Kudos to Colorado Trail!
June 20, 2026
Hello from the Denver airport!
We’re already missing COT 1B, but we’re so glad everyone is safely on their way home. We are incredibly grateful that this group was our first session, and we already miss them so much. The past two weeks were filled with laughter, adventure, and friendships that we know will last far beyond this trip.
On Day 12, we woke up before sunrise and made the drive to Great Sand Dunes National Park. We tackled a challenging but rewarding hike to the top of the dunes, where everyone had a blast playing in the sand and trying out sandboarding. Leandro and Vivian stepped into the role of group filmmakers, capturing plenty of memories along the way. Parker W. and Maines embraced their thrill-seeking sides, racing down the dunes on sandboards and sleds. Kathryn put her snowboarding skills to good use and impressed us all with her agility.
After hiking back down, we returned to camp for breakfast sandwiches before continuing our day. On the drive to town, the group kept themselves entertained with riddles, and Rowan seemed to crack the answers before anyone else had a chance.
Once we arrived, the boys and girls split up for shopping and lunch. The boys especially enjoyed watching people surf on the river, and Bridger and Smith had a great time exploring the fly shop. The girls enjoyed Mexican food, ice cream, and souvenir shopping as they reflected on all the memories from the trip.
That evening, we made burrito bowls for dinner, and Parker B. led the group in a salsa taste test (you’ll have to ask them about Salsa Sean). Even after a long day, everyone still found the energy to throw a football around and spend more time laughing together.
Before we knew it, it was Day 13, our last full day together. We headed to Denver and spent time reflecting on the incredible session we had shared.
For our final banquet, our first stop was Goodwill to find some silly outfits. The group absolutely delivered, and Ford and Libby had everyone laughing. We then enjoyed burgers and ice cream before gathering for our final Moonup, where we shared appreciation for one another and reflected on the impact this group had made on each of us.
COT 1B, you were our very first Moondance group, and we truly could not have asked for a better one.
We hope you think of us whenever you hear “Party at the Beach,” and we hope you carry the memories, friendships, and lessons from this trip wherever life takes you. You are all incredible, and we know amazing things are ahead for each of you. Please keep in touch!
Caroline, Eliza Dunn, and Will
Backcountry Bonding!
June 18, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
Things are going amazing as we begin to wrap up the session. On Day 6, when we last updated, we got to experience an amazing ropes course and zipline, where Lane blew it out of the water and completed the double black diamond section of the ropes course. Even the ropes course guides were impressed by his agility! After the ropes course, we made it back to camp and made quesadillas for dinner. Bridger led the charge in exploring the mountains around the campsite, and the group grew even closer as they explored together.
On Day 7, we got to fly fish in the morning, and Ford and Parker B. were absolute pros, catching multiple fish each. The group loved the relaxation of fishing in the mountains, especially after so many days of being constantly on the go. Although there was a long drive before backpacking, the group was in high spirits, and Parker W. had the best song requests to keep the van ride fun. When we got to the San Juans, we stopped for Mexican food, and Libby made everyone laugh as she ranked the different salsas.
When we got to our campsite, we were once again blown away by the views. Somehow, as the trip progresses, it just keeps getting better and better! We got to shower and rest before leaving for our backpacking trip.
On Day 8, we finished packing for backpacking and headed into the mountains for our first day in the backcountry. Vivian was already a pro backpacker, and she helped lead everyone through their first backpacking experience. We hiked three miles and set up camp in a beautiful open meadow with a view of a 14,000-foot mountain. Leandro kept spirits high by writing songs about the trip with the rest of the students. We made dinner, and the group grew even closer as we spent another night bonding under the stars.
On Day 9, we had a slow morning and got to spend time together while making breakfast. Once everyone was ready, we began our day hike to a beautiful alpine lake. Although the hike was difficult, Maines helped the group stay positive with jokes during our breaks. When we got to the lake, Rowan did not hesitate to jump into the cold water, and Kathryn dove in as well before drying off and enjoying her book.
When we hiked back to camp, the students played a big game of manhunt in the meadow, and we were amazed by how much energy they still had after a challenging hike! We made ramen for dinner, which Smith said was the best meal yet. We had another amazing Moonup under the stars, and the group opened up even more with one another.
When we woke up on Day 10, it was time to backpack back to the trailhead. The group thought it was much easier on the way back, and we enjoyed giving them riddles as we hiked. The miles flew by! When we set up camp, everyone was feeling exhausted after three days of hiking, so we got to relax, hang out, and throw the football around until dinner. After dinner, we saw one of the most amazing sunsets any of us had ever seen. It really is so beautiful out here!
Today is Day 11, and we are traveling to the sand dunes. Although we have another long van ride, the group has stayed entertained by singing along to just about every song. We stopped to play at a park and then stopped again for a pizza lunch, and they have been great travelers.
We are all so excited for our last few days in Colorado. Tomorrow, we will wake up early for a sunrise hike on the sand dunes, and then we will get to have our town day. We are so grateful to get to experience this adventure with such an incredible group of students!
Sincerely,
Caroline, Eliza Dunn, and Will
Kathryn: Hi! I miss you so much, and thank you for sending me on this trip! We just finished backpacking and I can’t wait to see you, Butter, and Chester when I get home.
Smith: Hey Mom and Dad, I miss you guys a lot and I love you guys. Thank you for sending me I am having so much fun. Tell everyone I miss them and am so excited to see you guys in Denver. Love you!
Bridger: What’s up guys, I can’t believe I’m seeing you again in a couple days, we just got done backpacking the San Juans and I had so much fun. I can’t believe the breathtaking adventure I am on and that’s all thanks to you. Love you lots and miss you!
Vivian: Hi, I am having so much fun, and thank you so much for sending me on this trip. We just finished backpacking, and it was very fun, with many great views, and I am so excited to be seeing you so soon, but am shocked at how fast it went by! Love and miss you.
Parker B: hi Mom and Dad! I’m having so much fun here and thank you for sending me here! It is so pretty here and I can’t wait to show you the pictures! Love you!
Rowan: Hi! I am having so so so much fun here and am so thankful for yall sending me! We just finished backpacking and it was so beautiful and amazing! I can’t wait to see all of you so soon! Love and miss you so much!
Libby: Hey everybody! I’m having so much fun with my friends. I can’t wait to see you guys so soon, but I’m sad to leave my friends here. This has been one of my favorite adventures of my entire life. Thank you so much for this amazing experience! I love you the mostest!
Parker W: Hey guys! I am having so much fun and I am so grateful that you guys sent me on this trip! I can’t wait to see you guys soon and it is crazy that this trip is almost over. Our backpacking trip was so fun and rewarding in the end. I can’t wait to tell you guys so many stories and show y’all pictures! I love and miss y’all so much!!
Ford: Hey! I am having so much fun and I really appreciate that you guys sent me on this amazing trip. I can’t wait to see you guys! We just finished backpacking and it was a lot of fun and we saw some great views. Some of the hikes were hard but worth it! I miss you guys some much! Love you!
Lane: Hi mom I love you. Your the best, thank you for letting me go to this. It’s so fun I loved rockcliming. I love you I’m having so much fun
Maines: Hey mama dada tg and Elkins thank y’all so much for sending me to this trip I have had such a blast. It’s crazy how I see y’all again in two days it has gone bye so fast. We just got done backpacking and it was challenging but fun. I can’t wait to surf with you dads and tg. Tg I bet u had a blast at Belize and you and thomas had fun. Love y’all c u in a few days bye.
Leandro: Hi Mom and Dad! I can’t believe that the trip is coming to an end. I miss you guys a lot but, I really don’t want to leave. Thanks so much for sending me on this trip. I have made so more memories and friends. See you soon! Love you so much.
Rockin' out in the Rocky Mountain State!
June 12, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
Greetings from Colorado!
We are having a ton of fun and laughing a lot as we navigate our way through the Rocky Mountain State! We are so excited to have such an awesome group of students here, and we have had an amazing start to the session.
We started out in Denver at the airport, where we were fortunate enough to have no delays and hit the road early to head to our first campsite. We picked up pizza and took it to the campsite where we were absolutely amazed by the beautiful reservoir, and Smith and Leandro led the group in exploring the rock formations and beach. We learned how to set up tents, and we had our first Moonup under the stars.
On Day 2, we woke up with the sunrise and made breakfast sandwiches together. Maines and Parker W. were selected as the first Leaders of the Day. They started our day with a quote as encouragement, and we were off to a canyon to begin our first day of rock climbing. Lane was an absolute pro and raced up every route multiple times, and Vivian surprised herself by climbing all the way to the top despite her fear of heights.
After climbing, we took a break for lunch, then headed over to Crested Butte to a local park to play outside. We were stunned by the change in scenery; while we had been climbing in an arid climate, Crested Butte was green and lush. We headed back to camp to rest and swim in the reservoir, and Ford bravely took the first leap off a jumping rock into the frigid water. We made burrito bowls for dinner, and the students discovered our Oreo stash in the van for dessert. After a long, fun day, everyone was tired and got a good night’s sleep.
On Day 3, we returned to the canyon for another day of rock climbing. We got to try some harder routes, and we played silent football as people began to trickle away from climbing. You’ll have to ask them about it; we laughed so hard we couldn’t breathe! That afternoon, we began the drive to the next place, and we got to stop at a beautiful pass, which is a peak on the Continental Divide. We saw stunning views, and Parker B got the group amped up to make the hike to the summit. Even though it was cold, Libby did a snow angel at the top! We stopped at an awesome general store, then we headed to our camp on the river. We got to explore the river a bit, then we made stir-fry for dinner. Bridger was cracking everyone up with his Grinch face and Gru impression; the whole group has taken to quoting Despicable Me.
On Day 4, we woke up excited to raft! We drove and began our journey down the river. As we navigated rapids, we laughed, bonded, and splashed each other’s boats with our paddles. When we stopped for lunch, the guides introduced us to the “Ta-cone,” a way to eat a sandwich wrap. We were fortunate enough to get dessert with each of our meals, which gave us a little extra energy to paddle the river.
That night, we stopped at the next site for the first of three nights there. The raft guides cooked us a delicious meal, and our guide Sean provided some instruments for us to attempt to make music. We learned that no one in the group is particularly musically inclined, but we had fun trying!
Day 5 was the second day of our rafting trip, and some of the students got to try out inflatable kayaks. Rowan held down the fort on the big raft and kept everyone’s spirits high with her positivity. We got to experience the rapids on the kayaks, and while it was scary at times, it was a ton of fun. Kathryn did such a good job that the guides said she had a job with them in six years!
When we got off the river, we stopped for ice cream. It was a real treat to cool off and hang out together. After that, we returned to camp and explored both the river and mountains. Just when we thought we had seen it all, we were once again blown away by the views! We ate pesto pasta and had an amazing Moonup with lots of laughs.
Today is Day 6, and the students are absolutely killing it on the ropes course. We are so lucky to have such an amazing group; we really think they will be friends for life! It’s incredible to see how close they have all gotten in such a short period of time, and it’s so fun to see the boys and girls get along so well. We are so excited for the second half of this trip and can’t believe how quickly it’s flying by. We hope you all are well, and thank you so much for trusting us with your amazing kids!
Sincerely,
Caroline, Eliza Dunn, and Will
Vivian: Hi Mom and Dad, I’m having lots of fun here in Colorado! Miss you, and am excited for the rest of the trip.
Parker B: Hi Mom and Dad! Colorado is so much fun, and I can’t wait to tell you about it! Miss you!
Kathryn: Hiiiii, I miss you sooo much, and I’m having a lot of fun. Tell Thomas I miss him. Love you
Bridger: What up Mom and Dad! Tell Fields and Maple I miss them a lot and can’t wait to see you guys and be back in UA to golfing and pool days. I am having a breathtaking, unimaginable time in Colorado and almost don’t miss you guys…
Smith: Hey Mom and Dad, I miss you guys so much and cannot wait to see you all. Tell Emme, Harper, and Grandma I love them so much. I am having an amazing time in Colorado with all the fun activities, love you guys
Rowan: Hey Mom and Dad! Colorado is so fun, and all of our activities are amazing. I can’t wait to tell all of y’all about it! Tell Leighton and Mia I miss them! Happy late birthday, Dad!
Libby: Hey Mom, Dad, B, P,Coco, and Cash. I’m having so much fun, but I still miss you guys. Happy late birthday, Mom! I love you guys so much!
Parker W: Hey Mom, Dad, and Leighton! I miss you guys so much, and I can’t wait to tell y’all everything about Colorado. I am having so much fun, and I can’t wait to see you guys soon! Happy belated birthday, Dad!
Maines: Hey Mama, Dada, and Elkins! I have had an absolute blast. I have made tons and tons of friends. Love y’all so much.
Leandro: Hey Mom and Dad! I have had lots of fun so far. The view is awesome! I miss you guys and hope the best for you. Love you guys. See you soon!
Ford: Hey Mom, Dad, and Rosie I have had a blast at Colorado, and I can’t wait to go fly fishing. The mountains are very beautiful and the view is great. Love you guys. See you soon!
Lane: Hi Mom and Dad, I’ve had so much fun! It has been a blast. Love you see you soon
Off To A Great Start!
June 7, 2026
Hello Colorado Trail Families!
We just heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Denver, CO! The group is headed to their first campsite, and we can’t wait to hear 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
