July 8, 2025
Back again?! BCO 2A is back for one final Trip Update! Join us as we share a tearful goodbye with your awesome kids from the luxurious Vancouver International Airport. Before we get bogged down in fitting Crazy Creeks back into duffel bags or exchanging phone numbers, we’ll fill you in on all that we’ve been up to since you last heard from us.
Day 10, aka the Fourth of July, started nice and early with BCO 2A’s new favorite breakfast: oatmeal! We loaded up on toppings, hopped in the van, and sadly departed from Tofino, a spot that we all agreed was one of our favorites. Fortunately for us, our time in Tofino was far from over, as our right U-Haul tire acquired a nail in the parking lot of our campground. Thanks to a kind stranger and Ben’s impressive U-Haul-reversing skills, the tire was replaced, and the 1:20 ferry reservation was made! We owe it all to the group’s positive attitude and ample listens to “Big Sky” by Parker McCollum, which Millie has almost memorized the entire lyrics to. After some more travel and ice cream, the crew arrived at our next campsite in Squamish, where a fierce poker tournament ensued. Though the jury is out on who the best player was, Elle swears that she won by a landslide. Since the Fourth would not be complete without a grill-out, LODs Jo and Frankie prepared us some delicious burgers and hot dogs. Lucky for us, Frankie has just about mastered his smash burger technique! We’re thrilled to hear about all of his future grilling endeavors.
Day 11 kicked off our overnight whitewater rafting section on the Elaho and Squamish Rivers. We had a leisurely breakfast of M&M pancakes and bacon, then headed over to the river to start our next adventure. BCO 2A divided up into our aforementioned relay race teams to conquer the river’s swift rapids, with Alex, Millie, Elle, and Jo getting particularly soaked as they fearlessly paddled at the front of our rafts. Once we were all adequately chilly from the glacier rapids, we arrived at our campsite, which was a stunning island all to ourselves on the banks of the Squamish. Just when we thought the setup couldn’t get any better, our awesome rafting guides (shoutout Rocky, David, and Josh) prepared a feast for the ages, complete with salmon, steak, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and an apple crumble. To help our food settle, the group played an intense game of Sardines, then had a special Moonup on the shore.
Day 12 started off strong with David’s french toast and bacon, then a relaxing morning as we floated down the Squamish back home. David taught Ben and Lucy’s raft a fun game called Imposter, which Harper particularly excelled at, and Myers’ raft discussed their favorite nostalgic shows and movies. After packing up our dry bags and rafts, the crew headed back to our campsite, but the action did not stop with rafting, as it was time for the group to conquer peak 1 of the famous Chief Hike! Despite many claims about not enjoying hiking, the crew absolutely crushed this challenging hike. Our LODs, Win and Annie, led the group with ease, and Shaw showed off his good Expedition Behavior by carrying everyone’s water bottles and encouraging his friends the whole way up. Once we basked in the stunning panoramic views of Squamish and the Tantalus mountain range, we headed home for our most intense competition yet: Iron Chef. After some difficult deliberations and a lot of laughs, one group was named victorious thanks to Thomas and Frankie’s burgers and Jo, Maddie, and Elle’s beautiful vocals. However, an honorable mention must be given to the other team, particularly Peter’s creative presentation of the mac and cheese/burger/burrito concoctions.
Day 13 was a fun, laid-back day spent packing up and enjoying Banquet. We devoured some delicious chicken tenders, sandwiches, and burgers from Trading Post Eatery in Langley, then held one last Moonup complete with journals full of kind notes from the group and one last jam out to “Never Be Like You.” A few hours later, the crew headed to YVR to return home with amazing new friendships, funny stories, and confidence. We couldn’t be prouder of BCO 2A, and we’re so thankful for the past 14 days of fun with them. You guys have some special kids, and we feel privileged to have taken care of them this session!
Lucy + Ben + Myers
July 3, 2025
Hello from the stunning scenery of British Columbia! Since picking your awesome kids up from Vancouver International Airport, we hit the ground running, already seeing and experiencing so much of what Canada’s west coast has to offer. We can’t wait to share all that we’ve been up to with you guys!
After a nice morning spent in YVR’s scenic baggage claim, the group loaded up their duffels in the U-Haul for the first of many times, got seated in the van, and headed out to our first campsite. Thomas immediately got the group chatting over some riddles in the van, and Jo got the jam sessions started early with a 2-page-long list of crowd pleasers. After getting through a decent chunk of Zach Bryan’s discography, we made it to campsite #1, where the group quickly got their tents set up and enjoyed a delicious pizza dinner, made extra special by Ben and Myers’ decorations and sweets for Lucy’s birthday.
BCO A woke up bright and early on day 2 for a full day of canyoning. We enjoyed a select two dozen donuts from Tim Horton’s, a Canadian staple, packed up some homemade chicken caesar wraps, then headed to Cascade Falls. Despite the chilly weather, the group absolutely crushed their rappels with smiles on their faces. Elle kept the morale high by cheering on her friends all day long. That night for dinner, Jo and Alex, our Leaders of the Day (LODs) whipped up some amazing chicken fried rice. Our full day ended with an amazing Moonup, where we discussed everything from our top 5 favorite sauces to lessons we learned over the past year.
Day 3 was a fun-filled travel day as we took vans and ferries to our next destination: Cumberland! The early morning was made enjoyable by more riddles and a stunning ferry ride surrounded by beautiful water and mountains. After a wrong turn or two, we ended up at our next campsite. Once tents were pitched and snacks were eaten, the girls took a cold plunge in the lake, where Annie amazed us with her complete indifference to the chilly water. For dinner, we enjoyed Frankie and Elle’s delicious pasta bolognese with garlic bread and broccoli, followed by Moonup on the shores of Cumberland Lake at sunset.
Day 4 started with sea kayaking around Mitlenatch Island, a beautiful nature reserve and seagull hatching ground, as well as a visit by our special guest, Anna Brugh from Moondance HQ! We were lucky enough to see seals, sea lions, and humpback whales from the island. A highlight of the activity was turning around to find 5 seals trailing our boats. After a relaxing boat ride back to the beach made complete by Millie’s jokes, we enjoyed some delicious Love’s Ice Cream. The fun didn’t stop there, as a fierce game tournament ensued back at the campsite. Ben and Lucy absolutely demolished Thomas and Alex in Spikeball, and everyone’s competitive sides came out playing Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. Peter made us steak fajitas for dinner, with his guacamole being a fan favorite, despite the fact that he doesn’t eat avocados (yet). That night’s Moonup on the beach led by Peter and Harper was another great one. We are so proud of how this group is coming together and becoming such a family!
Day 5 was the start of our 2-day rock climbing section in Cumberland. Shaw immediately showed off his impressive rock climbing skills, and Harper blew us away by overcoming her nerves and rappelling not once, but twice! A highlight of the day was Ben and Frankie’s intense rock climbing race, where Frankie beat Ben by less than 2 seconds. You’d think Frankie would’ve been worn out after his gold medal performance, but he continued to crush climbs all day, making sure to stop and take in the moment at the top. We loved watching Maddie encourage and belay her friends when she wasn’t racing to the top of rock climbing routes. After a full day, we headed to our new waterfront campsite in Cumberland, where the games continued. Star, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, and Golf continued to bring out peoples’ competitive edges (particularly Win’s, a rising star in all of BCO A’s card game endeavors) until we all rejoined as a unit for Annie and Shaw’s delicious taco/burger concoctions. We went to bed thinking of our dream realities (shoutout Annie’s Moonup question) and the oatmeal we were soon to eat for breakfast the next morning.
We are having the best time in BCO, and can’t wait to keep you guys up to date on all of our adventures!
Lucy, Ben, and Myers
Lucy, Ben, and Myers
Hey mom and dad having so much fun here miss y’all and see y’all soon.
-Thomas
Hey mom and dad I miss y’all a lot but I’m having so much fun.
-Win
hey mom and dad, having even more fun than last time, will see you in around a week!
-Alex
Hey mom Myers and Lucy snore and won’t stop farting in the tent. Had to start sleeping in the Eno. Otherwise, life is good.
-Ben
Hey mom and dad I can’t wait to see you guys make sure everyone knows including ranya.I love you guys and miss you a bunch. Make sure everyone is good and make sure everyone knows I am thinking about them a lot. I love you a lot.
-Peter
Hey mom and dad I miss y’all so much and can’t wait too see you guys. I am having a lot of fun. I have met some great friends and counselors on this trip and can’t wait too see y’all
-Frankie
Hey mom and dad I’m having so so much fun and can’t wait to see y’all soon and I love u guys so much.
-Maddie
Hey everyone! I’m having so much fun!!!!! I love my leaders SO much and the activities are super fun! I miss u and can’t wait to see u soon. Tell Amelie CH and Eleonore I say hi! Love you!
-Jo
Hey fam + friends, I miss u guys so much but I’m having the best time ever!!!!! Happy birthday to Katie and Alex-hope it was a great one.
-Annie
Hi family!! I miss y’all so so much but I have been having a blast! My leaders and friends are all so amazing. Tell Bernie I said hello! Can’t wait to see y’all soon! love y’all!
-Elle
Hey fam!! I miss y’all so much! It’s so much fun here did you that Canadians have a Canada day?? I didn’t. But anyways tell Molly,Ellie and penny I love them! Also tell Gigi and grandpa and memaw I’m safe and having a great time!
Love you so much
-Millie
Hey family miss y’all! Love you guys so much. Say hi to penny for me I think I miss her the most. I am having lots of fun. Love y’all
-Harper
Hey mom and dad camp is really fun! I’ve had a really good time during the activities. Happy Birthday Lila, have a good day. I miss you all.
-Shaw
June 25, 2025
Hello 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 cannot wait to hear more stories 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 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