Final Hello from Utah!
July 24, 2026
We seriously cannot believe this is our last trip update! Somehow, two weeks have flown by. It feels like just yesterday everyone was introducing themselves at the airport, and now they have inside jokes, have already planned to meet up after the trip, and somehow still have enough energy to keep laughing all day. This group has made leading such a rewarding experience, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap up the trip.
Our last few days started with a trip to the dinosaur museum before escaping the Utah heat at a swimming hole. Jojo immediately turned it into his own show, finding bigger and better jumps every few minutes while the rest of the group watched (and occasionally attempted to copy him). From there, we packed up and headed out for four incredible days on the Colorado River.
Our first couple of days rafting were motor days, which meant plenty of time for games, naps, and taking in some pretty unreal views. Carol Brooks somehow ended up braiding just about everyone’s hair and quickly became the group’s designated hairstylist. Heather and Ainsley claimed the very front of the raft almost immediately, happily soaking up every minute of sunshine. Sabrina was always running around with a camera, making sure every silly face, beautiful view, and ridiculous moment was documented. We are already so thankful she captured so many memories from the trip. At one point, Smith had our awesome rafting guides hooked while telling stories during one of our long stretches on the river.
Then came rapid day! As if huge whitewater wasn’t exciting enough, there was a little rain right when we got to camp. Naturally, Hunt decided the only appropriate response was to start a dance party, and before long the entire group was dancing in the rain while camping in one of the most beautiful places in Utah. Livia earned serious bragging rights by riding up on the very front of the boat through some of the biggest rapids of the trip without ever losing her smile. That night, Harrison and Eloise completely took over Moonup and had everyone laughing so hard they could barely get through the reflections. It was one of those nights that perfectly captured how comfortable and close this group has become.
Before wrapping up our time on the river, everyone discovered that the clay along the banks doubles as a pretty great face mask. Eloise happily transformed the raft into a full spa day, covering everyone in mud while the group relaxed on the shoreline. Patrick stayed committed to cowboy camping every single night on the river, proving that all you really need is a sleeping bag, some sand, and a sky full of stars (and maybe a little bit of rain). Throughout the trip, Asher was also one of those people you could always count on to jump in and help set up tents, which made things easier for everyone else.
As we head home, we are leaving Utah with full hearts (and probably a little too much sand still in our bags). This group has challenged themselves, encouraged one another, and built friendships that honestly feel impossible to create in just two weeks. Thank you for trusting us with your incredible kids. It has been such a privilege to watch them grow, laugh, and make memories they will be talking about for years. We know this won’t be the last adventure for this crew, and we cannot wait to see where life takes them next!
Gratefully,
Lillian, Chester, and Hunter
Thanks
Eloise- hi mom and dad , thank you so much for signing me up for moondance. I’m having so much fun and I’m so sad the trip is ending. The people are so nice and the views are breathtaking. I love you so much.
Heather- hi mom dad and Townsend Carter and Elle!! Thank you so so much for signing me up for this trip it was so so much fun and I met SO many people!!!! Everything is so pretty and such an adventure and I can’t wait to see you all tomorrow!!! I love you guys so much!!!! Xooxoxox
Livia – hi mom and dad!! Thank you tons for letting me go on Moondance this year, I had so much fun and made so many great memories and can’t wait to tell you all my stories. See you soon!
Sabrina- hi mom and dad and Sophia! Thank you so much for signing me for this trip! I’m having so much fun and have made so many memories! I have made some great friends and can’t wait to see you soon and tell you about it. Love you lots!
Ainsley- hi mom and dad and Delaney, Maeve and Willa!! Thank you so much for signing me up for moondance! I’m having sososo much fun and have made some amazing friends! Everything has been such an adventure! I’m can’t wait to see you!! Love you!!!
Harrison- what up fam having an absolute blast and have made a lot of memories. Finished the rafting trip yesterday and that was pretty awesome even though I had wet shorts the entire time through the rapids even though sometimes I wasn’t getting wet by the river. Anyways love all yall and see yall soon.
Jojo- hello family having a great time here. Thanks for signing me up. I met a bunch of great people and I lost my sun glasses.
Asher- hi mom and dad we just finished rafting love yall!
Patrick hi mom and dad Moondance has been so fun we’ve gone to so many cool places thank you for letting me go on this trip. It has been a very fun experience and I really wanna do it next year too. Love you.
Hey mom, hey dad, hey Laney. I miss yall so much thank you so much for letting me come to moondance I am having a blast. I have made so many new friends and I am in love with my group. I have made so many memories and that’s all because of you! Love you so muuchhhh
Love you,
Peanut
Hi mom and dad. I am having a great time. Thank you for signing me up. This has been a great adventure, tel papa and Gaga that I love them. Love you,
Smith
What’s up mom and dad, I’m having so much fun at camp and love my group im so sad to leave but can’t wait to see yall
Ps
Tell dad to make my screen time to 3 or something so I have my phone in the airport
Love yall so much,
Hunt
Arches, Canyons and Spikeball Galore!
July 18, 2026
Hello from Utah!
We cannot believe we are already a week into this trip! It has been so much fun getting to know this group, and they have already built such a strong community. They have been willing to jump into every activity, cheer each other on, and somehow still have enough energy left for endless spikeball tournaments.
After meeting at the airport, we headed to Pine Lake for our first few days together. We spent the day fly fishing, hanging out by the lake, and introducing everyone to what has quickly become the group’s favorite pastime: spikeball. Harrison immediately took it upon himself to organize a tournament bracket and has been giving everyone a run for their money ever since. Heather also had an awesome day on the water, catching several fish and showing just how much her fly fishing skills have improved. Livia did a great job as our first Leader of the Day, helping the group settle into the rhythm of camp life.
We then packed up and headed to Bryce Canyon National Park. After a big camp breakfast, we spent the day hiking down among Bryce’s famous hoodoos before weaving our way across the canyon floor. Walking through the towering orange rock formations felt like we had landed on another planet, and it was one of those hikes where every turn somehow had an even better view than the last. By that evening, we made our way to Zion National Park, where we celebrated Asher’s birthday the next morning with a big “Happy Birthday” before setting out for Observation Point. The climb was definitely worth the effort, rewarding us with some of the most incredible views of Zion. After hiking back down, everyone cooled off with a swim in the river before immediately jumping back into another spikeball tournament. Throughout the hike, Jojo kept everyone laughing while offering his fan to anyone who looked like they needed a break from the heat.
We made our way to Arches National Park, where another unforgettable van ride somehow turned into a full-blown singalong. Sabrina had the entire van belting out every song we knew, and by the time we reached camp, everyone had completely lost their voices. That evening, Ainsley helped me cook fried rice while we traded ridiculous stories around camp, making for one of those simple nights that always end up being favorites.
The next morning, we headed to Moab for a day of rock climbing. It did not take long for Carol Brooks to find her rhythm on the wall, scurrying up route after route and making each climb look easier than the last. Hunt also had an incredible day, pushing through his fear of heights and refusing to let nerves stop him from trying routes that seemed intimidating at first. Watching everyone cheer each other on from the ground was one of our favorite parts of the day, and by the end, every single person had accomplished something they were proud of.
After climbing, we made our way back into Arches National Park to spend the afternoon exploring some of Utah’s most famous rock formations, including the iconic Double Arch. Seeing the arch come into view after the hike reminded us why it is one of the most photographed places in the country. That evening, we set up camp at Dead Horse Point State Park, where we were greeted by a summer rainstorm. After several days of hiking in the desert heat, the rain was a welcome surprise. We all squeezed into the van while it passed through, and Patrick quickly took it upon himself to entertain everyone by showing off his rapping skills. What could have been a rainy evening instead turned into one of the funniest nights of the trip.
We wrapped up the week with a day of canyoneering through the beautiful red rock canyons around Moab. The day was full of rappels, scrambling over slickrock, and squeezing through narrow slot canyons. Hunt once again faced his fear of heights, this time singing his entire way down the 80-foot rappel, which had everyone laughing from the bottom. The guides were especially impressed with Smith’s rappelling skills, commenting on how naturally he handled each descent. Eloise also caught their attention with her incredible balance while chimneying through one of the narrow canyon sections, making one of the trickiest parts of the day look almost effortless. By the time we finished hiking out of the canyon, everyone was dusty, tired, and already talking about which part of the day had been their favorite.
As we send this update, we are enjoying a well-earned town day in Moab. The group has loved exploring the local shops, grabbing some good food, and taking a break before we head into another exciting week of adventures. We are so grateful for the opportunity to spend these two weeks with such an awesome group of kids. Thank you for trusting us with them! They continue to impress us every day with their positivity, resilience, and willingness to try new things. We can’t wait to see what the second half of the trip has in store!
Gratefully,
Lillian, Hunter and Chester
Shoutouts!
Harrison- what’s up mom and dad! Having a blast and don’t really want to come back. Pls fix my bike nail also dad.. love yall!
Asher- hey mom hey dad I am having a really good time rock climbing and fly fishing es really fun and I can’t wait to come back for my birthday love yall
Jojo- yo what’s up mom and dad and Henry. Having a ton of fun with my friends. Met some really good friends. Trifecta is popping right I’ll explain later
Hunt- what’s up mom and dad miss yall hope bodhi and maxi are doing great I’m having a blast and am going to struggle leaving hope all is well love you
Patrick- hi mom and dad how is sea island I am having a lot of fun have you heard anything from max or jud hope yall are having fun love you
Smith- hi mom and dad. I am having a great time. Please tell William not to use my stuff. Love you
Ainsley- hi mom and dad! And Delaney, Maeve and Willa!! I am having so much fun! I went repelling today! Do I have everything I need for my flight? Miss you! Love you!
Eloise- hi mom and dad!!! Camp is really fun. We have done so much so far. I’m really good at rock climbing, we went canyoneering today and we have been hiking and swimming. I really like my group and I’m having a great time. Hope your doing great. Love you.
Sabrina- hi mom and dad! I’m having the best time here! I have made such a good friends. Rock climbing was so fun and the hikes and views are so pretty! I have taken great photos! See you soon! Love you!
Carol Brooks- hey mom,Laney,and dad! I miss you sooo much, but I am having so much funn! I love my group too. I have been trying to take photos but I keep forgetting I have made so many memories and I can’t wait to tell you about them love you!
Livia Donn – Hi mom and dad (and Rosie) !! I’m having so much fun here. We’ve done TONS of fun activities so far like flyfishing, where I caught a big fish, and canyoneering today which was super fun to rappel. I miss you guys lots but am so happy to be here.
Heather Shaw- hi mom dad Townsend Carter and Elle!!!! I miss you all so much!! I am having SO much fun and I can’t wait to tell u all about it when I see u guys!!! I am taking a lot of photos and meeting so many new people!!! I love you all SO MUCH xoxoxo
Safe Arrival!
July 11, 2026
Hello Canyonlands Families!
We heard from our leaders this afternoon that the group has landed safely! 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 couple weeks! 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
