Big Goodbyes!
July 29, 2026
With our final days in store, BGW 6A was ready to soak up every last moment of our trip! After two long travel days, the kids were well-deserving of a chill day in Jackson! We spent the afternoon exploring downtown Jackson, where the kids had a blast shopping, eating, and wandering around town. Due to inclimate weather, our plans to swim in the lake were unfortunately derailed, but, as per usual, the group kept a positive attitude and were equally excited to get back to the campsite to start cooking! Wade and I have been so pleased with this group’s passion for cooking and how enjoyable (and delicious) our meals have been! This evening, the kids made pasta with meat sauce and garlic bread! Luke is unrivaled on the stove when it comes to cooking any meat dish. After a magical sunset, the group had an amazing Moonup before getting some rest for our next two days of rock climbing!
With the sunrise, our group was up on day 12 and headed to our first day of rock climbing in The Grand Teton National Park! Our wonderful guides showed us around the beautiful park and it’s one of a kind climbing routes. Our first day was dedicated to learning knots, climbing form, and growing our confidence on the rocks. First, our guides showed us to a crevice in a rock wall, called the ‘Wormhole’. The kids were tasked with climbing up the tight crack, to the top of the rock. Ava continues to be a fearless presence on our trip and was so pumped about the Wormhole challenge, which she of course excelled at. Next, the group was taken through a series of bouldering routes, which are shorter climbs up large boulders! Rooks and Eli were stand outs as they completed the hardest route in the shortest amount of time. Harris was commended by our guides for his natural climbing skills, as he immediately excelled on his very first time rock climbing! For our final activity of the day, each kid had the opportunity to repel off a 50 foot cliff. Patterson especially stood out during this activity for his bravery and positive attitude!
After climbing, the kids were pumped to participate in a Master Chef competition. They split into groups and were challenged to create a meal using the ingredients we already had, along with a small grocery store budget. Wade and I were incredibly impressed by both their cooking skills and their teamwork! Our first group, Luke, Harris, Ava and Holland, blew us away with their meal of ceasar salad, pesto salmon pasta, and strawberry shortcake. The second group, Patterson, Rooks, Betts and Kayla took a creative approach and cooked up a breakfast for dinner of homemade crepes, eggs, and sausage. Our last group, Sloan, Yates and Eli, had some technical difficulties with their original planned meal, but were excellent at pivoting and made a fantastic focaccia sandwich with meat, mozzarella and tomato. Ultimately, Wade and I decided that group two took the prize with their creative and delicious meal! Even after an exhausting day and their hard work on cooking dinner, Yates and Betts were unbelievably helpful in cleaning up camp before Moonup- we could not be more grateful for their constant assistance. After another amazing sunset, the kids were off to bed and excited for our last day!
The next day, we woke up bright and early with excitement about our second day of rock climbing and final day of the trip! After splitting off into groups, our guides led us through a series of 300ft multi-pitch climbing routes. Holland and Sloan excelled in their route, as they finished it with speed! In her typical fearless fashion, Kyla was the first person to climb up the multi-pitch and did fantastic! Once we all reached the top of the rocks, we ate lunch with the most amazing view of The Grand Tetons and then got to rappel over a cave!
After climbing, the crew headed to town to complete some last day tasks, and were excited to change into their silly outfits which they previously bought for each other at Goodwill! We had an amazing pizza dinner for Banquet and finished off our time in Jackson with one last trip to Dairy Queen. Once getting back to camp, we had our final Moonup, where each kid wrote a personalized “nug,” or compliment, for every member of the group. Everyone got to take home a “Nug Jug” filled with kind words from their fellow campers as a reminder of the impact they had on the trip. Our final Moonup was full of thoughtful reflections, laughter, and memories from our incredible two weeks together.
As we sent the group home today, Wade and I were overwhelmed with gratitude for the impact these amazing kids had on both this trip and on us. The enthusiasm they brought to every moment of this experience had an immeasurable positive influence on the trip and we are so grateful that we got to share these memories with them. Parents, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful kids with us over the past two weeks. It was truly a privilege to get to know them.
Sincerely,
CeCe and Wade
Update from BGW 6A!
July 27, 2026
During our long travel days back to Wyoming, BGW 6A couldn’t stop raving about our time spent in Idaho! After our fly fishing adventure, we met our raft guides bright and early to begin our 4-day excursion down the Lower Salmon River. On our first day of rafting, the group learned the ropes of paddling, white water classifications, and how to closely follow our guides’ instructions. Immediately on getting on the river, we tackled some awesome class 2 and 3 rapids! As always, this group is always down for an adrenaline rush as they were fighting over who got to “ride the bull” (aka sitting at the top of the raft during rapids). The guides were impressed by our paddling skills, which we ultimately mastered. Kyla’s fearless attitude remained as she was entirely unphased after falling out of the raft on the first day! Although the water was chilly, the whole group took every opportunity to jump out of the raft and float during moments of flat water. After rafting about 25 miles, the group set up camp right off the river on a beach. The group enjoyed one of our few slow evenings of the trip by lounging around the beach and napping. After a delicious dinner made by our amazing rafting guides, our LODs, Rooks and Sloan facilitated an amazing Moonup as we watched a spectacular sunset. After Moonup, the kids were thrilled to sleep without tents under the stars (aka, cowboy camping)!
The next day we woke up fully rested and excited to tackle the biggest rapids on the trip. After some breakfast burritos, we got on our rafts and completed some warm-ups on class 2 and 3 rapids. Soon enough, we were ready to face our class 4 rapids, called ‘Snow Hole’ and ‘China’. Before both rapids, we hopped out of the rafts and hiked up to a viewing point where we scouted the river conditions. The guides walked us through the plan and gave us clear instructions so we would feel comfortable when taking on these huge rapids! After scouting Snow Hole, the kids could not have been more brave and excited! The group crushed both Snow Hole and China and had an absolute blast doing it. We were seriously so impressed by their attentiveness towards the guides and expert paddling skills. Even after tackling the huge rapids, this group of thrill-seekers were still pumped to ride down one of the minor rapids out of the boat! After a very busy day, you would have expected the kids to want some rest and relaxation, but instead an all out war was declared between our two rafts, which continued over our next 2 days on the river. After 2 sessions, Yates became the first kid to successfully pull Wade off of the raft! Although he ultimately took down Wade, he was still taken out in the process. Over our two days of trying to take over each other’s rafts, Sloan was our MVP of the battles and was a key component of our girl’s boat successes! After a long day of rafting, we arrived at our next campsite, where the kids enjoyed passing around the football before taking some well-deserved beach naps. Pat and Luke continue to be a main source of belly laughter amongst the group with their endless antics! Eli courageously killed a wasp that was terrorizing the girls tent and deserves the biggest shoutout for his work!
We began our next day of rafting with some morning cliff jumping! Harris fearlessly tackled all of the height levels, and we were so impressed with his bravery. While our raft guides prepared lunch, we flipped one of our rafts and the kids took turns sliding into the river! After lunch, engines were attached to our rafts and we sped off to our final campsite. Once we got to the campsite, the group entered into some intense games of Spike Ball. After some amazing tacos, the group enjoyed a wonderful last rafting Moonup and a final night sleeping under the stars.
The next day, we had our final breakfast by the river before motoring back to our van (lovingly referred to as the ‘moon-van’). Over these past two days of travel, Ava and Betts have been the brightest lights when the group gets sick of being in the car. We have been so pleased by their constant positive energy! As we make our way back to Wyoming, we are filled with excitement to see what our final days have in store, but we could not be more sad to be nearing the end of our time with these amazing kids!
Sincerely,CeCe and Wade
Thank yous!
Luke
hi mom and dad thank you so much for sending me on this amazing trip. It’s been so beautiful. I can do things here that I can’t do at home. Miss y’all so much, love yall
Holland
Hey mom and dad! I miss you guys so much! I can’t wait to see you guys and tell you all about it and the fun memories I have made. I had such a fun time here and tried a lot of new stuff that I never expected to try. I can’t wait to hug you guys. Give maple extra love from me. Love youuu!
Rooks
Hello mommy and daddy, I want to thank yall so much for sending me on this trip, it’s been really fun! I have a good bit of funny stories and lots of good pictures, this has been amazing with my new friends and Yates. Thank you guys again, love you so much! 67 I guess genuinely
Yates
Hey mom and dad, thank you for sending me on this trip. It’s beautiful lots of fun and I’m enjoying myself. I’m making new friends. The best part of the trip is Wade Stansberry counselor I’ll see you huzz on the 29th
Sloan
Hi mom and dad thank you so much for sending me on this Moondance to Big Wild. This trip has taught me so much and I have met so many new people. I have tons of stories to tell you and can’t wait to see you at the airport. I met a dog named Goose after Top Gun and told them about Mav. Love you.
Kayla
Hey mom and dad!! I miss you guys and Kenan lots. Thank you guys for sending me to this Big Wild trip, it has been one of my favorite things that I have ever done in my life. I’ve met tons of new people and have so many new stories that I’m excited to tell you guys. Make sure to give Leo a big hug and kiss for me!! Thanks again and love you guys so much!!!
Betts
Hey mom and dad! We’re having so much fun still. I love our group and it’s so funny. Today we spent basically the whole day walking around town in Jackson. Also hypothetically could we host people at Harkers for a reunion possibly at some point. Thanks for sending me here and I’ll see yall soon!
Love betts
Hi parents. Just letting you know that I’m having a great time and that I’m making lots of friends and this trip is way better than I thought it would be and I am doing a lot of new things. See you soon love Harris
Eli
Hey mom and dad. I’m still having so much fun here and I’m enjoying spending time with my new friends. It’s so beautiful out here and I’m so grateful that you guys sent me on this trip. I love you guys so much and can’t wait to see you soon.
Pat
Hey Mom and Dad,
I’m sorry about the last letter I wrote to y’all, I was in a bit of a time crunch. I want y’all to know that I’m having the best time and I love my group. Thank you so much for letting me come on this trip. Can’t wait to see y’all.
Ava
Hey Mom and Dad,
I have had the best time ever here in Jackson and I honestly am not ready to leave. I have met so many great people and will hopefully keep in touch with them in the future. I miss yall and will see you when I get home. Love, Ava
Update from BGW 6A!
July 21, 2026
Something newsworthy has happened in Jackson Hole… Big Wild 6A has arrived!!! From the second that this group arrived on the scene, we were immediately impressed by their humor and enthusiasm for all our trip had in store. After a long airport day, we stopped in to a local pizza shop for some dinner and the group immediately clicked! Since arriving, there seriously has not been a moment where the group isn’t chatting. On arrival at our campsite on the Gros Ventre river, the group established themselves as extremely helpful and responsive to instruction because of how fast the camp was set up. Harris was the MVP of the evening, as he helped everyone set up their tents. Wade and I could not have been more pleased with the group’s dynamic! With a long day in store, the group fell asleep quickly, with excitement for our first day of activities!
In the morning, BGW 6A was up and ready for day 2! With a later start time this morning, our group had a wonderful time relaxing around camp and making a meal of breakfast burritos. The group immediately showed their shared passion for cooking, as they crowded around the stove trying to help out. After a relaxing morning, we were off to the Snow King Ropes Course and Zipline. While they were reasonably anxious, the kids were ready to tackle the steepest zipline in North America. When we arrived, we went through a safety presentation, got fitted for harnesses, and practiced on the demo zipline. Once everyone felt comfortable with the equipment, we were ready to conquer Snow King’s 36% grade Jackson Hole Zipline. In pairs, the group soared down the mountain, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph! The kids loved the exhilarating ride, and through lots of encouragement and some convincing, Yates was especially proud of himself for facing his fear of ziplines. After ziplining, the group headed over to the ropes course, where the obstacles were divided by difficulty level. The girls absolutely killed the course, all of them completing the most difficult level with ease. Ava could not have been more impressive as she led the pack through the course. Everyone had a blast climbing through the trees and taking on a variety of exciting challenges. That evening, we had an elaborate pasta dinner diligently cooked by our first Leaders of the Day (LODs), Kyla and Harris.
The next day, we had a very slow wake up, as it was our only day without a guided activity! After an enjoyable sleep-in morning, we quickly got ready for a ride on the Jackson Hole Ariel Tram, followed by mountain top waffles and a day hike. The group was pumped to ride the 4,500 feet from Teton Village to the top of the Rendezvous Mountain, but they were most excited about trying the famous Corbett’s Waffles. After our ride to the top of the mountain the kids finally got to enjoy the warm waffles in the freezing cold of the 10,500 ft elevated mountain. Once we were full on delicious waffles, we decided to head on our way to our day hike. The kids were so positive and enthusiastic about this hike, even through some intense elevation. In the last mile, the elevation gain was around 900ft and Sloan, as per usual, had nothing but positive words to say. We were so proud of the kids for their ability to smile in the face of adversity! After our hike, we headed over to String Lake for some swimming, where the kids were unphased by the freezing water. After a quick dip in the lake, we rushed back to camp to get ready for our evening at the JH Rodeo. At the Rodeo, Patterson and Luke continued to crack us up by taking every opportunity to get the attention of the Rodeo announcer. The kids had a blast experiencing western culture at the rodeo! After some post-rodeo ice cream, we had a wonderful Moonup, led by Yates and Ava, and were off to catch some well-deserved sleep.
Day 4 was spent driving into Idaho to start our fly fishing and rafting adventure. We could not have been more impressed with everyone’s positive attitudes with the long drive! The day was filled with laughter, excitement over the special treat of fast food and good music. Wade and I were especially excited to have Rooks riding in the front row, as we had the best time chatting (he may be one of the smartest kids I’ve ever met!) We also have the shout-out Eli for remaining unbelievably positive through the long journey! After a long day road tripping, the next day we began our highly anticipated fly fishing activity. In the morning, our guides led us through instruction. Harris was instantly a fly fishing stand-out and was even providing assistance to the rest of the group! In the afternoon, we went to a private pond to fly fish. Harris immediately caught a rainbow trout, followed by a second later in the afternoon. After Ava, Rooks, and Sloan caught fish, Betts decided that the fish were anti-blondes which was the reason her, Luke and Eli were unable to catch anything. Although not everyone had luck fishing, the kids remained positive and enthusiastic and had a blast learning to fly fish! After fishing, we headed back to the campsite where the kids were all hands on deck to make a taco dinner. This meal was one of the best of the whole summer! Holland was unbelievably helpful in the grocery store and during cooking, and we could not have been more grateful! Yates and Patterson have established themselves as the head chefs and did an excellent job at manning the stove! The group took a trip to the lake next to our campsite, where we played chicken in the water, the winner of which is still dependent on who you ask! Yates had us all doubled over in the laughter the whole evening, as per usual!
We are now en route to begin our 4 day overnight white water rafting adventure and could not be more excited! This group has been nothing short of wonderful and our week has been filled with laughter (we seriously are all sore from laughing). The ability of these kids to quickly create close friendships is a testament to each of their fantastic personalities and we are so grateful for our time with them!
Best,
CeCe and Wade
Shoutouts:
Luke- hey mom and dad I’m having such a great time, Idaho is really pretty despite being known for potatoes. I’m missing yall so much can’t wait to see yall.
Rooks- hey mum and dad, this trip so far has been very fun with the stuff we did in Jackson Hole and Idaho is actually pretty, but a lot is a desert. Wade and cici are vey cool, but to me Wade is a cool dude, he’s a dead head and loved my hat too. Me and Yates are having lots of fun with the new people we have met. I miss yall and can’t wait to get back, also don’t forget about that thing dad. Love yall, Rooks
Hi mom and dad. the trip has been super fun so far. I have made some new friends and we have having fun. We play a lot of Hacky sack and yesterday we got a spike ball net. I’ve been making fires and we have cooked a lot and we ate at a few restaurants. And we were at a camp with showers last night. I do remember the town of Jackson very well from when we were there last. Let Mimi and Papa know that I’m very excited to go to their house and I’m all good. See you soon. Love Harris
Hi Mom & Dad,
Moondance has been so fun so far. I have made so many new friends and our group is so good. So far we have done so many cool things. Camping has also been the highlight of the trip. We make most of our meals at the campsite and all help. I have never experienced something like this and I am enjoying every bit. Love you lots xoxo Sloan
Hey mom & dad,
I doing good here at Moondance. I miss you guys soooo much. Me and Sloan were the first one to zipline the steepest mountain in North America in Wyoming and it was so much fun. We’re also making all of our meals from scratch and it’s been amazing.
This trip I have learned to be way more independent which I think I needed. I love you guys so much and can’t wait to see you. Give extra hugs to maple for me. Also Sloan is doing great here and loves it.
XOXO Holland
Hi mom and dad
Moondance has been going so fun so far. I met lots of new friends and everybody is really nice and funny. One of my friends lives in New York and two others go to boarding school in nj and there’s a lot of people from the south which is cool because they have different things like speaking. We did a ropes course which was so fun and we did the steepest zipline in north America and now we’re driving to go on a four day rafting trip. We have all been camping every night which is super fun and I’m having a very unique experience. Miss you guys so much and love you so much!!!! Love Kayla
Hey Mom and Dad,
So far, Moondance has been so fun! There are five girls and six boys on our trip and we all clicked within the first hours of meeting each other. The girls all sleep in the same tent at night which has been one long sleepover! Today, we are starting our four day rafting trip where we raft twenty miles per day and meet our shuttle at the end. Also, I met a girl who is going to Deerfield next year! It’s been great talking about boarding school with her. I hope yall had a great trip and I’ll text you as soon as I get picked up by the Warrens! Love, Ava
Patterson
Hey mom and dad i’m having a fun time
Hey mom and dad
Moondance is so much fun so far. We spent two days in Jackson hole and are going white water rafting for the next four days. There’s only five girls now but the group is so good. I don’t wanna leave but I’ll see yall soon. Love, Betts
Bric and scott it’s fun and I’ll see you on the 29th
Eli
Hi mom and dad. I’m having so much fun here. Our group is really awesome and I’ve made a lot of new friends. There are 5 girls and 6 boys and everybody gets along. Camping has been a very fun and very different experience. We are driving to the river right now to go on a 4 day rafting trip where we raft 20 miles a day. I love you guys so much and I will see you soon. Love you bean, Eli.
Safe Arrival in Jackson Hole!
July 17, 2026
Hello Big Wild Families!
We heard from our leaders last night that all students have landed safely in Jackson! 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
