Happy Friday, everyone, Susie here again, team-blogging with Cait and Chad on this big Apogee day. We are welcoming home a bunch of leaders today and watching closely as our trips on the road make great progress. From rafting in Maine to bicycling across the California desert, our students are making amazing strides today. Let’s get to those pictures – we’ll start out with some water sports, and then we’ll continue with more water sports before wrapping it up in the decidedly un-watery desert!
CI: Surf day!! Oh, yeah! Hang 10, Capers! You know what else surf day means? Boston tomorrow night!
NEMC: Raft day!! Getting out on the Kennebec is one of the best parts of this trip, and Phil and Emma’s powerful hikers are stoked to put aside their boots and grab a paddle! Here’s a shot of the group at the guide center this morning:
VMA: Also near, if not on, the water, are Noah and Rosa’s crew. Today they’re in and around Burlington, VT, working hard on the bike paths of the area. We love it when our service projects dovetail so nicely with our main activity. (A little late afternoon horn-tooting over here… Guilty.)
Post-service Vermonsters at the Ben & Jerry’s in Burlington? Oh, I think so.
VMB: And yet another group out there on the water – Matt and Victoria’s Bermonsters (remember that from the other day? We are sooo funny!) are kayaking the beautiful, sunny shores of Lake Champlain this afternoon.
Look at me, ma – I’m standing on a kayak! Or it’s really shallow water – frankly, it’s a bit hard to tell…
CSA: We just got off the phone with Hannah, who had only high spirits and good things to report from Puerto Rico. They are having a blast working at the wildlife refuge and hanging out–below is a picture of some of the crew weeding (aka, “removing non-indigenous species from critical habitat…”) at Cabo Rojo.
CQA&B: Our Coast to Quebec groups are done today…alas, all good things must come to an end. These guys are on the road as I type (probably rolling by the Kennebec, reminiscing about their rafting day and glorious miles through northern Maine) and will head home this afternoon.
CMC: Our own Jack, CC and their Mountain-Climbing Horde is enjoying a day on the river today – riding the rapids of the American River. After they dry off, these guys are headed for some of the biggest sequoia in the world later this afternoon!
NWXA: Kelly and Garth, you ask? Well, you know the story. They’re still in the backcountry. It’s their second to last night, though. Phone calls, showers, pizza (don’t tell them we told you…) and civilization are less than 48 hours away!
NWXB: Still proudly rocking some of yesterday’s thrift-store finds, Mia and Jeremy’s gang is ferry-riding in style today. They’re gearing up for their own big backcountry adventure that will get rolling in Olympic National Park on Sunday.
PC: Tim, Ally and their Giant Stump Climbers (see Pic 1) are cruising through redwoods today. Tomorrow, they’re climbing the big hill that will take them back to the coast!
That, friends, is a big stump.
ACC1: It’s desert time. It’s that time, folks. Armed with strong legs, strong minds, and full water bottles (plus a car full), our ACC riders woke up before dawn ready to conquer the Mojave. This is the moment they’ve been working toward; that final state line (see picture 1), the big push, and the rush of riding in pre-dawn light deep into the desert. Rock. On. (By the way, anxious parents will be happy to know that the group was safely in to 29 Palms before 3:00 PM…)
This looks like one of the sweetest album covers we’ve ever seen…
ACC2: Almost close enough to smell the Pacific (or at least some of the less appealing aspects of the Colorado River…) is ACC2 — they are still cranking through Arizona, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beautiful landscape as they gear up for their desert ride. They descended from the hills around Prescott into the Sonora Desert plateau – and, as we write, are pulling into tonight’s destinations. Sure it’s toasty, but it’s beea–uuu–tii-ful!
