Farewell from the Last Frontier!
July 5, 2026
Hello one final time from the Last Frontier! What an amazing three weeks it has been! We cannot believe our time together is over and are so sad to see all eleven of our students go, but we are so grateful for the memories and experiences we got to share over the past 21 days.
Since you last heard from us, we had an eventful three days rafting on the Matanuska River and exploring around Talkeetna and Denali. The evening before rafting, cook crew two (Josephine, Dylan, and Jane) cooked us a delicious feast of steak with rice and stir fry, which became most of the group’s favorite meal of the trip. We finished off the night with a fun Moonup and headed off to bed.
The next day, we got an early start and met our raft guides for a two day trip down the Matanuska. They got us our dry suits, we hopped on a bus, and listened to Nick and Grace crack hilarious jokes on our way to the river. May and Evie were crying laughing! We split into two boats and prepped for our whitewater experience, then hopped on the boats on Caribou Creek and rafted down until it met the Matanuska. It was so cool to see where the two rivers met, which created a mix of gray and brown freezing cold water straight from the glacier melt. Our guides told us that the Talkeetnas and Chugach are the two closest mountain ranges to each other in the whole US which was a fun fact that Mary Mac and Grace loved! We got to look up at a giant mountain to our right that we hiked the day before as we meandered down the river and then rounded the corner to some fun rapids. Josephine and May were in the front of one boat and got slammed with water every time we hit a big wave, but had an amazing time! We stopped for lunch, which was a delicious sandwich bar made by our guides, and then got back on the water for a nice afternoon float. Mary Kate got to take a peaceful power nap on the back of the raft over the calm waves before we arrived at our beach for the night. Our guides cooked us a delicious meal of enchilada lasagna bowls, which had everyone so full but excited for seconds. Dylan went back for seconds and proclaimed yet again that this was his new favorite meal of the trip! We concluded the meal with a chocolate cake and then hung out by the riverside on a rocky beach next to a fire. Harris, Thomas S., Nick and Thomas K. built a huge firepit with some dead logs, which was the highlight of the night! What a fun and awesome way to end the day!
The next morning, we woke early to another amazing breakfast from our raft guides of breakfast burritos, hot chocolate, yogurt, and granola. Henry was really excited about the food and was stoked on the hot chocolate. After breakfast, we packed up camp and got back on the river for another float down to Chickaloon near the base of King’s Mountain. Thomas K. was really interested in King’s Mountain and several of the peaks and landmarks nearby, and was pointing them out as we floated down the river. We arrived in Chickaloon around lunch, unpacked our bags, said bye to our guides, and chowed down on a caesar salad wrap meal for lunch, which was one of Josephine’s favorites. The boys explored around the raft guide base camp and found some old busses and books, which Henry was super interested in. Afterward, we got on our bus transfer for a three hour trek to Talkeetna. Upon arrival in Talkeetna, we scarfed down some pizza (with reindeer sausage toppings, which was an exciting Alaskan-inspired feature!), then walked over to Talkeetna Air Taxi for our flight over Denali. We split into two planes and took off up toward the mountains, listening to music and information from our pilot as we approached giant white mountains with glaciers flowing all over. We rounded the corner and got to see huge peaks with Denali looming in the background-Thomas S. and Henry were so shocked at how beautiful it was that they couldn’t stop smiling about it. Grace was beaming with joy and said she had never seen something so beautiful! Jane was snapping photos left and right and could not believe her eyes. What an amazing and beautiful evening and a great way to end the trip! We got back to camp, had a sweet and meaningful Moonup, and headed to our tents for the night.
This morning, we got to enjoy our last day with some Fourth of July festivities! A breakfast of bagel sandwiches and then showers was a great start to the day. We walked over to the quaint little town of Talkeetna and got to explore the shops and buy souvenirs. Henry and Dylan found some fuzzy onesies with bear claw slippers which they put on and wore around town. Mary and Josephine found fun little colorful hats that they have not taken off all day! We got to finish off our town day with a front row seat to the Talkeetna Fourth of July parade, which was a fun last unplanned activity! We concluded with our banquet meal with delicious burgers in town, and had our final Moonup before making our way back to the airport.
What an amazing three weeks it’s been! The time flew by and we cannot believe it is over. Thank you for sending your children, we are so lucky to know them and to spend time together out here in Alaska. Each student has been such an integral and important part of our group, and we are so grateful for each one of them and will miss them deeply!
With love,
Evie, May, and Phillip
Backcountry Buddies
July 2, 2026
Hi again Northern Lights families and friends! We’ve made it out of our time in the backcountry, yippee! Our group has truly bonded now, we’ve had some amazing views, crushed it up hard climbs, and gotten out of our comfort zones. What an eventful several days we have to update y’all on!
The last time you heard from us, we were prepping for our backcountry adventure. Our day started off with a hearty delicious breakfast of french toast and eggs. Josephine was so excited when she found out we were having Nutella as well. We spent the day packing and encountered our first rain of the trip-but May, Thomas K, and Grace helped build two massive tarp shelters to keep us dry. Cook crew one (Grace, Thomas S., Mary Kate, and Henry) cheffed up grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch to keep us warm. After lunch, some of the group posted up under the tarp playing cards and bananagrams until dinner, which was a barbecue night! Burgers, baked beans, Dylan’s specialty ceasar salad, and chips filled us up before a big first day in the backcountry. We concluded with an inspiring and motivational Moonup before heading off to bed.
We woke up bright and early to finalize our gear before a quick drive over to Pinochle trailhead where we began our route. The group moved along at a great pace as we meandered through meadows and brush, yelling out bear calls the whole way to keep the animals away. Mary Kate and Nick were our LOD’s and led the pack with a positive and bright attitude. We stopped for a trail lunch of pb&j tortillas at the base of a giant hill and then crushed it up to a spot called The View at the top. Huge, sweeping 360 degree views of the Talkeetna Mountains behind us and the Chugach Mountains in front of us took our breath away. We were shocked at how fast the group was moving, so after a short snack break, we pushed farther down the trail through swampy and muddy zones, across big meadows, and along creek beds until we got to our campsite at Hicks Lake-almost 10 miles later! What a day. Everyone did a great job powering through a long hike, but the views at the end were so worth it! Thomas K. and Nick were having a great time tromping through mud bogs with the biggest smiles on their faces while everyone else looked for the least muddy path. At camp, we cooked a backcountry ziti pasta with baguette garlic bread (thanks to Henry for carrying in 2 giant baguettes in his bag!), and immediately crashed in our sleeping bags since everyone was exhausted from a long first day.
Day 2 in the backcountry began to a slow and wet start, as we woke up in dense fog surrounding our tents and making it look like we were in a white room. We had a chill morning and took it easy with a warm breakfast of oatmeal with honey, peanut butter, cranberries, bananas, and cinnamon. Yum! We packed up camp, hopped on the trail, and kept sloshing through muddy trails on our way down toward Caribou Creek. It was so slippery that we all were sliding around in slick mud-at one point, we looked over and Mary Kate was on all fours crawling out of a mud puddle with a huge smile on her face! Trail talk was awesome, everyone had some amazing deep conversations, and it was great to see and hear the group bonding more. Jane was being a rockstar and carried extra weight all morning in her pack with a smile and no complaints. We meandered down a creek bed and stopped for lunch at the confluence of two creeks, where we saw beautiful views of the mountains through the valley off in the distance. Lunch was sausage and cheese tortillas and everyone was so hungry they had seconds. After lunch, we had a short and boggy walk with LOTS of bear calls until we arrived at our camp for the night. We set up tents and tarps as fast as we could before another rain and thunderstorm came plundering down on us. Thomas K., Mary, and Nick helped us fire up backcountry pita pepperoni pizza which kept us warm and was a fan favorite meal so far. Dylan proclaimed this is the best pizza he’s ever had and that it’s better than Chipotle at home. Wow! We finished off the night with Moonup by the river with the sound of rushing water nearby and headed off to bed after another long but amazing day in the backcountry.
Day three in the backcountry began with another wet start, but the group woke up in good spirits despite wet tents, cold temperatures, and soggy gear. Pancakes for breakfast with Nutella and peanut butter brightened the mood, especially for Josephine who we’ve discovered is the world’s biggest Nutella lover. After breakfast, we packed up camp and got on the trail, led by Mary and Thomas K. as our LOD’s. At one point, Thomas S. yelled “look, a trout!” A trout was quite literally swimming down the trail next to us! Another fish came by a few minutes later and Harris bent down, caught it out of the hiking trail with his bare hands, held it up so we all could see, and named it Preston before sending it back down the trail. That was the highlight of the morning for sure! We kept hiking up a big hill away from the creek, and the trail dried out slightly, bringing beautiful sweeping views as we got higher up in elevation. Lots of rolling up and down hills with animal tracks in the trail led us to our campsite for the night. At one point, Thomas K. peered off in the distance and spotted an excavator way up on the hill-signifying our destination! We arrived mid-afternoon to the excavator which is located at a dirt airstrip several miles into the Alaskan backcountry for small bush planes to use. We set up tarps, ate a tortilla lunch, and pitched tents before another giant rain storm came in. We could hear Nick, Harris, and Thomas S. cracking up in the tent and having the best time. Meanwhile, another student travel group was finishing their month-long trip by flying out of the airstrip on small bush planes, so we were treated with an air show getting to see planes take off and land right nearby our tents. What a cool surprise! Thomas K. was so excited to practice his photography and got some great photos of the planes while simultaneously fending off hungry marmots from trying to chow down on our snacks. For dinner, we cooked backcountry pad thai which Mary Kate decided was a new favorite food of hers. We got a brief break in the weather with a tiny patch of sun as we were prepping for bed which was a bright and beautiful moment to end our day-the clouds cleared for a second and revealed gigantic beautiful green mountains with rock faces, snow patches up high, and a beautiful meandering creek way down below in the valley. We even saw a moose way off in the distance moving along through the bushes. We headed off to bed feeling tired, full, and content after an exciting day.
Day four in the backcountry began with yet another wet and soggy wake up in the white room again. Dense fog surrounded our tents and completely socked us in. We rallied through a chilly morning and cooked hash browns with cheese and sausage for breakfast, packed up camp, and made a game plan for the day. After lots of conversations and deliberations between our leader team over the previous couple days, we decided it was the safest option to backtrack our route. With the very high quantities of rain, continued forecast for four more days of it, and a couple other factors, we decided a river crossing would not be the safest bet with the high water levels, and that we would need to backtrack our route. Despite this being not ideal, the group took the news like champs and were ready to attack the day with a positive attitude. Grace kept a smile on all morning and was doing a great job hyping up the group. Josephine led a bunch of games and riddles on the trail and kept the group engaged and smiling. We stopped for lunch at a spot up high on the trail with more 360 degree mountain views before continuing back down into the valley to our campsite. We arrived at camp in the late afternoon and set up at a spot near the river. The group hung out in the evening, and the cook crew one cooked us a delicious mac and cheese dinner, and we finished the night with tea and a wholesome Moonup conversation.
On day 5, we started the morning with another round of oatmeal with nutella, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, and cranberries. As a group favorite breakfast, seconds and even some thirds were had! We packed up camp, hopped on trail, and sloshed through a creek bed up into a valley back toward Hicks Creek. The group did a great job making great time on the trail and we crushed it to our campsite quickly. Nick and Josephine were our LOD’s and helped navigate us all the way there. At camp, we found a drier spot near the lake and enjoyed a few short moments of sun-Grace read a book by the shore, Thomas and Thomas played several rounds of hacky sack, Dylan smashed some rocks, and Henry basked in the sun. Thomas K, Josephine, Jane, and Dylan cooked us chicken quesadillas and rice for dinner which was delicious and became a new group favorite dinner. The evening concluded with a purpleish-pinkish sunset as we drifted off to bed.
The next day, we woke up ready to take a zero day (stay at camp and day hike, rather than packing fully up and moving campsites for the night), but it soon became a day of constantly changing plans.We (along with our guides) decided it would be best to push closer to the trailhead and to head down to the frontcountry a day early to avoid winter-like weather overnight in the backcountry. The group rallied and hiked another 8-10 miles back to the trailhead, through whipping winds, super deep mud bogs, and rain. Wow! Giggles were erupting left and right, as we tossed rocks into the creek at lunch, and pulled ourselves out of knee deep mud. Mary Kate lost a shoe, but don’t worry, it was salvaged! Nick and Thomas K. tromped through knee deep brownie batter-looking mud that was covering our trail and could not stop laughing about it. Late in the evening, with tired legs, we finally made it to the trailhead and got picked up by our guides! Everyone was feeling proud, Jane and Grace were passing around high fives, and the group was feeling excited to be back, but also defeated. Conditions unfortunately cut our time short, and everyone was feeling bummed that we couldn’t stay out the whole time. We made it back to our frontcountry campsite, cook crew three (Harris, Nick, and Mary) cooked us chicken pasta with veggies and red sauce, and we huddled in our tents to brace the weather.
After a chilly and rainy night, the group woke up to hashbrowns and eggs and got to enjoy a relaxing morning of reading, cards, and bananagrams. May and Phillip built another tarp mansion to keep the group dry and Evie returned from the grocery store with chocolate to celebrate the backpacking success. We got a ride from our guides to a nearby restaurant for a local food stop of brisket pizza and ice cream. Yum! We got to enjoy our meal outside on the porch of a typical Alaskan-looking log cabin with lots of yard games out front. After lunch, we played a Moondance version of the World Cup-with cornhole and horseshoe involved. Nick and Thomas K. took the crown after a long and hard battle with Harris and Thomas S. We spent the whole afternoon playing games and exploring around the lodge. We headed back to camp in the evening and began MORE games-Josephine and Mary were a spikeball dream team, and then the entire group got into an impromptu highly competitive frisbee game in the parking lot. Henry shocked us with his quick moves, Harris made some great catches, and Grace was amazing on defense. Afterward, cook crew one (Grace, Thomas S., Mary Kate, and Henry) cooked our favorite meal yet: Alaskan salmon with rice and ceasar salad! Another delicious meal to top off a fun day! Evie and Jane jammed on the guitar, and we concluded our evening with a lighthearted but thoughtful Moonup and headed off to bed.
We woke up this morning, ate a yummy breakfast of yogurt and granola with hot chocolate, and prepped for a fun day hike. Harris and Mary Mac were our LOD’s and led our morning huddle with a funny and inspirational quote. Our guides at NOVA drove us up to the trailhead, and we cruised up a steep stairmaster-like trail. On the way, Nick and Thomas S. were playing chess verbally and somehow having a successful game, despite no board! We made it to the top with 360 degree views of the Matanuska glacier, Talkeetna Mountains, and Chugach Mountains. Everyone was in awe and sat down to admire the view. We hung out at the summit in the sun, the girls decorated their hair with flowers, we ate another tortilla lunch, met three dogs named Tela, Tala, and Lola, and then headed back down the trail toward NOVA. We got back to camp and are enjoying a SHOWER! this afternoon before Hibachi night on the camp stove! Everyone is so excited. Tomorrow we begin our rafting journey down the Matanuska River to finish off our trip.
We cannot believe we are down to our last few days with this crew. We have absolutely loved sharing these three weeks with your kids and are so beyond grateful for this group. We are proud of their go-getter attitude, resilience, humor, kindness, and respect. We’re off to go rafting and then we will fly over Denali before our final banquet and goodbyes. You’ll hear from us again soon!
With love,
Evie, May, and Phillip
Thank You’s:
Mary Mac: Dear Mom and Dad, thank you so much for letting me come on this trip! I have made some great new friends and memories in Alaska. Can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Thomas K: Mom, thank you for sending me on this trip. I’ve already seen so much and I’m sure I’ll see more these next 4 days. Now we are going to rafting which will be fun, so thank you again and see ya soon.
Thomas S: Dear Mom and Dad, thank you so much for letting me come on this trip. I have made so many friends and new memories. Thank you so much.
Mary Kate: Dear Mom and Dad, I just want to start off by saying thank y’all so much for sending me here. I am so beyond grateful to be here! I never thought in my life I would ever backpack for a week, it was very hard but I managed through it and I’m so glad I did it. When I get home I’m going to need to wash my clothes like 3 times each AND get Waffle House. Miss and love yall so much! Love, MK
Nick: Dear Mom and Dad, thanks so much for sending me on this trip. The camera died but I got some good photos for sure.
Harris: Dear Mom, Dad, Molly Reed, and Preston. We have finished backpacking and it was probably the hardest I’ve ever done, even harder than sea kayaking. Alaska is so cool and I’m excited to sleep in my own bed soon. See y’all later.
Josephine: Hi Mom! I have had an amazing time and I can’t believe how quickly the trip has flown by! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to come on this trip and be able to meet so many cool people and experience amazing activities. Love and miss you!
Grace: Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip this summer. This trip has been literally life changing. We just finished backpacking fyi and it was tough but fun and we got through it. Love y’all.
Jane: Hi Mom and Dad, I am having the best time ever on this trip! We have sea kayaked, ice climbed, and backpacked! I have made so many friends and I am so grateful you gave me this opportunity. Thank you SO much for letting me do this Moondance trip, it’s literally one of the best experiences I have ever had. Love you so much! See you soon!
Dylan: Hi family! Just finished backpacking, we had to leave 2 days early cause of the extremely harsh conditions. Very thankful for this trip and it is teaching me to not take things and privileges (like Chipotle) for granted. Miss you all!
Henry: I will never take dry heat for granted again. We made it through the mud and although the conditions beat us, I’ll consider it a draw. C’mon England – see you soon, love y’all lots.
Next Stop Backpacking!
June 23, 2026
Hello again Northern Lights families and friends! We’re reporting back after an exciting couple of days of ice climbing. Our group has shown some great courage, grit, and natural skill-they’re knocking it out of the park!
Since you’ve last heard from us, we made our way out of Whittier and onto a glacier-a 27 mile wide expanse of ice that we have spent the last two days on. We motored on through the Whittier Tunnel, stopped in Anchorage for a brief food restock, and drove up a senic highway to our next destination. Josephine and Grace were locked into their books in the backseat, some students were doing riddles, Nick was cracking jokes, and everyone was admiring the views the whole way up the valley. The mountains out of the right side of the bus were spectacular! We got to camp later that evening, cooked a delicious meal of taco bowls, had a silly Moonup conversation, and headed to bed. The sun lit up the clouds as they moved behind the mountains and the smell of the wildflowers at camp made for a lovely end to a long day!
The next morning, woke the group up to muffins and an egg scramble for breakfast, and walked over to meet our ice climbing guides and get our gear for the day! Mary and Harris were our LOD’s and did a great job hyping up the crew with a special self-invented quote from Harris before we embarked. We hopped in vans for a short drive up to the glacier, then put on our micro spikes and began our glacier trek. Day 1 was an exploratory, via ferrata-style day with a few short climbs, and the group was stoked to be out there and get right into it. We learned about the glacial features, glacial moss, crevasses, moulins, moraines, and table rocks! Thomas, Thomas, and Henry were particularly interested in the table rocks and how the ice creates them, and were eager to learn from our guides. Along the day, we warmed up with some hand ropes and small staircases, and then stopped at our site for the day while our guides set up three short climbs. Mary Kate impressed us with her enthusiasm and crushed it on her first try! Dylan went straight for the big wall and cruised right up! Harris seems to be a natural at ice climbing! We are so impressed with everyone’s go-getter attitude and eagerness to try a new skill. After a few hours of climbing, we continued our exploration on a walking loop back to the car and then got back to camp early for a fun evening. Jane, Josephine, Dylan, and Thomas K. cooked a delicious meal of chicken picatta with orzo pasta, zucchini, spinach, and lemon seasoning-yum! While they cooked, Nick led the group in several rounds of spikeball while the girls journaled and read in the sun. After dinner, we had our Moonup conversation and headed to bed early after a tiring first day of climbing!
Day two of climbing brought some bigger climbs and more advanced terrain. Henry and Grace gave a great pep talk at our morning huddle and set the tone for a great day before we met up with our guides and got started. We hiked past our first day climbing spot, up and over some ice valleys, and across large ice fields into what our guides referred to as “the blue lagoon”–a valley that was filled with glacial meltwater up until a few weeks ago and now is melted to create several large walls for climbing. We split into two groups and everyone got to try out four new climbs. Nick and Thomas S. immediately went for the big wall and zoomed right up. They’re naturals! Jane and Grace pushed through some challenging pitches and made it to the top! Everyone was particularly interested in a unique climb that started inside a cave-like hole and then continued up a giant wall, which was the highlight of the day! After a few hours of trying different climbs, we hiked out and surprised the group with an ice cream stop on our way back to camp! Nick, Harris, and Mary Kate prepped a delicious dinner of rice and chicken bowls with sweet potatoes and greens while May led the group in tarp set up. We are finishing off our day with some guitar, spikeball, reading, and soaking it all up in these beautiful mountains.
Tomorrow we begin our backpacking prep, and we’re off the next day into the mountains for eight days! We can’t wait for our adventure into the mountains and have some exciting days ahead of us. You’ll hear from us and all of our backcountry stories when we return! Talk soon!
With love,
Evie, Phillip, and May
Shoutouts:
Grace: Hey y’all we just finished ice climbing and it was so cool but also pretty hard. Hope everyone is doing good!
Mary Kate: Hi friends and family, the last two days we went ice climbing. That was one of the coolest things I have ever done. This trip has been so incredible and I am having so much fun doing things I never thought I’d be doing. Love y’all so much. Happy Father’s Day Dad.
Josephine: Hi family and friends! Still having a great time, just finished ice climbing today! It was super cool getting to walk and climb through the glacier. Plus, our guides were awesome! Thank you for allowing me to go on this trip! Love and miss everyone!
Mary Mac: Hi! We just finished ice climbing which was so cool. I’m having so much fun and am excited for our long backpacking journey. I have yet to see a bear, but lots of moose. Happy Father’s Day Dad! Miss you all!
Dylan: Hi! Finished ice climbing and about to head to backpacking. This trip is super good and very fun! Miss you guys. Love you!
Thomas K: Hi, the glacier was so cool, we had a lot of fun climbing it. Hope all of you are doing well and see you soon.
Jane: Hey fam! I’m having so much fun! We just finished two days of ice climbing and it was so cool! We are about to go backpacking for 8 days so wish me luck. Love you all so much! And Happy Father’s Day, love you Dad!
Henry: Hi Mom and Dad! I may be the Lebron of ice climbing. Go England. Happy Father’s Day! Love you pops. I’m looking at nice mountains as we speak. Thank you for everything.
Harris: Hi Mom, Dad, Molly Reed, and Preston. I have been ice climbing and will soon start backpacking. I love y’all so much and I will see y’all soon.
Nick: Hi gang, Alaska is lit and ice climbing was awesome. See y’all soon.
Thomas S: Hey Mom and Dad, I am still having fun here in Alaska. We just finished ice climbing which is more fun than sea kayaking. We are about to go on our 8 day backpacking venture. I am very excited to see y’all soon and Happy Father’s Day Dad. Love, Thomas
Welcome to Alaska!
June 20, 2026
Hello Northern Lights families and friends! We have been having a blast out here in Alaska the past several days and have so much to update y’all on. We’ve had lots of sea kayaking adventures with some amazing weather and our group has been soaking it all up with smiles and excitement.
Our trip kicked off to an exciting start as we left the airport in Anchorage and made our way to our campsite nearby at Eagle River. The late evening sunlight on the mountains on our drive to camp was beautiful and got even better when a gigantic bright double rainbow emerged on the Chugach Mountain range next to us. Everyone was mesmerized by the views and took the rainbow as a good omen to the beginning of our trip! We got to camp and immediately saw a mama moose with her two babies happily munching on grass at the edge of our campsite. Another exciting moment to start the trip! We concluded the night with our first Moonup and headed to bed under the midnight sun. Nick and Grace were elected as our first Leaders of the Day (LOD’s) and got to wear fuzzy moose and bear hats to symbolize-named Melvin and Theodore Roosevelt/T Rose-by Mary Mac and Thomas S. Since then, the animals have been a big hit and each LOD has lead the group with them each day!
The next morning started bright and early with a hearty meal of breakfast burritos and lots of hacky sack. Thomas K. led the group with hacky sack over and over again all morning. We played a few Moondance classic games called birdie on a perch and shake and pop, won by Mary Kate and Jane. We packed up camp and hopped on the bus to the Prince William Sound to prep for our first activity-sea kayaking! It was a beautiful warm and sunny Alaska day so we got to see huge mountains and glaciers on our drive through the sound. Everyone was peering out the window left and right and was so stoked on the views. We entered the tunnel through the mountains to Whittier, preparing for some likely wet and rainy days to come, since Whittier averages less than 20 sunny days a year. But, lucky us! Bluebird skies greeted us as we came out the other side of the tunnel, and we still have not felt a drop of rain four days later! We met our sea kayak outfitters who showed us to our campsite, ate a yummy lunch of turkey sandwiches, and set up camp at the base of huge green mountains dotted with snow patches and waterfalls above. The group walked a few minutes into Whittier and met our kayak guides at their shop to prepare for the next four days of kayaking. After kayak orientation, we cooked a delicious dinner of chicken stir fry and packed for the next day.
Day one of sea kayaking began with bagel sandwiches for breakfast and then more packing and prep in the morning down at the kayak shop. We ate a lunch of pita pocket and hummus sandwiches before hopping on the water. Everyone did a great job packing boats and paddling away in time before the Alaska State Ferry docked next to us. Our first fifteen minutes of paddling showed us what the next six hours would bring-very strong headwinds and larger than expected waves. Henry and Mary Mac led the pack as our LOD’s and kept a great positive attitude and good pace as we battled headwinds the whole way. Thomas S. perservered and kept hyping up the group every time we rounded a corner expecting it to be camp and it wasn’t the one. We saw lots of otters, sea lions, bald eagles, and an old shipwreck on the way! We finally arrived at Decision Point three hours later than expected due to the fierce winds where we camped for the night and unpacked boats before dinner. Grace has been a rockstar helping with boats and always is right there, eager to help unload. Were so proud of everyone’s perserverence through an unexpectedly long first kayaking day with our seven miles feeling more like fourteen. Nick unloaded the kayak and proclaimed that he is a new man after that intense day, and then him and Thomas K. and explored on top of a giant boulder on the beach and admired the views while Evie, May, and Phillip cooked dinner. Josephine was so excited when she heard it was chicken pot pie and biscuits on the camp stove-everyone was ready for seconds. After a long day, everyone passed out immediately in their sleeping bags. A great first day in the Prince William Sound!
Day three was an exciting morning with balloons, sprinkle pancakes, and singing. We got to celebrate Mary Mac’s birthday in the backcountry! Pancakes were such a hit that the group made a giant rotating circle for seconds, thirds, and even fourths. We packed up camp and prepped for our big day of nine miles across Blackstone Bay. Dylan and Mary Kate were our LOD’s and helped us navigate the beginning of our long day with powerful speed. It turned into a beautiful sunny day, so we stopped on a rock pebble beach for lunch, shedded layers, and loaded up on sunscreen before making the cross to the other side of the bay. Everyone crushed the crossing and made record time to the other side! We saw lots more bald eagles and got to kayak along the shore with waterfalls and rocky beaches. Grace was really excited about all of the animals and asked our guide lots of questions about the different species and ecosystems in the Prince William Sound. We arrived at our camp called 17 Mile Beach in the late afternoon and set up tents in our most beautiful spot yet! We were at the foot of gigantic snowy mountains, one particularly astonishing that appeared so similar to the Matterhorn in Switzerland that Thomas S. named it the Temutterhorn (Temu-Matterhorn). Jane, Thomas K., and Josephine cooked chicken pesto pasta and Dylan made a delicious caesar salad for dinner. We ended the meal with a cookie scramble with sprinkes and candles for Mary Mac’s birthday, then had our Moonup on the rocky beach. We had lots of oyster catchers flying around nearby us and landing on the beach nearby which was exciting! Rock smashing has become a hit on the beaches we’ve been on, so as we headed to bed, Harris, Nick, and Henry took part in a long rock smashing session on the beach before bed. Another beautiful day on the Prince William Sound!
Day four was our glacier day! We got an early start for an 11 mile paddle day to Blackstone and Beloit Glaciers. Jane and Thomas K. led the crew (in the moose and bear hats of course) as we navigated through iceberg in the water and along giant rocky cliffs full of seagulls. We stopped at a gigantic waterfall flowing out of a glacier up high on the mountainside and got to see the bright blue glaciers falling into the water. We took a lunch break on another rocky beach, the boys took part in more rock smashing, and got to get up close to icebergs that had flowed up on the beach during high tide. After lunch, we took a look at Beloit Glacier and got to watch more ice fall into the ocean, then paddled hard another four miles back to camp at 17 Mile Beach where we were at the night before. Again, everyone paddled in record speed and our guide was so impressed with everyone’s ability! We got to hang out on the beach, smash more rocks, and do rhyme and riddle games until dinner time. Nick, Harris, and Mary Kate were on cook crew and made a delicious chicken, veggie, and rice bowl that everyone chowed on-everyone was so hungry for more seconds and thirds another long day of paddling! We concluded a silly Moonup that had us all cracking up laughing and made our way to bed before an early next morning.
This morning, we got an early start, packed up camp, and paddled our last stretch to another beach to get picked up. We had oatmeal with leftover birthday sprinkles added into the mix for breakfast which was a hit, then got picked up by a charter boat to head back to Whittier for lunch! Thomas S., Thomas K., and Harris were excited to stand on the bow of the boat and look out for wildlife and at the gigantic snowy mountains poking out of the clouds, while some other group members took a power nap on the ride.
We are headed out of Whittier this afternoon and making our way into the mountains again to prep for ice climbing! We have had such a blast the last few days on the water and are truly lucky with the beautiful weather we have encountered, which everyone is grateful about. We are so fortunate to have this group of students with us and can’t wait for the next stretch of our trip!
Talk soon!
With love,
Evie, May, and Phillip
Shoutouts:
Nick: I’m having a great time out here in the big AK. I’m having a great time smashing rocks together and taking photos. Thanks for sending me.
Jane: The trip is so fun and I am having the best time! Alaska is so beautiful and we have just finished sea kayaking, it was so cool! My group is amazing and it’s so fun. I miss you all but not too much! Love you so much!
Thomas K: This trip is crazy. We saw so many cool things while sea kayaking and I can’t wait to go ice climbing. I’m getting great photos and I can’t wait to share. Smashing rocks is a new pastime so I might bring that home. See yall soon.
Henry: this may be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been this tops pnw by the magnitude of everything. We are currently in a valley very closely resembling a snow globe with the seagulls as the snow. No rain. Feeling good, feeling fresh. Have fun in Vegas. Love yall
Dylan: hello! We just finished sea kayaking and the views of the mountains are like no other! Every other mountain there is a beautiful waterfall and on top there is very nice looking snow and the water is comeplty clear and blue! We apparently got the 2 days of sun out of only 15 this part of Alaska gets in an entire year! Miss you guys and Winston especially! P.S my glasses belong to the ocean now 🤠🌊🕶️❌
Thomas S: Dear Mom and Dad, I have had a splendid time here in Alaska. We have done a lot of sea kayaking and we saw lots of mountains, waterfalls, wildlife, and some glaciers. We are going glacier climbing soon and are going to be trekking soon. I can’t wait to see you in a few weeks. Love, Thomas.
Harris: To mom, dad, Molly Reed, and Preston, Sea kayaking is just about the hardest thing I’ve ever done but the glaciers and other snow things make it worth it. I hope yall and doing swell and the new bathrooms are coming together. I love yall a whole lot and will see yall later.
Grace: Hey yall we just finished our sea kayaking and it was so hard but also gorgeous! Our next activity is ice climbing which I’m really excited for. This group is amazing and feel like we have been with each other for years. Love yall. PS I hope my baby Max is doing good
Mary Kate: hey guys! I am having so much fun! This has truly already been a amazing experience! We just finished sea kayaking and it was very hard…. but I got through it and now we are about to go on a road trip to ice climbing. Love yall so much and miss y’all!!!
Mary Mac:Hi! I am having so much fun in Whittier. We just finished our sea kayaking trip which was difficult but very rewarding! My shoulders are definitely going to be shredded after this trip. My group is great and everyone is cool. I am very excited to ice climb next! Love and miss y’all!!
Josephine: hello mother, family, and friends! I am having a wonderful time and am getting absolutely jacked as we speak. Off to ice climbing and don’t worry I will be following doctors orders and will just be taking some amazing pictures. Hope everyone is having fun at home! Love and miss you all! 🦭🦦🐳🐲🥀🌝
Safe Arrival!
June 16, 2026
Hello Northern Lights families,
We heard from our leaders last night that the group has arrived 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 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
