Sunday greetings to you all!  We’ve got a lot going on in the wide world of Apogee today, my friends, and I spent entirely too long yesterday waxing quasi-poetic.  So let’s get to it, shall we?

CI:  It was service day out on the Vineyard, and Noah and Rosa’s hearty few dug into their time on the farm with gusto.  Parents will be happy to know that the rain held off all day.  These guys are off for ACK (aka Nantucket) tomorrow.  Cobblestones, here we come!

 Noah is obviously just the type of leader we like – tough, but sensitive enough to pause and pet the lambies…

Birthday balloon tent-bomb, oh yeah!

NEMCA:  Both of our NEMC groups took advantage of a beautiful day in New Hampshire to bag a couple of White Mountain peaks.  NEMCA – Philip and Emma’s group – is immediately below.  They took on – and conquered – Mt Willard today.

NEMCB:  … And here is Matt and Victoria’s group showing their own altitudinous attitudes as they made their way to the top of Mt Pierce today.  Is Mt Washington in the forecast for either of our NEMC groups?  We’ll have to tune in to tomorrow’s blog to find out!

DEX:  Izzy, John and Co. had a great, foggy (but that’s classic Maine, right?) morning to hike Mt. Megunticook in Camden this morning.  They loved the hike – if not the non-existent view…  Now they’re safely into Stonington and loving their oceanside digs.  The group is looking forward to an evening of banjo-playing and dunkaroos (??) around the campfire tonight before starting their three-day paddle tomorrow.  Here’s a shot of the gang quay-side in Stonington this afternoon.

CQA:  Ahh, Coast to Quebec trip starts – they’re a veritable symphony of pedals, safety flags, exploded panniers, and out-of-state minivans!  What a concert it was today in Freeport, and we lucky few who were there to witness it reveled in the excitement – and in the bike grease.  Both groups, Ben and Lizzie’s group immediately below, and Postyn and Posie’s group just below them, looked great as they made their way to their Casco Bay-side retreat for the evening.

CQB:  And here are Posie and Postyn’s hearty souls.  We should note that it wasn’t too long ago that Posie was a student on this very same trip and nervously packing her panniers in the same parking lot!

VM1:  Our Vermonsters made their way to the shores of Lake Champlain today – all reports were very positive (when I spoke to Laura, they were just about to tuck into a dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup), but they continue to struggle with getting pictures to us.  The good news is that they’re headed for Vermont’s highest concentration of 3G towers tomorrow.  We should have plenty to post in tomorrow’s blog! 

CMC:  CC and Jack sent us this shot from today’s last bayside breakfast spot on Tomales Bay.  When we heard from them this afternoon, they had made it back to port and were packing up for their drive into the Sierra.  They’ll be on the water – the whitewater – again tomorrow as they take on the American River’s best rapids.  

PCA:  Up the coast a ways, Ally and Tim were taking on the famed “Seven Devils” – a series of hills that challenges every PC group.  But they crushed those devils in a way that would make an Old Testament preacher proud!  

 Here are the girls on Devil #3 stumps…

 And here are the lads after the seventh devil has met its match.

PCB:  Shy of the Seven Devils for another day, Mia and Jeremy’s group paused on their way into Sunset Bay, Oregon.  They’ve had gorgeous riding weather so far.  Hey, nice Apogee jerseys, fellas!  Stylish and comfortable, aren’t they?

MSA:  Kelly and Garth continue to love their group, love the riding, and love the Cowboy Way they’re all learning out there in Montana!

We love backlit photos!! 

The long view….

 Thumbs up for lunch!

ACC1:  Both of our ACC groups are dealing with some good old Southern thunderstorms this afternoon – but they’re doing it with aplomb.  Here’s Nick and Alexis’ group waiting one out near Sandersville.  As of press time, they were rolling again as the weather gave them a nice little break.

ACC2:  A bit to the east, Mike and McKayla’s group enjoyed great weather for their early lunch.  They made it into camp in fine fettle and are anticipating a wet night.  It’s all part of the adventure, right?