Good morning from the beautiful and vibrant PNW!!!
June 15, 2025
The twelve of us have had an extremely splendid time hiking, swimming, playing, and thriving in the dramatic landscapes that the North Cascades have provided for us. Kicking us off on day one James and Sofie were accompanied in the kitchen by an eager and spritely Jesse who, despite having a late night due to the travel day, were still enthusiastic about assisting in the kitchen cutting veggies and helping prep our breakfast burritos that fueled us for our first hiking day. After breakfast, James led us through our first duffle shuffle. Will graciously crowned himself with the chivalrous role of carrying the pots and pans for the duration of the trip. Thank you Will! The group got packed up and headed into the backcountry!! Upon arriving at the Ross Lake trailhead we then had a group stretch led by Carter and headed on our way. We met Captain John who took us in his water taxi to Devils Creek trailhead. Then the group proceeded on East Bank Trail towards Lightening Creek group camp. About half way through the route, we stopped to teach a water purification lesson which unfortunately set us off trail for a brief moment. Thanks to Davis’ knowledge and skills with the map, he and Sofie found our way back on track! With some sour patch enthusiasm we finally made it to Lightning Creek group camp where we were greeted by Melvin the log and had tons of fun swimming and playing in the gorgeous Ross Lake. After drying out in the sun, Sam spearheaded an amazing dinner of pesto pasta with help from Carter and Davis. Carter sumpted three cans of chicken marking his new role in the group as sump master! After dinner we had our first moon up around a roaring fire made by Thomas and Flannery Rose. Sofie and James led moon up and outlined the roles of LOD (Leaders of the Day) and Cook crew as well as the format of moon ups (Nug Jug, quotes, silly question, and serious question). Savannah and Carter were made the LODs for the next day).
The next morning Savannah and Carter kicked off the day with some delicious oatmeal to set us up for another successful day of backpacking. This was the most challenging section of our trek but nonetheless PNW1A took it in stride. Notable counts from this section were clear points of perseverance from both Flannery Rose and Rylan. Additionally, Thomas and Carter were extremely helpful through this route, providing both helping hands and words of encouragement. Throughout the day we also listened to the musical stylings of the PNW1A playlist carefully crafted by the kids themselves. We enjoyed the lyrical masterpieces from Justin Bieber (thank you Katie), Lorde, Billy Strings, and everyone in between. Upon reaching our next campsite the group participated in a group polar plunge initiated by Flannery Rose. Post polar plunge Rylan, Katie, and Thomas took their skills to the kitchen and whipped up some burrito bowls for the group. Though the bowls were delicious, the best parts of the meal were the competitions to finish the beans and Rylan facing her fear of cheese! We ended the day with a moon up Led by the LODs where they asked the group about dream weddings and characteristics of a good leader. Then headed to bed for some much needed ZZZs.
Day three, we began the day with some delicious and hearty hash brown bowls made by our new LODs Samantha and Will Adair, the dynamic cousin duo. Following breakfast we hit the trail and after yesterday’s brutal uphills we had a great time on this flatter section. Vibes were high and the whole group looked like they were experienced backpackers. The hike was about six miles and ended at our final and most beautiful campsite Hozomeen Lake. Our home for the night was next to a gorgeous alpine lake with the most blue water one can imagine. After setting up camp we went for a group swim in the refreshing crystal clear water. After drying off on the sunny rocks Carter and Flannery Rose built a fire and where we hung out and chatted for a while. Then James broke out the fly rod for a fly fishing lesson taught by himself and Jesse attended by Sam, Davis, Carter, and Katie. Although no fish were caught, everyone had a great time learning the basics and tossing the fly around. Then, our chefs for the night Flannary Rose, Jesse, Savannah, and Will began preparing our dinner of jambalaya. It turned out amazing and had everyone coming back for seconds! After dinner we headed down to the lake for a mediation and yoga session led by Jesse. While it may not have been traditional, it sure was fun. After finding our inner peace we ended the evening with a moon up Led by our LODs. After moonrise we went to bed for our early start the next morning.
Day Four! We got up with the sun and had a quick breakfast before hitting the trail. Our LODs Katie and Davis set a great pace to keep us on schedule. This last section of backpacking was relatively short, only 4 miles as we headed to meet our water taxi at the trailhead for a 9am pick up. We got to the trail head with plenty of time but had to reroute due to low water levels around our pick up spot. Thanks to this hiccup we were able to pop over into Canada for a second before heading to our new extraction point. Although this setback added a couple of miles to our day the group took it in stride. Our water taxi ride was a beautiful cruise through Ross Lake. Once we disembarked we had a short but steep climb up to the van where we loaded up and said goodbye to the Northern Cascades. After leaving the Park we stopped at Cascade Burger, a local burger joint, for lunch and enjoyed Carter’s favorite, burgers and fries. After scarfing down lunch we had a short road trip to Anacortes on the Washington coast and the entrance to the San Juan Islands. After jamming out on our drive we set out on a ferry to Friday harbor where we began our sea kayaking section. The ferry ride was a beautiful ride through the stunning San Juan islands. After arriving at Friday harbor we had a quick drive to our campsite for the night at Lakedale resort. Leading up to dinner the group participated in a friendly yet competitive game of poker run by Davis. Katie, despite being new to the game, had a very impressive evening giving the others a run for their chips. The poker table transformed into an Italian side street in Rome as we feasted on a fabulous dinner of chicken pasta with red sauce cheffed up by Sam, Flannary Rose, and Thomas. Katie and Davis closed down the evening with a thought provoking moonup conversation. The group hit the hay and got a good night’s sleep in preparation for sea kayaking.
Until next time!
James + Sofie
Safe Arrival!
June 9, 2025
Hello Pacific Northwest Families,
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Seattle. 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
