the rafting. The long drive to Idaho was well-worth it and we passed the time with some van dance parties and snacked on some Haribo gummies and other gas station goodies. Oh and how could I forget- THE FOURTH OF JULY!!! We had a huge cookout for dinner at Ponderosa State Park with some camping smash burgers, hot dogs and homemade Shirley temples. After everyone was full and in the spirit we drove over to watch fireworks go off over the river in Mcall. Wow, what a great night.
The next morning, we met our guides and began our first day rafting on The Salmon River. The Salmon River is special and beautiful for so many reasons, but one of the things that makes the river so epic is that the water flows in between four different canyons: Cougar Canyon, Green Canyon, Snow Hole Canyon, and the mighty Blue Canyon.
We spent our days on the river, paddling, bonding, and soaking up the sun. On one of our rafting days, Jack got the boys to pile into a raft together that they lovingly named “The Chariot” and the girls named their boat “BF boat” (best friend boat).
The rapids on the Salmon river are fast and we had a few members of the Big Wild Crew join the Salmon River swim team (they fell out of the boat). This impromptu swim sesh ended up being Stafford’s favorite moment of rafting and James had an equally great time because he stayed on the very front of the raft while almost everyone else fell off.
Some of the kids decided to swim through the rapids, after getting the go-ahead from the raft guide, and Parker and Grayson floated together through the white water. During our long stretches of water AC and Lillian sat together and laughed at the front of the boat, making the raft their own personal living room.
At night we enjoyed some insane dinners made by our raft guides, a well appreciated break from the camping food we’ve been enjoying. Real chicken will just always be better than canned chicken. On our last night, Charlotte went around and gave all the boys some crazy hair-dos while I braided some of the girls’ hair. Katie told me she’d never really had her hair braided like that and it made me so happy that I could bring her into the girlhood tradition of hair braiding.
Today begins our journey back to Jackson. The kids are tucked into the van and their playlist “Meese on the Moove” is playing in the background. We are all gonna LIVE IN THE MOMENT and enjoy all the sweet time we have left.
Singing off for now,
The Big Wild Wanderers
Ella and Henry
Here are some thank yous!!!
Jack- miss you guys so much! Thank you for giving me this experience!
Eloise- Thank you so much for making this trip possible, I’ve loved every minute of it and it’s meant so much to me!
AC- thank you for sending me on this trip, I’m having so much fun!
Stafford- thank you so much for letting me go! Everyone’s awesome! Can’t wait to see you guys!
Grayson- thank you mom and dad for sending me here! I am having such a great time and everyone here is awesome. Love yall! Miss yall!
James- thank you so much for letting me go here! Everyone’s amazing and having a great time. Can’t wait to see all of yall at home.
Elsa- thank you so much for pushing me to do this! I’ve learned so much about myself and everyone else on this trip! Love yall!
Katie- hi mom and dad! Thank you for sending me! I’ve had so much fun! Made many friends and learned so much about myself! Miss you!
Parker- hey mom and dad I’m having a ton of fun rock climbing and rafting. Thank yall for sending me here!
Radha- Thank yall so much for sending me here! I miss you!
Charlotte- thank you so much for sending me on this trip! Love you and miss you soooooo much!
Lillian- I love you and miss yall! Thank you for sending me on this trip!
Updates From The Big Wild Wanderers
July 2, 2025
Howdy from Wyoming!
The kids are enjoying some well deserved van time after everyone dug deep and CRUSHED our backpacking section. We are on our way to some showers, which I know was a big motivator for all of us on our last stretch of trail.
Our adventure began in the beautiful Jackson airport, with Charlotte being our first arrival. Charlotte, Henry and I eagerly awaited the rest of our soon-to-be family to arrive and passed the time with some pretty cut-throat card games, with Charlotte taking most of the wins. After everyone had finally arrived and our crew was finally whole, we set up our homes for the summer (our good ole tents) and had our first night of sleep in the beautiful Gross Ventre campground.
The next morning we had our first activity-
a fly fishing clinic! Our awesome and knowledgeable teachers, Colby and Kayla, helped the group sift through the bugs in the river. This process is important because seeing what kind of bugs are living in the river at that time of year can help the fisher pick the best fly to catch the river’s fish.
Later on in the afternoon, the kids were able to practice their casting skills. Stafford got a killer picture of James and his newfound fly fishing skills. Everyone caught on fast and at the end of the lesson the guides told Henry and I how impressed they were with our group of up and coming fly fishers
Then, we were off to Whiskey Grove to get a good nights sleep before hitting the trail early in the morning. For dinner that night we had burrito bowls with tortilla chips, followed by our first backcountry lesson- a sump whole. This is a 6×6 whole dug far away from the campsite where we can safely clean our dishes and dump the dirty water. Parker took the lead and cleaned our rice pot, and we all cheered him on for taking one for the team.
After camp was cleaned and s’mores were had, our first Moonup commenced. This is a special time each night where the LODs (leaders of the day) lead the group in one lighthearted question about their lives, and one more serious, meaningful question. Our first see question was: what are you hoping to take away from this trip? The kids answers were thoughtful and impressive l, and set the tone well for more special Moonips to come. Stafford talked about how Big Wild was a great opportunity for him to get to know people outside of his hometown and Eloise talked about how excited she was to get out into nature.
The next morning, a little after the sun rose, our first leaders of the day- Eloise and Parker- got everyone up and hyped for our first day backpacking. The trail into the Gross Ventre Wilderness is absolutely insane and the views kept spirits high and the group adjusted to the altitude and the weight of the pack. Radha began to feel the effects of the altitude so we hiked together and had a blast taking it slow and listening to some Taylor Swift. The trial was challenging but everyone should be incredibly proud of themselves!! Safe to say no one had trouble falling asleep that night and we were even able to sleep in a couple hours the next morning.
For our second day in the back country, we walked a little over a mile to a remote alpine lake, where the group sunbathed and tried out their new fly fishing skills. The boys were super helpful and taught those who had never been flyfishing before how to cast and reel the line in. Everyone started yelling and cheering when, after one cast, Lillian caught a fish!! Katie and Elsa, who seem like they’ve known each other for a whole lot longer than a couple days, walked around the lake and spent some good time bonding.
For dinner we had a Thanksgiving feast- stuffing, mashed potatoes, chicken, and cranberry sauce. After everyone was full and happy, our LODs for the day- AC and Jack- led us in another special Moonup. They posed the question: what is a place that means a lot to you and why? The kids all gave beautiful and honest answers and Henry and I are so impressed with this groups ability to be open and excited to share about their lives.
The next morning it was time to strap on our packs one last time and make the hike back to our van. The group finished the hike in half the time it took us to get there on the first day and everyone jumped up and down when the trailhead finally came into view.
We packed the van back up and Grayson, one of the leaders of the day, helped Henry and I round up everyone’s duffles. We are so grateful for his help and for all of the kids for being so ready to work as a group. They should all be so proud of the miles they crushed and the new friendships they’ve formed in the back country.
We are a couple minutes from some much needed showers and I know the kids are pumped. Tomorrow we begin our first day of climbing!
Singing off for now
The Big Wild Wanderers
Ella and Henry
Here are some shoutouts from the kids!!
Charlotte- miss you guys so much! Love you! Having so much fun!
AC- This is fun! Love you!
Eloise- everyone and everything has been so fun and so great, love you guys!
Lillian- making lots of friends! Love yall!
Katie- I’m having so much fun! I miss you guys so much, love you all!
Elsa- I’m doing good so don’t worry! I love you guys so much and I can’t wait to see you again!
Radha- tell the twins I say hi! I love you guys!
Jack- hi mom, hi dad! Love you guys! Im having a great time, can’t wait to see you guys!
Grayson- hi dad and mom! I love yall so much and I’m having a blast. Thank you for sending me here!
Parker- hi mom and dad! I’m having the best time. I miss you guys and want to thank you for sending me here!
Stafford- hi mom and dad! I miss you guys so much. Thank you so much for sending me, I’m having the best time ever. Love y’all!
James- Hi mom! Hi dad! Miss y’all, can’t wait to see you but having an amazing time
The Adventure Begins!
June 28, 2025
Hello Big Wild Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group 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
