Legendary Days!
July 15, 2026
Hello, Moondance friends and family! We have returned from our five days spent in the Alps and are so excited to tell you all about it! We spent our days hiking the southern route of the Tour du Mont Blanc, which was a perfect way to spend the last few days of the trip. Already being prepped by our week in the Pyrenees, the kids absolutely crushed this section, and we had a blast.
Our first day in Chamonix was an early one. We took a train and a cable car to start the hike, allowing us to have beautiful mountain views right off the bat. We hiked across a waterfall on a suspension bridge, up through wildflowers, and down a steep pass. After lunch, the group decided to summit a nearby peak called Mt. Vorassay and celebrated at the top with a 360-degree view of the Alps. It was getting stormy, so we did not stay up there for too long and started a steep descent to our first refuge of the TMB, called Refuge de Miage in France. Thomas and Whit decided to jump into the freezing glacier water, and a few others played cards while admiring the scenery. The rain eventually stopped, and we had a lovely dinner of eggs and potatoes outside, and then frolicked around in a nearby field until moonup. We watched the sunset together with a silhouette of the mountains and were grateful to be back in the woods.
The next morning, we had an early start, beginning the day with a steep uphill. Everyone was in high spirits, telling stories and singing songs. We hiked to Pont de la Rollaz for lunch, which was a lovely spot by the river. We had an amazing lunch of fresh bread from a nearby bakery and fresh cheese with meat and jam. The soccer ball was passed around, Marlow and Cooper gave each other foot massages, and Nate, Robert, Whit, and Chris (our guide for the week), played a balancing and running game with the hiking poles. It was a lovely lunch – we really are starting to get the siesta down! After our nap, we hiked a bit further to our home for the night, Refuge de Balme in France. We spent the afternoon playing games, with Ellie teaching the group her favorite camping game, Silent Football. It was full of laughs, just ask JD and Anna. We all watched the sunset together and played Calabria, a dancing game, before moonup, and Nora took the cake. After moonup, we all laid on the grass together and listened to music, watching the stars come out slowly and enjoying the serenity around us. The group was a big fan of Adele, especially Landon, who requested songs everyone loved, and we spent a long time together outside. It was a perfect day.
The next day, we started with more uphill and made it to the ridge line. We hiked along it until lunch, which offered beautiful and clear views of our surroundings. Conversations varied from childhood quirks, hobbies, and the future; we eventually found a small, remote spot to eat lunch with a view. After another siesta, we hiked down to a former cheese factory where we were spending the night. It was a small place just for us, and it even had a hot tub! Some members of the group overstayed their welcome in the hot tub, especially Landon, whose fingers were more pruny than a raisin in the desert. Gibson found an old blue guitar that was so cool and played “Beautiful Boy” for us. We also found recorders, with Lilla and Whit trying to remember childhood tunes they learned in school. For dinner, we truly embraced the cheese factory with raclette for dinner, including two different types of cheese – smoked and cheese with ashes inside. The group had enough cheese to last a lifetime, and it was legenDAIRY. Sorry to be cheesy. After our amazing dinner, we had watermelon and watched the sunset together before moonup.
Final full day of hiking! We were up early and started making our way to Italy. We started with the classic uphill all the way to the Italian border, which was at the top of the pass. We had an incredible view of Mount Blanc, and the group attempted to do a human pyramid to celebrate. After plenty of photos and laughs, we headed down the pass to a lunch spot by the river before heading to the road. After two hours, we made it to the bus station and took the bus to Courmayeur, Italy, where we were staying that night. We explored around and had a feast for dinner – pasta, pizza, bread, and the best tiramisu any of us had ever had. We settled our stomachs by watching the World Cup together, France versus Spain. Most of us were rooting for France, but Katherine was very passionate about Spain winning and was very happy with the outcome. After watching the game, we circled up in the refreshing Italian air and had a reflective moonup before hitting the hay.
And now we are back in Chamonix! We spent this morning exploring the town of Courmayeur before taking a bus to Chamonix. We ate lunch at Poco Loco Burger and shopped around town before heading back to the hostel and getting ready for Paris tomorrow!
We cannot believe we only have a few days left and that the trip is coming to an end. We have enjoyed getting to know each student well and are so grateful for the way they have all grown together as a family. We are so proud of them for having amazing attitudes during this trekking section and for appreciating every part of it. We will miss these mountains, but are excited to see what adventures Paris brings us!
The kids wanted to take a second to say thank you for everything. None of this would be possible without you all!
Nora- Thank you so much mom and dad for letting me spend the most amazing three weeks in the coolest place ever! I would not be able to experience this without you and am so grateful for you both! Can’t forget about you to Liv, rilyn, and maddy. Can’t wait to see yall so soon and hear all about everything that has happened while I’m gone😉 Love you guys soo much!!❤️🩵
Anna- I’ve had so much fun on this trip and I’m so glad I got to come! Thank you so much for letting me do this it was an amazing experience. Can’t wait to see you guys soon and hear about what you’re up to! Love you!
Gibson-Heyyy I can’t wait to see yall in Paris. We go tomorrow and I just want to thank you guys so much for this because u have you know I have literally been dreaming of going to Paris since I was like 8 and it is finally happening!!!!! Also I really loved trekking which really surprised me. I got to see so many amazing things all because of yall so I just want to thank you so much for this. See yall soon! Love you!
Katherine- Mom and Dad, thank you so much for all of your support, I’ve had the best three weeks on this trip! I’ve loved trekking, we’ve seen the most amazing and rewarding views, and it’s been confusing but funny switching countries and languages so often. Can’t wait to see you guys at home (Steven, you too), and watch the world cup final together!
Whit- Mom and Dad, these three weeks have been something I will never forget. So thank you so much for this. I don’t know if anything will ever top this trip. Thank you!!
JD- Dad, Mom: these weeks have been an incredible time and I have been trying to be thoughtful about how I’ve spent them and how I can remember them. Thank you so much for everything you do for me; not just this trip, but all the sacrifice and sincerity you have raised me with. I can’t wait to see you guys again and tell you about everything we did. Thanks you
Landon – I can’t wait to see you all when I get home. These past three weeks have been an incredible experience from trekking the Pyrenees and TMB to spending time on the beautiful beaches out in Costa Brava. I’ve learned so much on this trip and I’m so grateful for all of it. Thank you so much Wendy for this spectacular opportunity you have given me. It means so much to me. I can’t wait to tell you all everything that happened on this trip.
Lilla- hey yall! parents- I wanted to say thank you so much for letting me come on this trip. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and it has been the coolest thing ever. I can’t wait to see you Saturday!!! MB- if you are home come to pick me up from the airport. To any friends seeing this I love yall so much and can’t wait to tell you all about it! 🩷🩷😆😆
Cooper – Hey guys! It’s been a long time since I’ve been home. I’m so thankful that I am able to go on this trip and can’t thank yall enough for what you do so that I can have these experiences. Although I’ve had an amazing time I find my self missing you guys. Can’t wait to see yall. Love you guys.
Robert – Hello mother, father, Jay, and Sarah. I’m quite excited to see you guys momentarily. Thank you tremendously for the opportunity to go on this wonderful trip. I’ve been able to go to the most amazing places and live the coolest experiences. I can’t be more grateful for you guys and everything you do. Much love, from Robert. 🫰🫰
Marlow- Hey guys. I’ve been gone a decent while and I just wanna say thanks bc I have missed u guys a lot and realized how good it feels to have clean clothes just on a hanger. And also how it fun it is to watch football games with u guys. I have loved this trip so thank u for sending me but I can’t wait to see all of u. 🤙
Thomas- Hey mom and dad. I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to do an incredible trip like this. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I can’t wait to get home (briefly) and tell you guys all about it. I hope y’all are doing well. See you soon.
With gratitude,
Ellie and Nate
Crazy Fun in Costa Brava!
July 10, 2026
CHA3B Trip Update 2
Greetings, Chamonix families! We have had an incredible few days at Costa Brava and are so excited to tell you all about it. We are currently on our way to Chamonix for our last main activity, and can’t believe the trip is coming to an end! The beach has been fun, but we are so excited to get back to the mountains and get our boots muddy.
A few days ago, we arrived at L’Escala and settled into our home at Costa Brava. We went straight to the beach and enjoyed the salty water. We played games and hung out on the sand until it was time for dinner. We decided to make tacos, and Whit, Robert, Marlow, and Cooper curated the most delicious ground beef any of us had ever had. We headed back to the beach after dinner, where we swam and did moonup under the stars.
The next day was ours to plan, and we had a very relaxing day. They deserved it after 7 days of hiking! We had a late breakfast and made eggs and bacon with the help of the many chefs in the group. We did laundry and headed to the beach, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. To make the day even better, we had an array of fruit and ice cream with lunch, which hit the spot!
That night, we played Iron Chef, where we split the group into three teams of four, gave them a budget at the grocery store, and let them cook any meal for us to judge. Each team took it very seriously, and it was so much fun. We set the dinner table with a fancy linen cloth (a bedsheet), name tags, silverware, flowers, pine cones, and some fruit juice. One team made steak sandwiches with grilled vegetables and potatoes – the potatoes made by Anna and left the rest of the group dying for more, another group made stir fry that was the perfect level of savory and spicy, thanks to Marlow’s heavy spice pour, and the last group made rigatoni, with the sauce homemade from Lilla’s recipe, with breaded chicken cutlets and a caprese salad. Safe to say, we were impressed! We had a feast, and had so much fun together around the dinner table. It was a tough decision, but the winners were the chicken and pasta, team Lilla, Whit, Robert, and Thomas. After dinner, it was a full-scale cleanup and dish operation, with Cooper and Landon helping scrub each dish clean while others rinsed and dried. We were a well-oiled machine and appreciated their help greatly. That night, we had a late moonup and went to bed with full bellies.
It was now time to sea kayak! We had a delicious breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon, with Thomas working the grill. We met our guides on the beach in the morning and spent the next few hours paddling between rocks and exploring caves. Anna and Gibson took the tandem kayak and glided through the water like they were naturals. We had a few capsizes, but not from Katherine and Nora, who were very strong kayakers. We stopped for lunch in a little cove, where we swam and enjoyed our sandwiches. The guides taught Ellie how to roll a sea kayak, which was super cool! After our break in the sun, we paddled back to the beach and headed back to camp. After some rest time, we had our cooking class, where we made paella, lettuce heads with pesto, toasted bread with tomato that Nora carefully pasted on, and salmon tartar with guacamole. Everyone helped out and together made some of the best food we had ever had. After our meal, we hung out at the beach and had an early moonup to catch up on some z’s.
The next day, we headed to a different part of Costa Brava to sea kayak. We explored a long and dark cave, and even saw some bioluminescence! It was super cool. At lunch, we were able to snorkel and swim with fish and pretty coral in the turquoise water. We arrived back at camp in the afternoon and had some time to ourselves – a few of us read by the pool while others played soccer and explored the area. JD and Nate washed every dirty dish, which we really appreciated. We got pizzas for dinner and ate them on the beach while listening to music, and it was a lovely way to wrap up our time in Costa Brava. We got ice cream and hiked to a cliff at the edge of the coast, where we did moonup and reflected on the people most important to us. Watching a beautiful sunset in front of us, we said our goodbyes to Costa Brava. It treated us well!
And now we are back on the train, headed to Chamonix! We are so excited to start hiking again, but we also really enjoyed the few days off we had at the beach. The group is coming together nicely and it has been so much fun getting to know each other and laughing together. As we head into our final week, we are really trying to soak in every last moment and appreciate what an amazing experience this trip has been. Until next time!
With gratitude,
Ellie and Nate
Top of the World
July 6, 2026
Hello Moondance families!
We are reporting live from France, after a successful 7 days of trekking in the Pyrenees mountains. It was a magical time filled with beautiful views, laughter, and uphills, and we would not have had it any other way. We are so proud of them for completing this activity with high spirits and even higher determination. It certainly was not easy, and they did an amazing job.
Only ten short days ago, the kids landed in Paris, and after the long travel day, we celebrated their arrival with some well-deserved pizza. That night, we had our first moonup by the river, where we reflected on why we decided to come on this trip and what we wanted to get out of it. Despite the jet lag, the group’s spirits were high, and we knew this was going to be a great three weeks.
The next day, we explored the town. We enjoyed our first European continental breakfast with eggs, jam, and toast, and then walked up to the Luz-Saint-Sauveur. From here, we could see the whole town, which was amazing. We kept walking towards the Pont Napoléon bridge, where we watched rock climbers before heading back into town. After a big lunch of kebabs and American “Toy” sandwiches, we found a soccer field where we played 7 on 7. Landon bought a soccer ball in the train station, which came in handy more times than we expected this week. Everyone showed off their soccer skills, just in time for the World Cup! After a sweaty game we found a nearby river to cool off in. The water was cold, but every single person jumped in. Before we left, Lilla jumped off a rock into the water with the team cheering her on. It started to rain on us on the walk home, but this did not dampen anyone’s spirits. That night we had burgers for dinner and prepared for our seven day trek, going over important principles like Leave No Trace and what to bring. Robert and Lilla led the first moonup, where they encouraged the group to talk about who their role model was and why. After a thoughtful moonup, the group went to bed dreaming about the mountains and couldn’t wait to get out there!!
The next day we packed up and headed to the trail. We met our guide who would be navigating the trail with us for the next seven days. The hike started off super foggy, with the mountains hiding behind the clouds. After an hour it started to clear up, and it was definitely worth the wait. Huge mountains revealed themselves, and the group was blown away with awe. We crossed the border from France to Spain, and our journey truly began. As one of the leaders of the day, Katherine was in the front of the pack and led us well, watching her foot placement on the rocky trail and picking the best route for us. We hiked all day, stopping by the river for lunch and finishing the day at another river outside of a small town in the mountains where we would be staying that night. Thomas, Cooper, Marlow, JD, Whit and Landon all jumped in the freezing cold water, while the rest of us basked in the sun. We explored around until dinner time, where we enjoyed a variety of gazpacho, lamb, salad, chicken, chocolate mousse and flan. It was well deserved after a long but fun first day. At moonup, Katherine and Marlow had us play imposter, our new favorite game, and asked questions about what place was most important to us.
The next day we headed to a small Refugio up in the mountains. It was no easy day, as it started with a tough climb of 600 meters. We relied on games and good conversations, and made it to the top in no time. We were so impressed with how the group flew up the mountain with no complaints. We celebrated at the top with snacks, but the day was far from over. We cut across a canyon, stopping for lunch in a shady area to escape the hot sun. After some more hiking, we stopped at a beautiful field and played games, had a nice afternoon nap, and ate candy before finishing the day. Eventually we made it to the Refugio, which was a small remote hut with a beautiful view of the mountains. We found a nice grass patch where we journaled, listened to music, and talked with Lilla, Nora, Gibson, Anna and Katherine. It was a lovely afternoon. After dinner we had moonup, which included a game of duck duck goose where we had a few wipeouts and a lot of laughs. We saw Izus, mountain goats native to the Pyrenees, run across the canyon at sunset, which was magical. The group is really starting to come together, and it has been so much fun getting to know everyone on the trail. That night, we talked about what we were passionate about and all learned something new about each other.
On day three, we said goodbye to out hut and hiked back down to civilization. We stopped by a waterfall and enjoyed the natural shower. We were picked up by the trailhead and taken to a new Refugio, and spent the afternoon swimming, playing 2 on 2 soccer (where no winner was determined), and doing yoga. We spent a little while going through Nate’s music progression since high school, which everyone got a kick out of. We had an amazing dinner of ribs, potatoes, and the best chocolate brownies any of us had ever tried. The wind picked up and the temperature had dropped, yet we were all convinced to do a cold plunge after dinner, which most of the group participated in. It was freezing but felt so nice. Thomas stayed in for an impressive amount of time, makes sense for a future navy seal! We had a chilly moonup outside before getting some well deserved rest before another big day tomorrow.
Now this was a big one. We started the day backtracking all the way back to the border where we started on day one. We used riddles and games of 20 questions to get us through the morning. The group has been getting very creative with them, with Whit’s object being tapioca root flour. It was a great time killer! Our guide took us a new way where we got to explore off trail, and even try rock climbing! Nora crawled up the rock like a monkey and we were all very impressed. We stopped at a beautiful lake for a snack after the first part of the uphill was done, with celebrations with the worm dance move and head stands. Our guide also gave us the option to do an optional summit of a peak nearby, and Anna and JD, our LODs that day, helped encourage everyone to do it. The group was tired but that did not stop us, we zipped up the mountain and were rewarded with an amazing 360 degree view of the dramatic mountains. We ate candy and howled as loud as we could at the top, celebrating loudly. It was windy at the top, but such a cool experience that everyone enjoyed gratefully. We were so proud of the group for wanting to take the extra step to summit even after the tough uphill. We ate lunch at another lake after the summit, taking a long nap and enjoying the view. We crossed the border back over to Spain, and hiked all the way down. We passed by Cirque de Gavarnie, which was beautiful. Once we made it to the town, we got ice cream and explored. We had an amazing duck dinner and moonup, ending with stargazing. A few of us saw shooting stars, the perfect end to a perfect day.
The next day we continued on, starting the day following the river and cutting up to the waterfalls we saw the day before at the cirque. Robert completed every riddle we had for him on the way there, with speed we had never seen before. We hiked all the way to the waterfall, getting as close as we could and getting absolutely soaked. It was so much fun. We ate lunch at the bottom of the waterfall and then hiked up to another mountain hut. Before getting to the hut, we took a quick nap in a field surrounded by mountains, where Mathieu played us a song on his recorder. He also showed us a new mountain snack, which he called licorice, and was in the form of ants. This did not stop Cooper and Whit, who tried the ants. Whit was a big fan, who tried enough for the whole group. After our snack, we made it to another Refugio where we were greeted by wild horses. They took a liking to Marlow. We had some more down time until dinner, and hung out with the cows until moonup.
Only two more days of trekking! We continued up the mountain, going up and down two different valleys before arriving at our next Refuge. There was a mini waterfall nearby, and after arriving we swam and enjoyed the sun. We had a feast for dinner, trying pate as an appetizer and a special cheese and potato dish as our main course. We finished with the best ice cream we had ever had, with most of us getting scoop after scoop after scoop. We had a late moonup, led by Landon and Nora, where we reflected on difficult moments in our lives. We were all feeling particularly grateful for our time together so far, and are so proud of how well the group has done.
Our final day of trekking was a big one. We started with our old friend, uphill, and hiked up the side of a waterfall before jumping around through some rocks and making it to a grassy pass. We were presented by a huge cirque of mountains and it was breathtaking. We ate lunch at the pass and then headed back to the Refugio we stayed at previously. Ellie, Cooper, and Marlow went back to the waterfall for a quick dip, which was better than any shower we had ever had. The rest of the group got some more of the best ice cream in the world before we said goodbye and headed back to town. We had some down time, where Gibson showed us some of her guitar skills. We played card games, ate pizza and then headed to the park where we played Lilla’s favorite game, three friends on a couch. We also had another jam session, with Cooper and Ellie playing songs while Landon, Katherine, and Marlow sang along. We finished the lovely day with moonup and a game of imposter with a twist.
And now we are currently on our way to Spain! We are so proud of how well this group did during trekking, it was not easy but they kept positive attitudes and made it so much fun. It has been amazing for us to watch them grow as individuals and as a group over this week in the woods, and we cannot wait to see what the rest of the trip holds! Before we leave, the kids have some hellos!
Shoutouts:
Cooper- Hey Mom, Dad, Thatcher, Winston and Sully! Things have been great out here, the Pyrenees are incredible. Hope Thatcher’s not driving y’all too crazy. Love and miss you guys.
Marlow- What’s up Mum, Dad, and Orson. Just finished up 7 days in the Pyrenees with some very difficult terrain but we all made sure to find as many cold plunges as we could along the way. We’ve seen some amazing views but definitely missing watching the World Cup with you guys and ignoring instagram reels you send me.
Landon – Hey Mom, Dad, Wendy, Dillon, and Hudson! I hope you all are doing well. The Pyrenees have been amazing this past week. From staying in hostels on top of mountains to hostels in small towns, it’s been amazing and the views are so beautiful. I miss and love you guys.
Whit-Hey Mom and Dad, hope your travels have been as awesome as mine. France and Spain have been so beautiful and amazing. Some of the best views I’ve ever seen. I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to do this. It’s amazing. Can’t wait to see you.
Robert – Hello Mom, Dad, Jay, and Sarah. I hope your summers are going well so far. This trip is pretty nifty and I can’t wait to tell you about it. I’m having a lot of fun and can’t wait to see you guys in Paris. See you soon love Robert.
JD – Hey Mom, Dad, and Samantha. Spain and France has been an incredible and unforgettable experience so far. The views are insane, and I can’t wait to tell you about it. I am excited to see you guys soon and travel some more in Spain.
Katherine- Hi Mom, Dad, and Steven! The Pyrenees was amazing, Spain and France had some really good food and amazing hikes. Can’t wait to see you and tell you more, love you guys!
Gibson- Hey Mom, Dad, and Sumner!!! We just finished a 7 day trek in the Pyrenees and it’s was so cool the views were amazing and we stayed at hostels on the mountainside. Dad you would really like the city we stayed in at the beginning is where the Tour de France ends! Anyway, we are headed to Spain today for sea kayaking! Miss and love y’all!
Thomas-Hey Mom, Dad, and Harrison, I just finished hiking in the Pyrenees and it was incredible. The views were amazing and we had some great food. We are headed to Spain today for sea kayaking. Love y’all.
Nora- Hiii! We just finished trekking 7 days in the Pyrenees and it was incredible. The views were insane and we stayed in some really cool hostels! We also walked around some really cool towns. Right now we are on the way to Spain to go to the beach and sea kayak and I am so excited! Mom, you would love the views so much! also Liv, Rilyn and maddy if you’re reading this I miss you guys so much and hope everything is going well❤️
Lilla- Hey yall!! This trip has been so so cool. We finished our first part of trekking in the Pyrenees and we stayed in different refuges every night which was so fun and interesting. I’ve been using my French some and learning more. Currently on our way to Spain I’m so hype. Elle and Leland if ur seeing this I miss you and have yet to read your letters. . MB- hope Charlotte is still awesome and can’t wait to see u when I get back (I def want to come when I’m back) Mack- hope you’re loving summer school. Can’t wait to tell u all about the trip. Parents: I’m so grateful for this trip and yall. I miss you! Pls tell all my friends I love and miss them (and ivy that I’m coming to Charlotte) See u July 18 ✌️✌️🤙🤙
Anna- hey guys! I’m having so much fun here! The Pyrenees section was hard but so worth it the views were amazing and the towns were so cute. I’ve gotten very good at 20 questions and riddles. I’m very happy to be reunited with my childhood European snacks. Mom: I’ve been thinking about you and I hope that agent/ conference worked out for you! Dad: I can’t wait to show you the pictures of the things I’m seeing here you would love it! Ridge: I’m assuming you’re still in Wyoming and I hope you are still having a blast! I can’t wait to compare stories about this trip. I’m on the way to Costa Brava right now and I’m so excited for the beach! Can’t wait to see you guys soon and tell you more about the trip! Love you!
Thank you for trusting us with your prize possessions and for allowing us to have the greatest job in the world. Until next time!
With gratitude,
Ellie and Nate
Safe Arrival!
June 27, 2026
Hello Chamonix Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Paris! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure as they prepare to begin their trekking section!
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
