July 8, 2025
It’s hard to believe we’re already sending out our final update – these past two weeks have truly flown by. Everyone is either up in the air or already landed safely, and just like that, our incredible two weeks together have come to a close. Last night wrapped up our final full day of the trip, and it was filled with laughter, reflection, and a bittersweet sense of just how special this experience has been.
Day 12 began very early to take on one of the most beautiful hikes of the entire trip-an unforgettable sunrise trek up to the High Dune at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Brooks, Olive, and Wynn showed incredible grit and perseverance as they powered up the dunes, and everyone reached the summit just in time for breathtaking 360-degree views bathed in golden light. As part of the group paused to catch their breath near the top, the rest pushed on to the summit-and Wyatt, after reaching the top first, turned around and walked back down to encourage and guide the others to the very top. His quiet, thoughtful leadership in that moment stood out to all of us. Earlier in the hike, we found a sand board along the way, and Henry kindly carried it up so everyone could take a turn gliding down the dunes.
Once we made it to the top, Olive won the very prestigious award for Best Nap With a View, while Margaret and I were close runners-up. Millie, Ellie, and a few others spent the morning sprinting, leaping, and somersaulting down the dunes with so much joy that we couldn’t help but laugh. After our sandy adventure, we headed back to camp for a well-earned meal of breakfast burritos, and then set off for a fun town day in Salida. With delicious ice cream in hand and Fitz’s new hacky sack making the rounds, we rolled into camp that night tired but happy. We were especially grateful to Wyatt, Fitz, and Neve, who jumped in to help clean up dinner without hesitation.
The next day brought our final road trip to Cherry Creek State Park near Denver. Spirits were high as we washed the van, sorted gear, and dove headfirst into our silly costume tradition. Gigi, Evelyn, and Evans pulled together some of the most outrageous and creative outfits of the whole trip-one final celebration of the laughter and personality that’s filled every day. Our feast at In-N-Out served as the perfect capstone to the evening, and as we sat together one last time, it was clear just how much this group had grown together.
We’re endlessly grateful to you for sharing your incredible children with us. Each and every one of them brought something unique and meaningful to our group-from their sense of humor and kindness to their willingness to try new things and lift one another up. Watching them step out of their comfort zones, grow in confidence, and form genuine friendships has been such a privilege. It’s clear to us that they are headed for bright, impactful futures and we’re so proud to have been a small part of their story.
Thank you again for trusting us with them for these two special weeks. We are so proud of this crew and are wishing them all the best.Happy trails from your COT2B family,
Colin, Margaret, and Virginia
July 1, 2025
Helllooooooo from COT2B!!!! Oh what fun we’ve been having and we can’t wait to tell everyone about it!!
After gathering our group from the airport, we hopped in our bright red 15 passenger van and hit the road towards our first campground in Gunnison! The long car ride gave us a chance to start to get to know each other, play card games, and curate the perfect van ride playlist for the next two weeks together! With everyone contributing songs, we have everything from Rihanna to Zach Bryan to the Red Hot Chili Peppers on our rockin playlist. We picked up pizza in Gunnison for our first dinner together and headed to the campsite to learn about campsite etiquette and setting up our home for the next two weeks: the tents. After eating dinner, we gathered for our first Moonup, a nightly moondance ritual where we get to learn new things about each other and elect our LODs (leaders of the day). Being elected LOD means that the previous leaders believed you would be the right fit to lead the group in the upcoming activity and have been acting as a great role model for others throughout the day. Our first chosen LODs were Neve and Fitz because of their awesome airport day attitudes. After moonup, we called it a night so we could rest up for our first activity: Rock Climbing.
Day 2 began bright and early with a breakfast of blueberry and cinnamon chip muffins along with yogurt and fruit. After packing lunches for the day, the group filled up Nalegenes and headed to Hardman Rock to begin our day of climbing. Our amazing guides made sure everyone was ready and then we started climbing! Millie and Brooks were crushing it up on the wall and even completed all 3 courses in record time! Though parts of our group were initially feeling nervous about rock climbing, everyone got up on the wall and absolutely killed it! After working up a sweat at rock climbing, the group decided to take a dip in our chilly lake by the campsite. We played games, swam laps, and dried off by laying on the big rocks surrounding the water. Fun was had by all! We then began cooking our first dinner: burrito bowls!! With lots of helpful hands, dinner was cooked perfectly! Shoutout to Gigi, Evelyn and Olive for helping make the perfect appetizer for the group, guacamole. After dinner, our LODs led us in Moonup and then we went to bed!
Day 3 began with a hearty breakfast of sausage, smoothies, and yogurt before our second day on the rock wall. Our new LODs, Millie and Evans led the group in morning huddle and then we hit the road. The second rock climbing location was awesome and challenged our kids the perfect amount. Gigi even faced her fears and climbed to the top of the wall not once but twice!! After everyone felt satisfied with their climbing, we headed to Crested Butte for a spontaneous town day! The kids bought tshirts, new games, and we surprised them with an ice cream stop! It was the perfect way to wrap up the day. Once back at the campsite, we cooked spinach tortellini with meatballs while the Ellie and Wynn chopped up zucchini and squash for the pasta. Dinner was scrumptious!!!
With lots of excited energy, day 4 was an action-packed day. After filling up on pancakes and sausage, we headed down the road to River Runners where we would begin our overnight white water rafting trip! After a safety briefing, the boats hit the water and we were off!! With Henry and Wyatt in the front of the boat, we cruised down the water, crushing each rapid we passed. Our amazing guide, Payne, even let Millie, Evans and Brooks guide us down some of the calmer sections! Smiles could be seen from miles down the river! After a few hours of rafting, we arrived at our waterfront campsite and set up camp. Quickly after, we all threw on our swimsuits and began floating down the river to cool down! It was a blast! Later, our guides cooked us a fabulous dinner of steaks (!!!!), corn, and sautéed peppers and onions! Best backcountry meal everrrr!
The next morning began our day with eggs, bacon, and potatoes before suiting back up and hitting the water. After crushing the class 3 and 4 rapids, we hopped out of the boats and headed back to River Runners where we ate chicken ceaser salad wraps and surprised the group with a SHOWER!!!! The group was over the moon! After all of that, we reunited with Clifford, our red van, and headed to the campsite. Our LODs, Gigi and Brooks, fearlessly conquered the much-needed grocery run with us and once we got back, we began cooking a group favorite: burgers! After dinner, we went over how to clean group gear and keep things tidy before starting Moonup! With the ropes course and zip lining starting early the next morning, we headed straight to bed after Moonup to rest up!!
Can’t wait to share more of our adventures with y’all! Talk soon!!
Virginia, Margaret, and Colin 👋🏼🌎
A little something from the kiddos! :
Henry- Hello! I am having so much fun! Thank yall so much for letting me do this. Love yall.
Fitz- Hi! I am having lots of fun and rock climbed, whitewater rafted and just zip lined!
Evans- Hey Mom and Dad! I am having a lot of fun. Thank you for letting me do this. I miss y’all. My favorite part has been zip lining.
Brooks- Hey Mom and Dad! I am having a lot of fun and having a great time. My favorite thing we did was zipline. Love yall!
Evelyn- Hey Mom and Dad! Yesterday we white water rafted and today we zip lined! See yall soon!
Olive- Hey Mom and Dad! Having a blast and got to see Hazel the other day! Can’t wait to see y’all soon. Love yall and stay safe!
Neve- Hi guys! Have fun in Watch Hill! Bye!
Gigi- I am so grateful for yall sending me on Moondance! I faced my fears of rock climbing! I love yall!
Wyatt – Hi mom and dad. White water rafting has been my favorite activity so far. We’re fly fishing today and I’m so excited. love you
Wynn – Hello mom! This trip is very fun and I’m so happy I decided to go. love you and miss you so much
Ellie- Hi Mom and Dad, I’m doing good. Can’t wait to see you both soon! Also can’t wait to see griffins jon boat! Love you!
Millie- Hi!! I’m great! Having a blast. Love you!