Oatmeal, Raccoons & River Views: BCO 1 Eh’s Grand Finale
June 21, 2025
Live from Vancouver International Airport, welcome to BCO 1 Eh’s final Trip Update of the summer. It is with full hearts and teary eyes that we stow away our tents, load up in the van to Vancouver, and marvel at how we fit all of our belongings into our duffel bags on the way here. These past 14 days have been nothing short of spectacular, from British Columbia’s views to the family we’ve become along the way. Here’s a glimpse into the memories we’ve created since you last heard from us!
Day 10 of our adventure began with everyone’s new favorite breakfast: oatmeal! Traditionalists opted for Maple Brown Sugar, while adventurous eaters paired Wow Butter with Apple Cinnamon, fueling everyone up to load our U-Haul and immediately pass out for a relaxing van nap. Ben, Lucy, and Myers knew the nap was over once Henry assumed his recurring role as van DJ, collecting a list of song requests for us to play. After a nice, long car ride full of karaoke, the group made it onto the ferry from Vancouver Island to Horseshoe Bay, where we got to stretch our legs and soak in some more amazing views. To no one’s surprise, the gorgeous scenery didn’t stop there, as our campground was framed by Squamish’s stunning mountains and waterfalls. The group agreed that there was no better place to play Spikeball, commencing the most intense tournament we’ve had to date. Lucy and Ben showed no mercy, but it took intense concentration, friendly trashtalk, and a horrible Gladiator impression from Ben to defeat Josh and Dallas. We’re proud to have such worthy opponents in BCO A! The friendly competition didn’t stop there, as BCO A divided into 2 teams and competed in Iron Chef, where they were given a budget to spend at Walmart and time to cook at the campsite. To keep things fair, Josh and Asher’s crazy cooking skills had to be separated. Emerson blew us away with her family’s caprese salad recipe, securing an easy victory for her team. That night was particularly eventful, as a local raccoon traipsed by, seemingly intrigued by Asher and Dalton’s Moonup. Unfortunately, we never got to hear what his “nugs” would’ve been for the day because mass hysteria ensued, complete with shrieking and relocating every single tent into a square formation. Despite the intrusion, we wouldn’t change a thing, since the new tent setup turned out to be a pretty sweet way to stay up late chatting to the sound of Squamish’s rushing waterfalls.
Day 11 kicked off with Myers’ delicious avocado toast and BCO A’s staple. We were just as shocked as you probably are to hear Russell’s first words of the day be “where is the oatmeal?” However, we were even more shocked to see our friendly neighborhood raccoon return to our campsite for breakfast. With that feeling like our cue to go, the group packed up and headed to the Elaho River for our overnight whitewater rafting section. Our awesome guides, Frankie, David, and Andrew, led us down some exhilarating Class III and IV rapids. Perhaps even more exciting than the waves were the views of the Garibaldi and Cayley mountains that we were met with at every turn! After a full afternoon of floating and gaining more quotes from Max to add to our repertoire, we landed on a stunning island to camp out on and enjoy our rafting guides’ amazing cooking. Our fantastic dinner of roasted vegetables, salmon, and steak kebabs perfectly supplemented Henry and Rowan’s heartwarming Moonup, where each person told the group something they admired about the person to their left. It is truly amazing to see how much this group understands and loves one another!
Day 12 was more laid back, with a later wake up and french toast served by our rafting guides. We floated down the river, played silly games, and talked about the lessons Moondance has taught us, then hit the road back to our campsite to start one of our craziest game tournaments to date. Dude, Don’t Touch My Rock was a fan favorite, and Taylor excelled at Birdie On a Perch. For dinner that night, the kids cooked the classic duo of quesadillas and hot dogs, and BCO A surprised Lucy with an early birthday cake. Max and Stirling’s Moonup was especially fun, since they closed it out with an awesome dance circle. To end the night, our raccoon friend quickly walked by but didn’t stay around. It’s tough to say, but we think he might’ve felt insecure since Anne Harris’ dance moves were absolutely unbeatable.
Our final day was a whirlwind of packing up camp, jamming out in the van a few more times, putting on some funny outfits, and enjoying a delicious final dinner from The Main in Vancouver. Ben began our last Moonup with notebooks for each person to write a kind word or two to their friends, making the night extra special.
Sitting in YVR now, it is hard to imagine that just 14 days ago we were a group of strangers. BCO 1A is an incredible group full of kind, intelligent, compassionate, spontaneous, and absolutely rad individuals. We couldn’t have asked for a better group to share the past 2 weeks with. As Max would say, “our crew, roll out!”
– Lucy, Ben, and Myers
The Mountains and Beaches of British Columbia!
June 18, 2025
Hello from the mountains and beaches of British Columbia! Since you last heard from BCO “Eh,” we’ve climbed peaks, surfed swells, and rocked out in the van as we’ve traveled all over Canada’s west coast. We are absolutely stoked to fill you in on all that we’ve been up to here!
Our sixth day in BCO started on scenic Cumberland Lake, where we went full steam ahead into our 2 day rock climbing section. We met our guides, Dane and Tom, bright and early to get a full day of rappelling and climbing in. BCO A made sure to take advantage of every single course that our guides prepared, splitting off into groups of 3 to belay and cheer each other on as each person conquered their climbs. We started climbing on some beginner routes, and after the group’s crazy success with those, our guides made some last minute, more challenging routes. It goes without saying that BCO A absolutely crushed these as well. Stirling and Anne Harris proved to be some of our most gifted climbers, scaling the rock walls with near-superhuman strength. When Rowan wasn’t speeding through climbs and rappels, we found her belaying her friends all day long. That night, we enjoyed some fajitas made by the girls, and had a special Moonup on the shores of the lake at sunset.
Day seven, we continued to perfect our rock climbing and rappelling techniques, this time conquering climbing routes with a 5.11 rating and rappelling down from a surface over double the height from the day before! Anne Harris demolished Ben in a rock climbing race, and Max and Russell encouraged all of BCO A by stealing his nerves and cruising down the rappel with ease. BCO A has definitely got some daredevils! The group’s hard work was rewarded with Love’s Ice Cream, which we all agreed was some of the best ice cream we’ve ever had. After our well-deserved sweet treat, we continued our travels to the beautiful beaches of Tofino. The boys were particularly ecstatic about finally finding a sandy beach in Canada, so we made sure to do Moonup by the sea. The picturesque sunset was the perfect backdrop to discuss both our favorite condiments and who in our lives has taught us the most. Ranch dressing and our parents were the runaway favorite answers! We went to bed that night bundled up from head to toe (because who knew the beach could get so chilly?!), dreaming of the french toast Asher and Josh were soon to cook the next morning.
After enjoying our delicious breakfast, BCO A met with our stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) instructors, burned a lot of calories putting on our wetsuits, and learned proper paddling technique. To test our skills, we divided into two teams to do a relay race, which consisted of wheelbarrow racing down the beach, paddling in a circle with one person using their hands and the other using the paddle, and running back. Henry and Dallas came to play, propelling their team forward to an easy victory, made easier by the fact that Ben dropped Lucy (the absolutely unbiased narrator writing this update) multiple times during the wheelbarrow race. We had a great morning playing Last Man Standing on the paddleboards while admiring the starfish and kelp, then quickly headed to Cox Bay for our surfing lesson. Hayes and Chris from Moondance HQ must have heard all about BCO A’s surfing skills, because they surprised us on the beach to watch us catch some waves! After a full day on the water, the group devoured some Greek bowls and s’mores, ready to do it all over again the next day.
We fueled up with some delicious chocolate chip pancakes, then BCO A returned to SUP, with Max and Russell carrying team 2 in the relay to avenge their poor performance from the day before. We had an absolute blast on and off our boards, as our game of Last Man Standing was resumed, this time with full-blown alliances and thought-out plays. Dalton and Stirling were particularly masterful at throwing Lucy off her paddleboard. That afternoon, we went to South Chesterman Beach to surf, where the waves were certifiably huge. Just like always, BCO A enthusiastically rose to the challenge, shredding gnar and getting demolished by waves with equal amounts of stoke. We are eagerly anticipating the GoPro wipeout footage. Taylor and Emerson showed everyone how it’s done on their boards, and Dalton had so much fun on hers that she tried out the tandem surfboard with one of our instructors! Though we were completely exhausted from our full day, the fun never stopped, as we headed into the town of Tofino to check out some surf shops and try some local restaurants. With full stomachs, we enjoyed a jaw dropping view of the mountains, water, and seaplanes during our Moonup on the Tofino pier.
We are having the most amazing time with our new BCO A family, and we can’t believe that we’re over halfway through the session. The energy is high for our upcoming days of fun, and we can’t wait to continue letting the good times roll!
– Lucy, Ben, and Myers
Thank You’s:
Asher- Mom and dad, thank you so much for this amazing opportunity to go see Canada in the flesh and all the beauty it holds in it. My leaders are amazing and try their best to always make us have a good time.
Stirling- Mom and dad, thank you so much for allowing me to come to Moondance and meet amazing people! I’ve had such a good time and everything has been great. Miss you!
Dalton- Mom and dad, thank you so much for allowing me to come to Moondance! I’m having so much fun and meeting so many great people! Miss you and can’t wait to see you!
Josh- Mom and dad thank you so much for letting me go to Moondance, I have done so many new things. I have made so many new friends and I have seen an old friend from a different camp. Again thank you so much and I can’t wait to see you soon!!
Russell- Thank you mom and dad for letting me come on this Moondance trip. I am having so much fun and making new friends. I will see you soon! Can’t wait to tell you about everything we did.
Dallas- Thank you mom and dad for letting me come to Moondance this year. I have had an amazing time and I will tell you all about it in a couple days. I love y’all and will see y’all in a couple days.
Henry- Thank you mom and dad for letting me go on Moondance. I have had the best time and can’t wait to see you guys soon. Love y’all!!
Max- Thank u mom and dad for letting me come to Moondance. I am having so much fun. I hope dad had a great father day. I can’t wait to see both of you soon.
Emerson- Thank you so much mom and dad for giving me this chance to come to Moondance to make friends and memories! I want to let you know how grateful I am for this chance! Also I am having so much fun and can’t wait to tell you about it when I see y’all soon! Love all of y’all!
Rowan- Mom and dad, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to go to British Columbia with Moondance to explore the world. I have had an amazing experience and made so many lifelong friends. I miss y’all so much and I can’t wait to see you guys soon! Love y’all!
Taylor- Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to go to this camp and be able to make all my new friends. I’m so grateful for you guys and I miss you all so much. Can’t wait to see you, love you lots!!!!
Anne Harris- Thank you so much for letting me come to Moondance! I’ve been having such a great time marking more memories and friends. I am so grateful for the time and resources you put in to let me go. Love y’all!
Big Adventures In British Columbia
June 13, 2025
Greetings from beautiful British Columbia! BCO 1 “Eh!” (get it? Because Canadians say “eh” at the end of their questions!) is having a fantastic time exploring new parts of the world. We hit the ground running after picking up your kids from Vancouver International Airport, and they have been down for anything, whether that be hanging out at the campsite or getting out of their comfort zones rappelling down beautiful waterfalls. We are so excited to fill you guys in on all of the fun we’ve had!
Ben, Lucy, and Myers eagerly waited for our new family to arrive at the airport. Immediately, we were greeted by the biggest smiles and best attitudes. We had a blast playing classic airport games like Wavelength, and after getting to know each other on our Crazy Creeks in baggage claim, 11 out of 15 BCO 1A members hit the road to the beautiful Rolley Lake Campground. Upon arrival, the kids blew us away with how quickly they set up their tents and got comfortable. The afternoon was jam packed with spike ball, card games, and exploring the surrounding greenery and lake. While Lucy and Myers got most of the group settled, Ben picked up Russell, Dallas, and Josh from their delayed flight, where they wowed us by efficiently problem-solving to find each other and a temporarily lost bag. We’ll be sure to defer any logistical questions to those 3 from now on! We ended the first night with some delicious pizza and a great first Moonup, where question topics ranged from ideal B+ superpower to our goals for the summer. If you’re curious, Max had the best answer for a B+ superpower (being ambidextrous).
Day 2 started off strong with donuts from Tim Horton’s, a Canadian staple. The kids devoured these on the way to our first activity: canyoning in Cascade Falls! We spent the day rappelling down stunning waterfalls, swimming around in the ice cold water while wearing our wetsuits, and cheering each other on as we ventured outside of our comfort zones. We all loved learning new slang from Luke, our guide from New Zealand. Feel free to ask us what a “stick up” is when we incorporate it into our daily lingo back home! Later that evening, we swam in the lake and played beach football while Ben and Lucy began a strict Spikeball curriculum. Despite their absolute dominance, Stirling, Anne Harris, Dalton, and Emerson are proving to be formidable opponents. We fear an upset may be coming in the next few days!
Day 3 was full of family bonding as we traveled via van and ferry to the stunning Quadra Island. The morning began with Asher and Dalton, the Leaders of the Day (LODs), making delicious yogurt parfaits and helping the group pack up for our travels. Our first ferry offered stunning views of both water and mountains on the way to Vancouver Island. After the ferry, we had an amazing lunch at a local park on the beach. Emerson taught all of us how to play Shake and Pop, and Henry was introduced to buffalo-flavored Pretzel Chips, which he has not stopped requesting since his first bite. After getting some energy out, we took another ferry to Quadra Island, where our campsite had beach-front views! We made sure to take in the moment, then dug into some delicious spaghetti and garlic bread, prepared by Asher, who is quickly becoming BCO A’s lead chef!
Day 4 was our sea kayaking day! We rose with the sun, ate eggs and bacon, then drove over to Quadra Island Kayaks, where our LODs, Josh and Stirling, helped lead the group in a tough but rewarding kayak session around the harbor. We saw some of the gorgeous wildlife that Quadra Island has to offer, including some seals! After kayaking all afternoon, the group was surprised with an ice cream run. Dallas, in an interesting turn of events, opted in for Lifesaver gummies instead of ice cream, which may have ended up being just the fuel he needed to excel in “Fastaball,” a new game created by the boys. If we’re being honest, the jury is still out on some of the rules, but Russell hit a crazy dunk that must be applauded. If only he could be in two places at once, or he could’ve shown off his impressive sports photography skills we’ve heard so much about. We’ll make sure to check out his pictures when we go rock climbing! For dinner that night, Josh and Asher made delicious burgers and fries for the group.
Today we’ve been on the go, starting our day with M&M pancakes and a gorgeous hike of the Chinese Mountain Loop, led by Max and Stirling (our LODs). We all soaked in the gorgeous panoramic views of Quadra Island, and Taylor had all of us laughing when she repeatedly referred to ziplining and cliff jumping as “cliff lining.” Honestly, we like how that sounds better anyway. After a full afternoon we finished our lovely hike and drove over to our Campground, where Rowan introduced us to “Voccer,” a combination of soccer and volleyball. Looks like Fastaball has some competition! We ended our night with homemade pizza from the boys, as well as a special poetic serenade led by Henry. We can’t wait to share more from this incredible group and our adventures!
– Lucy, Ben, and Myers
Taylor:
Hi mom and dad I miss you guys so much and maverick and Ella. I’m having so much fun and I’m making lots of memories. Also happy Father’s Day dad I hope you have a great day. I can’t wait to see you guys!!!!!
Stirling:
Hi mom, dad, and biscuit I miss yall so much and I’m having so much fun. I got to see Rhett today. Love y’all!
Emerson:
Hi mom and dad I love y’all and miss yall tell Tatom and Connor I miss them see you soon!! I am making so many friends and I am having the best time. And tell mom that we are listening to Billy strings. Peace out LOVE YOU!!!
Rowan:
Hi mom and dad! I am having the best time and I am making so many new friends and memories. I miss y’all so much! Love you guys and happy Father’s Day!
Anne Harris:
Hey guys! I am having such a good time here. I’ve made new friends and had such a good time making new memories. Tell William and Walker I miss them and can’t wait to see them. Happy Father’s Day!
Dalton:
hey mom and dad I’m having sooo much fun and it reallyyyy pretty here!!! I miss you guys so much and love you so much and can’t wait to see you!! Happy Father’s Day!! Tell Elo I love her so much and can’t wait to see her!! Write pepper a letter and say that I say hi and I miss her! Love you byeee
Henry
Hi mom and dad!! I am having such a good time and I have made a lot of friends. We have so far gone canyoning, sea kayaking, and rock climbing. I can’t wait to see you guys and celebrate Birdie!! Also happy Father’s Day dad!! I love you so much and will celebrate it more when I get home. Love y’all!!
Russell
Hi happy Father’s Day, I love you all! I’m having a lot of fun and stuff bye bye!
Dallas
Hi mom and dad! I’m having a great time and will most likely come back next year. This has been a fun time and I hope dad did good in big rock and will have a happy Father’s Day. I love y’all lots and will see y’all in a couple days. Love you bye!
Max
Hi mom and dad. I have had a lot of fun on the Moondance trip. Happy Father’s Day dad! I hop u have a great day. I love u both so much. I can’t wait to see u again.
Asher
Hey mom and dad. I’m having a great time at Moondance and we are doing great activities. I’m currently looking for shoes for rock climbing and my big feet. I’m nervous but it’ll be fun. Happy Father’s Day. Have fun at Bakers Bay!
Josh
Hey mom and dad I am having a lot of fun and I have been cooking everyday and I love it. When I come back we should get a blackstone and a Coleman grill with propane bc I have been using that well. happy Father’s Day.
Safe Arrival!
June 9, 2025
Hi British Columbia Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Vancouver! 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
