Perfect Ending on PNW
June 22, 2026
Hi Moondance Families!
Throughout the Pacific Northwest trip, there are many exciting days filled with action from dawn to dusk, but we rarely get time to sit back and truly relax. This has seemed to be the opposite of our last few days spent on the islands in Washington. Out in the ocean lies a place where time seems to stop for a moment, where exhilaration can take a seat on the sidelines, and reflection and serenity can take the spotlight. As we near the end of this fantastic trip, we have been very lucky to spend 3 days out in the lesser-seen region of the PNW. Over the past 3 days, and in the final moments up until our departure at the airport, we have had the chance to paddle and swim around a place that calls for peace and time to think about how we will define this Moondance experience.
After we left backpacking, our eyes were set towards the coast. Headed towards the northern Washington coast, we napped and recharged our energy as we drove a short distance to catch our ferry over to the San Juan Islands region. With time to spare, we explored around the Anacortes region, where Wood and Charlie took advantage of some great views atop peaks around the ferry as we scrambled around rocky bluffs. The kids then had a moment to finally relax as we took our long but breathtaking ferry towards the islands. As we passed through various channels connecting all the islands, everyone got a moment to catch our breaths before we headed out to sea to go kayaking for two days.
Arriving in the islands brought new sights, smells, and viewpoints, as the San Juan Islands presented us with a slower-paced environment. Arriving at camp on the island the first night, everyone grinned ear to ear at the sight of our first shower since coming out of the backcountry. Being resourceful with the contents of our cooler, Wood, Charlie, Andrey, and Griffin undertook the proud task of curating a breakfast burrito dinner at camp that left us all satisfied and ready to rest before heading out to sea the next day. Going into the night ready for sleep and serenaded by the local bullfrogs groaning, we happily slept for our first night on the islands, looking forward to our sea kayaking adventure the next morning.
The final adventure began the next day, when we headed to the harbor to meet our local guides who would be leading us out into the San Juan Islands National Monument for a one-night ocean getaway. We spent the morning preparing with the guides on the beautifully picturesque docks lined with sailboats, seaplanes, and whale boat tour ships. Here we packed clothes and gear into dry bags and got fitted into life jackets and two-person kayaks. After some preparation, we pointed our kayaks out to sea and began the paddle. Jack and Ryan, claiming previous rowing experience, charged ahead fearlessly towards the sea as we chugged along the rocky coastlines of the islands. About halfway there, though, we had an excitingly unexpected stop. Our guides called for us to group up as there was the potential for a rare sight ahead, Orcas (aka Killer Whales) passing through the channels. We all rafted up our boats and waited a little while until we finally saw the Orcas coming into view. Although they were pretty far away, it was still a breathtaking sight! We then continued our paddle across the channel. Rhyne was so excited about all the jellyfish that she picked up several of them with her paddle! Once we made it across the channel, we headed to an island to set up for the night. We unloaded our boats and dragged them inshore so they wouldn’t be swept away. Andrey was a trooper and helped the guides with the most boats. We sat on the beach for a while after and skipped rocks. Wood definitely got the most skips in! Elizabeth, Pope, and Rhyne explored some rocks on the opposite end of the beach and even spotted a seal while Hayes made multiple rainbows out of the multicolored rocks! We then made our way up to the campsite, where the guides had prepared the yummiest taco meal ever, and we all feasted on fresh tacos and Lacroix! After we finished dinner, we made a fire, and Jack was a big help with collecting all of the firewood and tending to the fire! We then made our way down to the west side of the island to watch a gorgeous sunset. Elizabeth even sang us some songs while we watched the sun dip below the horizon! We then trekked back to camp to enjoy some s’mores, which were delicious! We had Moonup around the campfire led by our LODs, Pope and Andrey, and then we tucked into our sleeping bags!
We woke up pretty early the next morning to begin our journey back to the harbor. The guides put out yogurt and fresh fruit for us to eat before paddling, and then we headed down to the boats. Jack, Ryan, Wood, and Andrey all led the way across the channel! Once we arrived back at the harbor, we unpacked the boats and set up a yummy lunch. We then got ice cream from a local ice cream shop and headed across the island to a local beach. At the beach, we set up spikeball and played a lot of frisbee! Ryan even learned how to throw a flick frisbee throw! We relaxed on the beach for a while before heading into town for dinner. We went to a fun restaurant that even had bowling and pool. Pope was a pool master while Wood held down the front end while bowling! Charlie also mastered bowling and threw many spares! We then headed to watch the sunset and had a great Moonup on the cliffs led by Rhyne and Wood.
The next day, we woke up, and Charlie and Griffin cooked everyone pancakes while we packed up camp! We headed back to the ferry dock and enjoyed another ferry ride back over to the mainland. Once we made it back to the mainland, we began our drive down to Seattle for our final banquet night! We stopped at a Goodwill along the way, and the kids picked out “ferda” outfits! We made it down to Seattle and set up at one of the watch parties to watch the first half of the Brazil v.s. Haiti World Cup game. We then ate chocolate-covered strawberries, which Elizabeth definitely enjoyed the most! We made our way to a yummy dinner of Chinese food, and then we took the Monorail back to our van. We tucked in at our final campsite and had a very sweet last Moonup led by our LOD’s Jack and Ryan.
We chased the sunrise to the airport the next morning, and the kids began their journeys home. There were many long hugs and tear-filled eyes as the kids said goodbye. What an amazing group of kids!! We had an amazing 2 weeks filled with many laughs and smiles! The weeks went by so fast, and I miss the group already!! Thank you, parents, for letting your kids come on the trip; each one of them is so incredibly special!!
Much love,
Grace and Will
Thank Yous!
June 19, 2026
Pope: Dear Mom and Dad, thank you for sending me on this trip! See you tomorrow! Can’t wait to tell you about all the fun stuff we have done. Love, Pope
Elizabeth: Dear Mom and Dad, I am so happy y’all sent me on this trip. I have had the best time trying new things and meeting some of the best people. I miss y’all so much and love y’all See you soon, Elizabeth
Rhyne: Thank you Mom and Dad for sending me to this trip. It has been so much fun and I have met some of my new best friends. I miss being home see y’all soon! Love, Rhyne
Jack: Dear Mom and Dad, thank you for sending me on this trip, I’ve been having a great time with everyone and I can’t wait to see you guys soon! Thanks, Jack
Ryan: Dear Mom and Dad, thanks for sending me in this trip. It’s been so fun, and I’ve had so many new experiences. I can’t wait to see you soon -Ryan
Wood: Dear Mom and Dad, thank y’all so much for sending me on this awesome trip. I’ve had so much fun and I really appreciate y’all putting so much effort into me and letting me have fun. I can’t wait to see y’all soon and I’m excited to tell y’all all about it. -Wood
Charlie: Dear Mom and Dad, thank you both so much for signing me up and helping me prepare for this trip. This has been an incredible experience that I will never forget. Can’t wait to tell you guys about the trip. -Charlie
Andrey : Dear Mom and Dad I love you so much for sending me to camp. This trip was even better than last years. The people in my group were amazing and I found my wallet. I love you and see you soon. Love, Andrey
Griffin: Dear Mom and Dad thank you so much for sending me on this Moondance trip I have enjoyed my time so very much. I’ve seen plenty of cool things like the mountains and the sea this is a trip. I’m sad to say goodbye to Moondance even though I am exited to see y’all. Love, Griffin
Hayes: Dear Mom and Dad, I can not thank you enough for sending me on this trip. The views I have seen and the memories I have created are truly incredible and unforgettable. I am grateful that you raised me to be independent and strong so that on this trip when I reach challenges I face them confidently. See you soon!!! Love, Hayes
One Step at a Time
June 18, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!!
We’ve been super busy since our last update! After all the kids successfully completed the traverse, we headed to a new national park. We spent the next day prepping for backpacking, and the kids learned how to efficiently pack a backpack in the “duffle shuffle”. Wood and Hayes helped show other kids tips and tricks for backcountry skills since they had both been out in the wilderness with Moondance before! We finished our prep days with a proper cookout filled with yummy burgers for dinner to celebrate the next 4 days in the backcountry!
We woke up early the next morning and headed down to the water taxi, which would drop us off at the trail! Hayes, Elizabeth, Ryan, and Charlie braved the cold water and jumped in at the first moment! After a quick lunch on the dock, the trip began. Although the first day’s hike was only 4 miles, there were many challenges along the way. As the trail was filled with downed trees and many obstacles, the group worked together to practice route finding when the trail was not always clear. After a long and hot afternoon, we finally arrived at the first night’s camp. The beautiful site rests on the shores of a lake, and it also looks over many of the peaks of the North Cascades. Although tired and sweaty, we swam in the lake and had the opportunity to do some cliff jumping into one of the inlets as well! That night, we cooked up some taco bowls, and feasted away as our stomach yearned for well deserved food after some hard hiking. Jack and Ryan, our LODs led a very thought felt Moonup before we all fell into a deep sleep!
The next day of backpacking was the true test of will. We aimed to double our mileage for the day with the goal of reaching our Day 3 site in one day. This meant waking up extra early to get the show on the road, and undertaking a lengthy 12 mile day to our next site. The day started hard with steep uphills, where all members of the group struggled and persevered. First time backpacker, Elizabeth, spoke later about how the challenges grew her stronger mentally, as she battled up the steep inclines. Rhyne and Pope pushed through the uphills with a lot of perseverance, they didn’t let the challenge keep them down. As the day continued, the group grew more consistent in their pace as we conquered mile after mile on trail. We then took a brief break for lunch around mile 5 in a moss forest grove where we listened to music and prepared for the rest of the afternoon. As we all ate summer sausage and tortillas full of Nutella, Griffin had the whole group laughing with funny faces and jokes, he definitely kept the vibes high! After lunch we continued to charge on with spirits high, Charlie held strong at the front for the rest of the day! We stopped for a few more candy and water breaks, and finally made it our next site on a new lake later that evening! Charlie and Griffin cooked up a yummy dinner of Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken for everyone. We quickly went to bed after dinner as everyone was exhausted from a long day!
The next day we were able to sleep in a little bit later since we didn’t have to do any miles. We cooked up some pancakes, in the shape of Mickey Mouse and boiled some water for hot chocolate. Everyone took a pretty lazy day at the lake, Hayes definitely enjoyed the water the most, but everyone jumped in at some point to wash the previous day’s sweat off. Everyone took a mid-day nap after jumping in the lake and Wood read a book aloud until we fell asleep. We woke up later in the evening and began to prepare a yummy dinner of chicken pesto pasta. Andrey, Charlie, and Griffin cracked a lot of jokes at dinner and had everyone hunched over laughing! Hayes and Griffin led the group in a sweet Moonup to close out our backpacking section. We tucked in early because we had a really early morning the next day!
We woke up at sunrise the next day to begin our journey out of the woods! We hiked downhill 4 miles to the dock where we met our water taxi. He took us back to our starting point where we then hiked another mile uphill to get back to the van. The last mile uphill was tough as everyone was really tired, but Charlie and Jack provided supportive comments throughout the climb that kept everyone pushing! After we all made it back to the van we set off for a well deserved big meal! We all loaded up on burgers, fries, and shakes, but Andrey definitely ate the most food of anyone! We then headed to the last section of the trip!
I can’t believe we only have a few days left with this amazing group! It had been such a pleasure getting to know each of them and they have all had us laughing so hard our stomachs hurt! We will be soaking up the rest of our adventures with this awesome group, by closing out the trip with sea kayaking, which we will be sure to fill y’all in on in our last update!
Talk soon!!
Grace & Will 🌲⛰️🥾
Good Vibes in the PNW!
June 12, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
Since we picked everyone up from the airport, we have been super busy!!! We’ve rafted and done so much climbing!! The kids have been having a blast!! We have been becoming one big family!😊
After picking up the kids from the airport, we headed over to Mt. Adams area. On our first night we stayed at a campsite with a guide who told everyone the best stories about his time in Alaska. The next day we spent the day on the river! We white water rafted for 6 hours with a short lunch break in the middle! Wood and Andrey sat at the front of their raft for the whole first half, with no fear at all! All of the kids jumped in the water at some point, even though it was super cold! It was Elizabeth’s first time rafting, but she did awesome and I’m sure it won’t be her last! We finished the day with Annie’s Mac and cheese back at camp! The LOD’s, Hayes and Andrey led a very special first Moonup before we tucked in!
The next day the LOD’s, Griffin and Rhyne cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast, which everyone happily devoured! We started our drive to the next activity, and Jack gave many awesome song requests throughout the drive! We got to the State Park and immediately started some incredible climbs with 2 awesome guides. Charlie, Wood, and Ryan did all three of the routes set up!! Everyone was very positive and cheering on whoever was currently climbing! The routes were definitely challenging but everyone pushed themselves. When we got back to camp Griffin, Charlie, and Rhyne made everyone an awesome chicken stir fry meal!
We started our next day climbing, with a repel! Everyone did the repel to prepare for the next day. After we finished repelling, we did more climbing and everyone finished a route!! Hayes did all of the routes multiple times and crushed it every time and Jack climbed for the first time this trip! Rhyne and Elizabeth both made it to the top at the same time after challenging themselves! After climbing we headed into Bend, Oregon for dinner! We picked up some yummy burgers and camped out at the park! Ryan, Wood, and Andrey were hackysack masters while Pope, Elizabeth, and Rhyne did so many handstands! We laid in the park and hung out for a while before heading back. When we got back the LOD’s, Pope and Wood, led a really great Moonup on the cliffs while we watched the sunset. We tucked in early to prepare for a big day the next day!
We had an early morning wake up for our hike on Thursday morning!!! We had a hard uphill hike to get to the top but the views were very rewarding and many pictures were taken. Once we got to the top, Wood immediately volunteered to go first! Jack was the loudest supporter, and cheered on everyone very enthusiastically! Everyone did the traverse, climb, and repel (and loved it)!! Rhyne especially loved it and said she wanted to do it so many more times! It was incredible watching everyone push themselves and then be so proud of themselves when they got to the bottom!!
Will and I have had a blast getting to know all these awesome kids and we are so stoked to keep these good vibes going as we head into our backpacking section on Saturday!!
Talk soon!!!
Grace and Will ⛰️🥾🌲
Dear Mom and Dad. I have found myself having fun in the Pacific Northwest! My leaders, Grace and Will couldn’t be more cool! They are both Barrow’s age. I am excited to see y’all in just a week! I am also excited to show you all the great photos, especially the one of me repelling 200ft above the ground!! Love, Griffin
Dear Mom and Dad. We have gone white water rafting, climbing, and camping! Today we are prepping to go backpacking. I have a great group and we are having an amazing time! I am so excited to see videos from Wade’s wisdom teeth removal! See ya in a few days! Love you so much!!! XOXO, Pope
Hi! We went white water rafting and rock climbing, and we are about to go backpacking (by the time you get this we are probably backpacking). Miss you and love you! – Ryan
Hi Mom, Dad, & C. Having so much fun! Favorite activity so far = rock climbing. I crushed it!!! Definitely climbing when I get home! I’m being super helpful and using manners. I’m pretty sure “Hey Bo” but I’ll explain at home. No need to worry! Love y’all!!! Love, Hayes
Dear Family. What’s up guys? How is it back in Charlotte? Have y’all done anything fun? So far, we’ve climbed and rafted and I’m having a ton of fun! My group is great and we’re all having fun! Love y’all and I’m excited to see you soon! Love, Wood
Dear Mom & Dad. I’m having so much fun so far! We went rafting, climbing, and repelling off a rock! Being here is letting me forget about school and my friend situation. Thank you for sending me here I’m very grateful! I love y’all. Love, Rhyne
Hi Mom & Dad. I’ve been having a great time! We repelled Monkey’s Face yesterday and did rafting before that. Also I could’ve brought my camera but you didn’t let me. I miss you guys! -Jack
Hi Mom and Dad. I am having so much fun! We went white water rafting and rock climbing which was fun! Tell Louise, Lizzie, and Deeds I say hi and that I miss them. I miss y’all and love y’all! See you soon! -Elizabeth
Hey Mom and Dad! Hope y’all are enjoying your trip so far. We’ve gotten through our rafting and climbing as of now, which I’m pretty sure it’s Friday. The repelling off of Monkey’s Face was insane and super fun! Everything has been great throughout the trip. We’re going backpacking now and we finish with kayaking in the San Juan Islands! See you in about a week. Love you! -Charlie
Привет мама и папа, у меня сейчас всё отлично. Мы пока по скалам лазили и делали rafting. Я сейчас не знаю где мой кошелёк. Пока все очень весело. Все ребята очень хорошие я вас очень сильно люблю. Увидимся скоро. – Андрей
Safe Arrival in Seattle!
June 7, 2026
Hello Pacific Northwest Families!
We heard from our leaders last night that the group has landed safely in Seattle! Please remember that our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will post trip updates throughout the trip! This will allow you to follow along with their adventure. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
