Rafting the River!
June 25, 2026
What’s up y’all!
We’ve had a blast these past couple of days and cannot wait to share about our time on the river!!
But before we get to the river, our adventures began on a cold, dreary morning on a lake near Revelstoke. In our fleeces and sweatpants, we looked at each other wondering why in the world we were about to get on paddle boards and spend the morning on the water. But, like always, this group took on the challenge head-on. We got on the water and, pretty quickly, Henry jumped in! He told the group, “It’s warmer once you get in!” While this was most definitely not true, Addy followed suit and jumped in as well, and before we knew it, almost everyone had taken a swim! About halfway through, we were rewarded with the sun coming out, and our guides even surprised us with delicious cookies and refreshing drinks while we enjoyed a crazy view of a waterfall. By the end of the morning, we were talking about how much fun we had and how paddle boarding had become one of the favorite activities of the trip.
Afterward, we packed into the van for a road trip to Lake Louise. Eve took over as DJ on the drive, queuing up lots of crowd favorites, including Kanye, Taylor Swift, and, most importantly, Lil Pump! That night, Elsa and Fred cheffed up some of the tastiest bolognese of the trip. We ended the night with a s’more competition, where Walter and Ruthie competed against each other to make the perfect s’more. They were judged on different aspects, including appearance, process, and taste. While Walter emerged victorious, Ruthie put up some strong competition.
The next morning, we slept in before exploring Lake Louise on a hike, where we not only got to see an amazing view of Lake Louise but also got to explore the smaller, yet equally beautiful, Lake Agnes. After the hike, our LOD, John, made the executive decision that our group deserved a reward of ice cream! We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out in camp and packing for our next couple of days on the river.
The next morning, we woke up bright and early to meet our raft guides! After making some introductions and packing our dry bags, we were off! For the next three days, we spent our days floating down the Kootenay River and our nights around a fire, eating some of the most delicious food of the trip. Shoutout to our raft guides, Greg, Max, and Nova, for being literally the best!
Some notable moments from our time on the river included a slip-and-slide made out of two rafts and some soap that our raft guides set up. Whitley spent almost every day in the front, bravely taking on countless cold splashes! Even though lots of our time on the river was spent lounging and enjoying the warm sunshine, Preston kept us laughing. There was never a dull moment! And then we can’t forget our final morning. After Bowen jumped into the freezing river, Andrew screamed, “I nominate Caroline to jump in next!” Before I knew it, almost the whole group had jumped in!
Maybe the greatest part of our rafting section was not the rafting at all, but the food that our raft guides made for us! Some of the crowd favorites were “Pretentious Cookies,” which take two full days to bake and include four different types of chocolate, topped with homemade ice cream; hot dogs cooked over the fire with homemade buns; and yogurt parfaits with homemade granola. We were living in absolute luxury!
As we head back to Banff for our final night together, we are preparing for a banquet dinner of steak and potatoes! We will end the night with paper plate awards, celebrating our group, and finish with one final Moonup.
As the first-ever Moondance Canadian Rockies trip comes to a close, Bowen and I want to thank you all for allowing this group to come together and have such an epic adventure. We rode helicopters, went backpacking in nearly three feet of snow, saw some bears, and battled some challenges as a group. Yet no matter the challenge, this group faced it head-on with endless positivity, resilience, and enthusiasm. This group was so special, and without a doubt made these two weeks a trip of a lifetime.
As everyone returns home, there will be plenty of stories to tell and memories to relive. Although our time in Canada may be over, we have no doubt that this is not the end and there will be a reunion soon!
With so much love,
Caroline and Bowen
Snow Much Fun!
June 20, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
We’ve been having the time of our lives and are so excited to share all that we’ve been up to!
Our adventure started with a quick helicopter ride up to an alpine lake that we’d be calling home for a couple of days. How lucky are we! We were greeted by lots of snow, but more importantly, one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen! We learned some of the basics of winter camping, like how to set up a tent in the snow, layering techniques, and basic tarp setup. Once we were settled, Henry, John, and Walter made the best of the snow day by going sledding! We ended the day with our first backcountry meal of dehydrated Pad Thai and Moonup.
After a busy start to the trip, we took the next day to recharge. After a late wake-up, we spent the day hanging out around a fire to keep warm. The morning was spent solving countless riddles. We were amazed by Addy’s ability to solve almost every riddle instantly, and even more impressed by his ability to make up his own on the spot. We made friendship bracelets, told stories, and played LOTS of games, including Ruthie’s favorite, Shake and Pop. After Moonup, our guide Fred introduced the game Werewolf to our group, which quickly became a favorite! After five or six rounds, we finally called it a night, with promises to play more tomorrow.
The next day was a big backpacking day as we made our way to the next, and final, campsite of this section of the trip. That being said, we were grateful to have Preston and Andrew as our fearless LODs to lead and motivate us throughout the day. We learned how to properly pack our backpacks that morning and then set off. The first two miles were treacherous, to say the least. We hiked through knee-deep, and sometimes even deeper, snow around a lake before descending enough in elevation for the trails to finally clear. Whitley kept us laughing on the trail all day. With, morale high, we hiked through one of the most beautiful valleys, weaving through the trees and even crossing a river a couple of times. This was by far my favorite day of the trip so far, and although it was challenging, Bowen and I could not be more proud of this group. We made it to camp and rewarded ourselves with Chili Mac and a dessert of peach rings! Then, of course, after Moonup, we played a game of Werewolf before calling it a night.
The next morning, we had an early wake-up in order to make it to the helicopter in time for our ride out of the backcountry. Eve, one of our LODs, did an amazing job motivating the group and helping us to move quickly and efficiently! After a tough and cold backcountry section, we were excited to return to the front country. Our first meal back? Pancakes in the parking lot of the helicopter company’s headquarters! I’m not sure if we were just hungry for normal food or if the pancakes were really that good, but our group agreed they were some of the best pancakes ever! Afterwards, we hopped into the van and road-tripped to our next stop: Revelstoke! On the car ride, Elsa continued perfecting her new found hobby of making friendship bracelets!
Our time in Revelstoke was exactly what we needed after a challenging backpacking section. On our first night, we rewarded ourselves with a cookout dinner of homemade burgers and fries! The next morning, after a late wake-up, we set out to hike. Although we had some technical difficulties-aka the road to the the lake trailhead was covered in too much snow and closed-a little snow didn’t faze our group. Instead of the hike we had planned, we followed a different trail that eventually turned into bushwhacking through a beautiful snow-covered forest. We rewarded the group with ice cream and a town day afterwards! In Revelstoke, we shopped for souvenirs, met some local kids celebrating a birthday, and finally headed to dinner: Mexican food!
We had a very memorable Moonup that night…!
As we head into the last couple of days of the trip, Bowen and I want to emphasize how grateful we are to spend these weeks with such an amazing group. They have shown us time and time again throughout backpacking just how epic they are. Despite the cold, the snow, and all the normal challenges that come with backpacking, they have remained tough, motivated, and relentlessly positive. For that, we are so, so grateful.
Now, we’ll trade our hiking boots for wetsuits! We’re on our way to spend a few days whitewater raftidong. The next time you hear from us, our group will be on their way back home. But for now, we’re going to enjoy these last few days together!
Messages from Our Group!
Eve Kelly: Hey Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip, this has been the coolest thing I have done in my whole life! I am having sooo much fun. We just left the back country and there was 3 feet of snow. LOVE YALLLLLLL
Preston Daughrity: Heyyy guys!!! Mom and Dad thank you sooo much for letting me go on this trip. It’s been the coolest most fun trip ever. I’m so glad I’m getting to do things I would have never done before like going on a helicopter to the back country. It was so sick guys! There was also like 3 feet of snow!!! | love youuuu all guys!! See yall soon!!
Andrew Rice: Hi Mom and Dad thanks a lot for letting me come on this trip it’s been awesome so far and I’m really enjoying it. We just went to the back country to backpack and it had the most snow I’ve ever seen in my entire life it was crazy. Anyway love y’all and can’t wait to see you soon.
Ruthie Vellano – Hi Mom and Dad!! Thank y’all so much for this trip! We just got back from camping in the backcountry and TWO FEET OF SNOW! It was so crazy and something I will never forget! I love y’all! Ps: I forgot my retainer (sorry mom). See y’all soon!
Henry Roberts: Hey Mom, Dad, Walter too. I just wanted to thank you for sending me on this trip and somewhat creating the memories and friendships that have came with it. I love you all so much and I cannot wait to tell yall all about it. Love y’all
Walter Adams: Sup mom, dad, zha zha, and grandad. I am having so much fun in the Canadian Rockies and just wanted to say thank you for giving me this opportunity. I am making so many new memories and friendships and I thank you all. Can’t wait to let u all know all abt the trip. All love from, Walter
Addi Fowler: Hey Mom, Pops, and Melanie I just wanted to thank you all for encouraging me to go on this trip. I’ve made friendships and bonds that will last and so thanks for having me try something new.
Whitley Shoch- Hey Mom and Dad!! Thank you so much for making it possible for me to come on this trip! ve had so much fun and I absolutely love our group! I can’t wait to tell all all about it!!
John long-Hey family I just wanted to thank y’all for sending me on this trip. Canada has been great and so have all the people. See y’all soon
Elsa Cybulski – hi Mom, Dad, and Caleb! I miss you guys so much but thank you for sending me on this trip! Canada is amazing and everything has been amazing so far. Love you all!
Our Canadian Adventure Begins!
June 15, 2026
What’s up!! Although it’s only been a couple days since we got to Canada we’ve got lots to update y’all on!
Our group arrived Friday night, and spent the night bonding at baggage claim. To someone unfamiliar with Moondance we probably looked crazy! Our group was in a corner, working on friendship bracelets, playing hackysack, eating pizza, and most importantly feasting on powdered sugar donuts for dessert! By the time everyone had arrived, it was late, so we had a quick Moonup at the hostel before calling it a night!
The next morning was an early one! We piled into the van to start our adventure! Andrew was an epic DJ and made the time in the car fly by. Our first stop on our road trip was Banff! We took about an hour to explore the town, checking out some T-shirt shops and even more importantly, a candy shop. Henry told our group about a crystallized maple candy, that although we haven’t found yet, are still looking for! After Banff, we stopped at one of the most scenic lunch spots where every time someone asked a new riddle Addi figured them out almost immediately. Our final stop of the day was at a scenic lake spot where Ruthie took a group selfie that will most definitely make the Instagram!
We finished off the day with a chicken and rice dinner with greek salad on the side. Then, at Moonup, one of our leaders of the day, Whitley, had each person describe the type of frog they would be and give their best “Ribbit”.
We woke up at the crack of dawn this next morning to get ready for a big day of canyoning. Luckily, we had Eve and Walter, our leaders of the day who were quick and extraordinarily helpful in rallying the troops. We hopped into the van and were off.
Once we made it to the canyon, our breath was taken by the towering walls and CHILLY water. It was cool learning to spot each other, and to use hand lines as well as the rock to get up some tricky areas. During our quick lunch break, Preston boldly jumped into an absolutely freezing waterfall! In the afternoon, we had a blast sliding, rappelling, zip lining, down some of the most scenic rocks we’d ever seen.
We spent the evening prepping for backpacking. Packing a backpack, duffle shuffle, … we learned all the important skills we will need over the next few days. Most importantly, we chose 2 new LODs who we trust to lead us into this next section of the trip. John, who was chosen for his humor and Elsa, who was chosen for her selflessness and constant willingness to help out.
We are stoked for this next chapter of the trip and next time you hear from us, we will be a bunch of seasoned backpackers (and have gone a full week with no showers)!
STUDENT -> PARENT SHOUTOUTS
Andrew: Dear mom and dad-I’m having a great time here in Canada my group is great today we did canyoning it was a lot of fun but also super cold I’m missing y’all and looking forward to the rest of the trip and see y’all when it’s over, love y’all!
Henry: Hey Mom, Dad, Bea, and Walter, I’m having so much fun! Everybody is awesome and the Rockies are beautiful, i cannot believe that I am here.
With that being said, I am excited to see you, but I do not want to leave. I hope you all are having the best time, and I’ll see y’all soon, but not too soon, love you!
Addi: Dear Mom and dad, I have been doing great and I’m very happy. It’s only day 2 and I’ve already become close to the people here. I hope you are doing well and I’m exited to tell you all about this trip. Love you guys!!
Walter: Yo Mom, dad, ruby, Lizzy, grandad, Zha zha what’s up. I been having a great time in the Rockies so far. These mountains are nuts and I never wanna leave. I’ve already made a bunch of new friends and I’m having a lot of fun. Love all u guys and goodbye.
Ruthie: Hi Mom and Dad! The Rockies are so pretty and I’m having the best time ever. Everyone is awesome, and I haven’t gotten too cold! Love and miss y’all!
Elsa: hi guys! I’m doing well and even though I miss you guys so much I’m excited to make memories and do some amazing things. Canada is so beautiful and the activities we have done are unlike anything I’ve ever done and so fun. I love you guys so much!
Preston: Hi mom dad poet and tell Will this stuff!!!!!! It’s soo pretty here and I’m having lots much fun! Today we did canyoneering and it was like one of the coolest funnest thing I have done! I wrote a lot so hope yall like it! I miss you guys so much and I love y’all so much!!!
Whitley: Hi mom and dad! I’m having a great time, the views are UNREAL!! Thank you for sending me here. I’m excited to tell yall about everything!!
Eve: Hey mom and dad!! I am having so much fun, the views are soggo cool! I am having so much fun with my group my leaders and kids are amazing. Today we went canyoneering and the water was the coldest I have ever been but the canyons were so pretty. I miss yall. Tell pj and blueberry I miss them love.
John: Hey mom dad Julia and pearl. We’ve just started the trip and went canyoneering in some freezing water. I’m having a lot of fun and the views are great. Thank yall! and I’ll see you soon.
Safe Arrival!
June 13, 2026
Hi Canadian Rockies Families!
We heard from our leaders last night that the group landed safely in Calgary! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure!
Please remember that our leaders and students will be unplugged, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the trip! 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
