Farewell, Colorado Trail 1A!
June 22, 2025
Day 11 began with a fun morning wake-up rendition of “Oou, Baby I Love the Way,” by Mountain Men before piling into the van for their next adventure. Blake, Sam L, and Tytus led the group up the daunting vertical sand dunes while Bennett, Sam F, Kennan, Wiley, and Wood cruised in the back, plotting the next dune to surf. After trekking in the sand under the stars for about a mile, the sun rose over the horizon, and we could finally see the smiles of the kids and the awe in their eyes, witnessing the vastness in front of them. After eating gummy worms at the top of one of the dunes, Rachel, Sadie, and Sophie continued to surf while Andie and Sam L took on spike ball against the boys. The dunes journey came to a close after Wood and Luke beat Will and Tytus in spike ball, which was more of a triumph for them than conquering the sandy mountain. We ended our time at the Great Sand Dunes with Maya and Will’s chocolate chip pancakes and a hot cocoa dance party. After, the group traveled to Salida and the kids finished the day shopping around and buying knick-knacks to show their friends at home.
Our last activity, the ropes course and zip lining, took up the majority of day 12. Wood, Bennett, Luke, Kennan, Sam F, and Tytus made it up to the double black diamond while the rest of the group conquered the blue and black courses. After sandwiches for lunch, we zip-lined between the cannons as we rode the oldest zipline in Colorado. The time spent in the sun called for swimming in the river. All of us floated down the ripples of the river and basked on the rocks like lizards. Tytus brought back ice cream, and we had a Sundae buffet with an assortment of flavors and toppings. The girls created a scavenger hunt for the boys, and then all painted on the rocks by the water. The group enjoyed the sunset on the rocks while Andie, Sam L, Rachel, Blake, and Sadie sang “Yellow” as Maya strummed the guitar. The night ended with a meaningful Moonup and stargazing that reflected the trip’s theme and purpose of creating connections in the outdoors.
Day 13 began with some sleeping in before… cinnamon rolls, eggs, and bacon! We also had some orange juice with breakfast, and some people couldn’t get enough (shoutout, Blake)! We then drove to our final campsite, Cherry Creek, where we cleaned our gear and surprised the students with a trip to Goodwill!! We all purchased outfits and rocked them to The Rock Bar and Grill for our banquet dinner. Then we went back to camp for the presentation of our paper plate awards, in which the kids were particularly creative. Then, before bed, Maya surprised them again with a cake to close out banquet night; most of it was eaten before an impromptu cake fight (cleaned up in accordance with LNT principles). We then hurried to bed before an early final morning.
4 AM came quickly, and we packed up the tents in a hurry and headed to the airport. We had the greatest time throughout the past few weeks getting to know these kids. We are excited to see how these students continue to develop and hope they join us again next year, but for now… COT 1A OUT!!!
Pancakes, Pinatas, and Peaks
June 18, 2025
Guess who’s back?!? Back again!! COT A has made it out of the mud (San Juan National Forest). And we’ve got an update for you!
Day 5 we woke up to the sunrise on top of our mountain campsite. Will and Tytus immediately began preparing breakfast and teaching their favorite lessons, LNT (leave no trace), the duffel shuffle, and EB (expedition behavior) all while Maya prepared our food and stoves for our four day backpacking trip in the San Juan’s. We then set on the road to Kilpacker Trailhead and begun our hike, led by our LODs, Andie and Kennan. Their brisk pace and confident attitudes led our group to find a cool shady campsite quickly and we begun work on dinner, homemade pita pizzas! By the time dinner was finished the sun had set through the trees and we had our Moonup and went to bed, excited for a little extra rest while sleeping in the woods.
Everyone enjoyed sleeping in and having a relaxed morning. We introduced the kids to a classic backcountry meal PEANUT BUTTER NUTELLA TORTILLAS!! In the afternoon we suited up for a hike toward an alpine lake. Surrounded by 14,000 foot mountains we climbed elevation and powered through freezing cold river crossings. The girls found solice in a meadow where they spent time getting to know one another better and enjoying the surroundings. The boys decided to trek another mile or two up to the lake. The trail was long and steep, but everyone was determined. Once at the lake, they explored a cave, chased a marmot, and skipped plenty of rocks. Wiley and Bennett provided excellent entertainment with their quick jokes and lively humor. The way down proved much easier and quicker. Once everyone arrived back to camp, we prepared summer sausage and pasta around the fire. Blake and Sadie led the prep and cleaning crews like a well oiled machine and the stars were shining bright as we retired for the night. Sophie and Sam F. led an excellent Moonup and everyone was actively listening!
Day 7 we woke and had another slow and restful start to the day. The leader team decided to make our last full day, game day, and paired the students up to compete against each other in a game of KIMPS and partner trivia later. Heading into dinner each student was paired and competing against each other and the team of Tytus and Maya. The tournament went smoothly and the bracket culminated with a finale of Sam L. and Sam F. against Andie and Luke. Ultimately, it was the team of Sams who would claim victory in a stunning comeback with the final tally KIMPS to KIMP! We then sat down for dinner which was chicken and rice, served with an optional peanut soy sauce mixture. Following the meal, we continued game night with partner trivia in which the team of Maya and Will faced off against the other pairs. It would last six rounds leaving the final two teams, Rachel and Wood against KIMPS runner ups Andie and Luke. Unfortunately for the duo seeking redemption, Rachel and Wood would come out victorious with a correct response on the second extra question. We then went straight into Moonup to cap off a laid back fun day.
Day 8 started with a celebration of our wonderful Kennan for his 14th birthday. We woke the kids up with pots and pans, pancakes with whip cream and sprinkles, and a piñata filled with an assortment of candy. After our 6am dance party, we hiked out of our homie section of the woods and returned to society. After driving over an hour and a quick lunch, COT A took over the local market and splurged on food that wouldn’t be cooked on a whisperlite. Rachel helped Maya collect quarters for future showers while the rest of the kids schemed to find the best cake for Kennan. Shopping was followed with ice cream in the parking lot and a communal paint session of the van to celebrate how far we’ve come. Another hour drive later, we arrived to our campsite, Elk Creek, and ended the day looking at the stars and eating birthday cake.
Day 9 would begin early with our first day of rock climbing! We got started with some oatmeal and drove to our outfitters and climbed for hours. Sam L. seized her day and climbed each route before stopping to help belay others, excellent expedition behavior! Wood also had a great day on the rocks, climbing each route twice! Following our climb, we headed back to camp to have some of Will’s world famous grilled cheese sandwiches and swim in the Blue Mesa Reservoir. We then drove into Gunnison to get some much needed showers before heading into Crested Butte for some ice cream, a town visit, and dinner. After ice cream, we wandered into the park into the Alpenglow Music Festival which was a lot of fun! We then drove to a local overlook to chef up hamburgers before heading back to Elk Creek for the night!
Day 10 began equally early as Day 9 as we headed for our second day of rock climbing. This time we took a trip to a location known as “the schoolhouse” and had three routes much more difficult than before. Blake excelled in today’s climbing, always maintaining a positive attitude and encouraging others. After some climbing, John (our guide) altered one of the route to repel off of and we were pumped. Sadie scampered down the rock wall in quick fashion and impressed John who gave a big thumbs up. Following our climb we set off for lunch and made chicken quesadillas before heading off to our next location, the Great Sand Dunes…
Thank yous!
Sadie- Thank you for this amazing opportunity to travel! I love you, see you soon.
Blake- I love it here! Thank you for letting me go! See you soon! Love you.
Sam F- Thank you guys for letting me come to Moondance, see you soon!
Sophie- Thank you for letting me have this great experience by sending me here! I’ve learned so much and can’t wait to come home! Love you
Rachel- Hello! This is such a great chance to grow and have an amazing time and experience. Everyone here is so sweet & kind, love y’all lots!
Andie- Thank you so much mom and dad for sending me to Moondance. I am so grateful and have learned so much on this trip and I’ve been having so much fun. Love y’all.
Sam L- Hi mom and dad thank you for giving me this experience. I’m having so much fun and can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Luke- Thank you for this opportunity. Tell little Alec I can’t wait to see him. See you soon, love you.
Wood- Thank you guys so much for sending me on this trip. It has been so much fun and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Miss you guys a ton and I can’t wait to see y’all, love you
Kennan- Thank you mom and dad for sending me on Moondance, I’m having so much fun. I will be home in two days. Love y’all.
Bennett- Thank you guys for this opportunity to go to camp. I am having so much fun. I’ll be home in a few days, love y’all.
Wiley- Hey mom and dad and sissy, I have had fun at Moondance and I have a new nickname Lee-roy. I have missed y’all. Dad, I’m excited to eat your steak!
Killing it on Colorado Trail
June 12, 2025
Hello from the ROCKIN ROCKY STATE OF COLORADO! We have been getting after it from the jump, driving through the mountains and getting to know each other. So, how has it been going?!?!? Let us tell you.
After a smooth day of travel, we departed Denver and began our drive southward on 285 South to the small town of Salida. Here, we devoured some local pizza before checking out the local surfers (I know, there are seriously surfers in Colorado?!?). From the park, we then headed to our first campsite at Hecla Junction! Shoutout Wood and Sam L. for leading their groups in tent setup. Then, as the sun set on our canyon campground, we held our first Moonup and reflected on our goals for the next two weeks. The group then received some cool Moondance swag and we revealed our first student LODs (leader of the day), our tent captains, Wood and Sam L! We then spent our final moments of Moonup reflecting and looking at the stars.
After the first night sleeping in our tents, the kids woke up bright and early to the smell of bacon as Will was preparing breakfast burritos. LOD Sam L. helped to wrap and distribute burritos. We packed up camp and headed into Buena Vista to River Runners where we loaded a nights worth of clothing into a dry bag and got familiar with our guides for the overnight rafting trip. Trav and Courtney piloted the boats and taught the kids the commands and safety procedures before we took off. We floated down the beautiful Arkansas River-Browns Canyon section and and conquered many Class III rapids. Andie and Kennan sat in the front of the raft and took the brunt end of the impact. In the late afternoon we pulled to the bank of the river and set up camp along a sandy shore campsite. Our group loved the guides and Kennan and Bennett came up with nicknames for them that they went by the rest of the trip. We played games, ate stir fry, listened to music and cooked s’mores late into the night! Shoutout Blake for her insane Mafia skills!
On day 3 we got to sleep in and enjoyed breakfast made by the outfitters. We cleaned up camp, packed the guide raft and prepared for the river. Today we persevered through tougher, longer and more rapids. We stopped for a swim and also a small hike to a waterfall. After lunch we changed to a boys boat and a girls boat for the last set of rapids. This was really fun floating down next to each other And bringing out the competitive side of 13 & 14 year olds. Everyone was sad to say goodbye to our guides but happy to be back with our van and belongings once we got off the water. Luke shined in helping the group pack the van without us asking (also brought back the most sticks for the fire on Day 2). We then traveled to the store where Rachel and Maya went in and bought hamburgers and watermelon for a fun dinner over the fire back at the Hecla Junction campsite. Will & the boys had fun setting up a large tarp over our campsite learning knots and practicing teamwork. They took pride in their work when they finished.
On day 4, we woke up really early to get ready for some fly fishing! Sam F. woke up very driven and helped clean up camp and load up the bags for a swift departure. We left and met our outstanding fly fishing guides for a great day by the water. Wiley dedicated himself to learning and fishing all morning. Sam L. and Kennan led the way, catching four fish each! Their leaders, Tytus, Will, and Maya were not as successful catching a smooth zero combined. Once we finished up we headed to lunch in a local park for some sun and PB&J’s before our long road-trip to the tune of Sophie and Sadie’s musical touch. When we got to camp, we setup our tents before surprising the group with a dinner in Ouray! As we finished our meals we also caught a glimpse of the most beautiful sunset we have ever seen (group consensus). We then settled back into camp to prepare for our backpacking trip in the San Juan’s!
Shoutouts!!
Blake- Hi Family! I am having such a good time at camp and I miss you guys! I am going backpacking today! Love you!
Sadie- Hii, I love you so much and the trip is great. See you soon! Good luck golfing.
Luke- Hi, I love you, we just passed Telluride and saw where we stayed!
Andie- I’m having so much fun! Can’t wait to tell you about it.
Sam L.- Hi mom and dad, I’m having so much fun! Tell Griffin and CC I said hi! Love you.
Wood- Hey guys, it has been super fun here and I miss y’all. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!
Rachel- Boo! Thank y’all so so much for this amazing opportunity. Tell T-bones hello!
Sophie- Having a blast and learning so much. Miss you guys!! Love y’all! See u soon.
Kennan- Hey Mom and Dad, I miss y’all and am ready to golf soon. We are about to go backpacking! Love y’all.
Bennett- Yo, camp is amazing. It’s been great. We are about to backpack. Love y’all.
Sam F.- Hey guys, camp has been great, we are about to go backpacking for 4 days, I’ll see you guys in 9 days. Love you.
Wiley- Mom, Dad, and Sissy, I have missed y’all over these past days. I have made a lot of friends and I have a lot of nicknames like Y, Lee, and Lee-ray!
Safe Arrival in Denver!
June 8, 2025
Hello Colorado Trail Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Denver! 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
