Love, Laughter, and Growth
June 22, 2025
Where do we even begin!! COT 1B was an amazing group filled with love, laughter, and growth. We can’t thank y’all enough for taking the leap and trusting us. These kids are truly remarkable and we are so grateful we got to spend this time together.
With lots of eager energy, we woke up bright and early on day 12 to start our sunrise hike up the Sand Dunes. After jamming out in the van, we geared and began our walk. About half way up, we busted out the sandboards and the real fun began. Everyone took turns sliding down the dunes and refueling on snacks as the sun began to emerge from behind the stunning Sangre de Cristo Mountains which range from 7,500 to 14,000 ft in elevation. It was truly spectacular to see a drastically different landscape between the plains, the dunes, and the luscious green mountains all tucked away together between cities of Colorado. Johnny had even stated that he felt like we were in Africa when looking out the van window! But back to the fun, we mostly had the dunes to ourselves until early morning, as few people are willing to wake up at 3am to begin the journey, but boy did it pay off! Sitting on top of the peak of the Great Sand Dunes while observing the radiant morning glow was an unforgettable memory for all. Colin had Mia, George, Maddie, and Ben in one area and they enjoyed some surprise cookies while soaking in the accomplishment that was the trek, while Margaret had Baylor, Ceci, Caroline, Brody, and Lila on another peak racing each other on sand boards and rolling around in the sand. Eventually the whole group met back up and more sledding commenced, followed by bubble wand parties and more surprise cookies!! After soaking up all our time there, we escaped as the summer heat and bustling crowds started to creep in. Back at the campsite, some people showered while the LOD’s, Brody and Lila, and their helpers, Ceci and Baylor cheffed up hearty breakfast burritos. We then shared a delectable oreo cake! We clearly couldn’t get enough of the celebrations after this difficult, yet incredibly rewarding, activity. So many noted that this ended up being their favorite day, and we understand why! Seeing each and every kid push themselves to do physically demanding activities and immediately getting to relish in nature’s beauty and the satisfaction that follows a completed challenge, is the most rewarding thing we experience as leaders.
Following our brunch burritos, we headed to Salida to experience town! This included shopping, browsing stores, and so much more, and then we made our way to our evening campsite. Getting there early in the afternoon allowed lots of time for massage trains and games. Some even swam in the Arkansas River to cool off on this warm Colorado day! After dinner, we indulged a surprise campfire + s’mores combination while being serenaded by Colin and his guitar. Throughout this, the group was cracking up as Miles, Caroline, and Ceci competed in a marshmallow stuffing competition. After a sweet final night in the wilderness before the hectic energy that the last full day would soon bring, we cuddled up into our tents for the last time.
Day 13 was busy yet full of love and hugs. After waking up and packing up camp, we completed our last long drive in our beautiful red van, Clifford. While observing a ride full of jam sessions, friendship bracelet making, and plane letter-writing, we were feeling quite bittersweet watching the kids interact and thinking back to our first long drive out of Denver on day 1 when everyone was nervous of what these two weeks would bring. They now understand what we meant when we said it will be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, and that this group will be your family! The rest of the day sped by with a lunch in town, some logistical activities, and a dinner at In-and-Out that we took to a local park so we could have a little graduation/paper plate ceremony. We laughed and cheered, and were even blessed by some surprise fireworks over the river. The final night wrapped up with an extended Moonup, including a personalized Nug Jug for each kid. The Nug Jug is just something you’ll have to have your kids explain, but this specific rendition includes each child having a moment where everyone shares their favorite parts about that person, most cherished memories with them, and ways they have felt impacted by them. The love shared between group members is truly remarkable and feels so Moondance specific.
We could not possibly feel more blessed to know each and every child of COT 1B, and we thank you again for sharing your most prized possessions with us for a magical couple of weeks. Know that they now have a few more cheerleaders in their lives, and we are always here for them as they grow into the amazing adults we know they will become.
With love and hugs,
Margaret, Virginia, and Colin 🏔️
Campfire Laughs and Canyon Dreams
June 18, 2025
Helllooooo from COT B!!! What an amazing few days we’ve had since we last checked in with everyone! Hard to believe we’re in the homestretch and our time together is nearing the end. Make it stop!!!
Day 6 was filled with excitement as we began our day at Captain Zipline. In the early parts of the day, the group masterfully maneuvered through the ropes course, quickly making our way from the yellow level courses all the way up to the black diamond level. Brody and Johnny were cruising straight through the beginner levels and before we knew it they were finishing the most complex courses they had to offer! After the ropes, we had an awesome lunch sitting at the picnic tables and prepared for the big event of the day, zip lining. Though there were some nerves in the crowd, we put those feelings aside and harnessed up for an awesome afternoon. After a thorough safety briefing, our amazing guides took us to the 1st zipline where everyone was getting hype. As we zipped, we got a breathtaking view of the canyon below and the mountains surrounding us. George even noted it was one of the coolest activities he’d ever done.
After a perfect day of zipping, we headed back to the van where we surprised the group with an ice cream stop in Salida, CO. Little did we know, this quaint little town was packed with people watching a kayaking competition occurring right in the middle of town. Our rafting guides had informed us it is the biggest competition in the country, but we had no idea we’d stumble upon it! After grabbing ice cream, we sat by the river and enjoyed watching the kayakers come through. We then loaded back up and headed to our campsite to start cooking dinner, chicken and cheese quesadillas paired with a fan favorite, 7 layer dip as an appetizer. Our LODs (Leaders of the day), Quinn and Ben, were a huge help with cooking and prepping the veggies that went along with the main course. We then had an impromptu watermelon eating contest, which proved to be a very close race. While Ceci started out slow, she quickly caught up and was running with the big dogs. All in all, everyone housed more watermelon than we thought possible, but George finished the fasted and with the most eaten off his rind. After dinner we had moonup where we shared so much, from what food we would want to be to what our biggest fears are. Everyone’s answers matched their personalities so well, and I’m personally still laughing about Baylor wanting to be a raspberry at the bottom of the bin at the grocery so he can “watch everything going on around him but never be eaten.” We then headed to the tents after a long day in the sun to rest up for fly fishing!
Day 7 was an early wake up, but an incredible day. We began the morning with the LODS, CeCi and Brody, cooking the group a breakfast of banana, strawberry and m&m pancakes. Yum!! After a leisurely breakfast, our guides, Tanner, Rich and Eric arrived and we began our day of fly fishing at Wrights Lake. Fly fishing was definitely a group favorite as we had more of a calmer itinerary and you could take lots of breaks. Mia had a fantastic day on the water and caught three fish. I don’t think she put the rod down once until lunch time.
After making sandwiches, we hung out around the lake playing games and telling stories. Not a quiet moment in sight as this group keeps us laughing all the time. We then loaded up in the van and began driving towards the San Juan’s, where our backpacking adventure would begin! Once at the campsite, we cheffed up some spaghetti with meatballs, zucchini and French bread before Moonup. Our LODs led us in a group favorite game of telephone before beginning Moonup. We then got some sleep before our first day in the backcountry!!
Day 8 began with a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and Greek yogurt. We talked about how important it is to be fueling our bodies before big activities such as backpacking. After breakfast, we made sure everyone had packed properly, loaded up on group gear, and headed back to the van to drive to the trailhead to begin backpacking!! Though there was some hesitation from the kids, they quickly saw how much fun this is once we got onto the trail. With one LOD, Maddie, leading the pack and the other, George, at the back, we kept the group entertained with riddles and stories the whole way to our beautiful campsite which was nestled in by a rushing river leading to a double waterfall.
Once camp was set up, we began cooking up our first backcountry dinner, pita pizzas!! After learning how to set up whisperlites, the kiddos began the prepping pizzas as we put them on the stoves. Lots of ooooos and ahhhhs were shared as the pizzas came off the stove and we began devouring the food in front of us. 10/10 dinner for sure!! After dinner, the group learned about backcountry cleaning and the Bear Burrito, where we place all of our “smellies” at night such as food, toiletries, GORP bags, etc. GORP is a backpacking staple snack bag compiled with a mixture of nuts, m&ms, freeze dried fruit, and whatever else your group wants to add! We then had Moonup around a campfire and shared stories about the best day of our lives and the impact we’d like to make in the world.
Day 9 was perfect in every way. One of the perks of backcountry life is that we make our own schedule, which meant sleeping in and having a slow start to the morning. After boiling the water for our oatmeal, our LODs chopped up some apples and pulled out the peanut butter to top our oatmeal off with. Though some of our group had previously not been the biggest fan of oatmeal, everyone tried it and some even admitted it wasn’t that bad after all! Once we were done cleaning up breakfast, we packed our day packs and headed off on our adventure of the day. Within minutes of the hike beginning, we saw some of the most beautiful views we’d ever seen. Mountains surrounded us as we hiked towards a waterfall in the distance. Baylor kept the hike entertaining with lots of funny questions and song requests before we stopped for a lunch break. Backcountry is the perfect time to try new foods and that is exactly what we did! The group shared summer sausages, hummus, and cheese wraps before we played a Moondance favorite game of “Shake and Pop”. Miles and Lila were unstoppable and before long, we had to declare it a three way tie with Margaret.
Since we were in no hurry, we played in the chilly (freezing) river we’d previously passed. The views today were truly unbelievable and everyone couldn’t stop talking about it. We even came across a huge pile of snow and had a little snow ball fight before heading back to camp to start dinner. With lots of helpful hands, we quickly served up pesto chicken pasta and sat around the warm fire. The days here are hot, but the nights definitely get chilly!
Day 10 began in the same way day 9 did with a nice morning sleep in. After everyone was up, our LODs, Caroline and Baylor, began making pancakes for the group. As everyone huddled together to stay warm, we went over everything they would need for today’s hike to Navajo Lake. With fly fishing rods on our backs, we headed out towards the lake. After a steep 3.5 mile hike with 1400 feet in elevation gain, the group reached the beautiful alpine lake, Navajo Lake! They were absolutely amazing and killed the hike! Surrounded by 14ers such as El Diente, we were nestled in a super sunny, yet snowy landscape. We ate lunch, swam, napped, and got to know each other even better! Colin, Ben, and Baylor took a side quest hike to add even more elevation and mileage, where they ran into lots of mountain flowers. The rest of us were relaxing when multiple marmots came out to play. Miles affectionately named our most frequent marmot friend, Fred! It was truly an unbeatable day and a great example of the marvels we can find when we push ourselves off the beaten path and into the wilderness. Colorado has been nothing short of breathtaking every. single. day….from rivers to rainstorms to rainbows to snow to lakes to meadows…and everything in between!! We ended up the day with a random but fabulous meal combo of chicken curry, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Then, when glancing at what we would be packing out tomorrow, it was decided we had plenty of supplies to whip up some Nutella crepes! A fabulous treat to wrap up our last night in the backcountry!!
Day 11 included waking up and packing up so that we could begin our journey back to our van and then civilization! After a sweet, sweet reunion with our red van Clifford, we headed to Durango, CO for a meal in town! We feasted on tacos and burritos and are now headed to the Great Sand Dunes for our sunrise hike tomorrow. The van is buzzing with excitement, and everyone has a little message they wanted to pass along!
Until next time,
Virginia, Colin, and Margaret 💛
Ceci: Hi everyone!!! i’m having the time of my life and can’t thank yall enough for sending me on moondance.
Lila: Hi! I am having so much fun here and am so happy I was able to come. Thank you so much!
Baylor: Hey y’all. how are you doing? I’m doing pretty well. The backpacking is the best!!!! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to participate in moondance!
Ben: Hey y’all what’s going on in the c-house? Thanks for sending me on moondance! love yall!
Maddie: I’m having a great time! Thanks for sending me on this trip!
Mia: Thank you so much for finding Moondance! I’m having so much fun.
Caroline: I’m having such a fun time. Thanks so much for sending me on this trip
Johnny: I’m having fun! Thank you for sending me to this trip.
George: Hi everyone!!! i’m having so much fun and thank you for sending me out here! Also Mexico makes Coca Cola? I love and miss you so much!!!
Brody: Hi everybody. happy father’s day if i didn’t already say it. I am having a lot of fun and I miss you guys. love you.
Miles: Hey mom and dad I am having a great time thank you for sending me on the trip. I am excited to see you soon!
Greetings from Salida, Colorado!
June 15, 2025
Colin here, checking in from Day Six of our adventure. We’ve just wrapped up our third major activity, and the trip is rolling along beautifully. After a long drive from Denver to Gunnison, we spent two full days rock climbing on granite towers tucked into quiet valleys, shaded from the hot, high desert sun. After our first day on the rock, I took the group for a cool (freezing) swim in the Blue Mesa Reservoir while Margaret and Virginia whipped up a dinner of burrito bowls. While waiting on the main course, Caroline, Quinn and Maddie beautifully assisted in the making of guacamole for the group. Many of the kids were nervous about heights, but they pushed themselves and tackled several routes that soared high above the canyon floor. Miles, especially, so bravely conquered his fear of heights and then wanted to climb every route available! Ceci, Johnny, and Brody could not get enough climbing in, doing almost every route both days.
Mornings were packed with climbing, and our afternoons mellowed out with group games of Birdie on a Perch, Spikeball, and good old-fashioned hacky sack circles. After our second day in Gunnison, we hit the road toward the Arkansas River for an overnight rafting trip. We landed at a peaceful campsite just north of Buena Vista and raced to get our tents up right before a classic Colorado summer thunderstorm rolled in. Dark clouds crept over the 14,000-foot Collegiate Peaks to our west, but the skies eventually cleared, giving us time for cooking and cleaning lessons, interjected by a well-earned dinner of chicken (and chicken-free) veggie Alfredo pasta. Later that evening, under the light drizzle of a second wave of rain, our Moonup, led by the day’s leaders, George and Lila, shifted into the van, where we shared stories about times we felt uncertain or out of place. We capped the night off with a game of telephone which made its way around the van in a hilariously distorted form.
The next morning, we launched into our two-day rafting trip with our awesome guides, Beck and Brennan-both certified Class IV whitewater pros. They wasted no time, taking us straight into some of the biggest rapids in Browns Canyon. Wearing full-body wetsuits and splash tops, we tackled “Silver Bullet,” a technical rapid that many groups bypass. With Miles, Brody and Baylor riding shotgun of the boat, we all paddled in sync floating the boat seamlessly through the rapids. Everyone crushed it, and we celebrated with lunch on the banks of the river. That afternoon, we cruised downstream to our riverside campsite, nestled in a canyon beside a quaint stream and a frigid swimming hole with granite towers on all sides. After camp was set, the energy turned up… with games, dancing, and quite a few rounds of our favorite tiebreaker game: the “Veggie-Off.” One person pairs a silly adjective with a veggie starting with the same letter, and then the two players act out things like “tentative turnips” and “mischievous mushrooms.” During this game, we got to see awesome sides of our new friends, like Ben busting a move to “Hot to go” and George with the creative combos. To decide the winner, the crowd goes wild voting on whose moves matched the pair better. Not a dull moment in sight. That evening, our guides treated us to an unreal dinner of General Tso’s chicken and veggies with spring rolls. With full bellies and happy hearts, we gathered wood, built a fire, and warmed up cookies for dessert before closing the night with a heartfelt Moonup led by Mia and Johnny where we talked about something we’ve done to extend our comfort zone.
The next morning, we hiked up a short but steep trail to scout out our next challenging rapid: Zoom Flume. Beck delivered one of the best river hydrology talks I’ve ever heard, and the kids got to discuss which line they’d take down the rapid and why. After successfully navigating Zoom Flume, we hit what might’ve been the best rapid of the trip-Staircase-a sequence of seven waves, each bigger than the last, ending in a massive splash that soaked everyone in the raft. That night’s campsite treated us to something special: the brightest, boldest rainbow I’ve ever seen, stretching out of the canyon and arching over layers of desert rock. That evening’s Moonup was the best yet with many of the kids opening up about their biggest role models with heartfelt and personal stories, many sharing about their moms and dads. We agree y’all must be pretty awesome to have raised this bunch. We are learning more about one another every day! And just like that, we’re heading into the second half of our journey. Up next: backpacking, fly fishing, and watching the sunrise over the surreal landscape of Great Sand Dunes National Park. The adventure continues!
Talk soon!!!
Colin + Margaret + Virginia
A note from the kiddos:
George – Hello everyone! Moondance has been awesome! Happy Father’s Day dad. I love and miss you guys so much
Mia – Happy Father’s Day! I’m having a great time in Colorado! I miss you all and can’t wait to see you in a week!
Maddie – Happy Birthday Eliza! I miss you guys. I’m having a great time in Colorado and I can’t wait to see you soon!
Quinn – Hi family! Miss and love you so much. Please feed my fish and snake! Happy Father’s Day dad.
Caroline – Hi family! I’m having a great time. Happy early Father’s Day dad. I love y’all so much can’t wait to see y’all in a week!
Ceci – Hi y’all! I miss y’all a lot. I am having a very fun time. Hope y’all are having fun in Montana and that everything is good at home. Happy Father’s Day, dad!
Lila – Hi family! I’m having a great time in Colorado and hope everything is going well at home. I love and miss you guys and happy Father’s Day!
Miles – Hey mom and dad. I’m having a great time! Happy Father’s Day. I love and miss y’all. How is dad’s back doing?
Johnny- Dear Mom and Dad- I hope you guys are having a great time at home and I can’t wait to see y’all on Saturday! Happy Fathers Day!
Ben- Hey Dad! Happy Father’s Day! I hope you’re having a great time at home without my amazing presence. Tell the boys I said hi and that I tell Josh I say Happy Fathers Day too!
Brody- Dear Mom, Dad and siblings- I’m having a great time in Colorado and loved white water rafting with my new friends. Happy Fathers Day! See y’all soon!
Baylor- Dear Dad, I have been having a great time, and wish you could be here. Happy bday! And Father’s Day. Hope you are doing well, tell the boys I said hi and that I love them, have a fun time in the highlands!
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
