By Chad Olcott
Wide World of Apogee, greetings! It’s Day 35 – and I am afraid to say that I am fresh out of clever ideas for a theme. Frankly, I don’t think we’re to top Annika’s Monday Pun-Day and I’m just a little deflated in light of that. Let’s charge clever-lessly on and in to the thick of it – as ever, it’s action-packed!
CI: Will and Emily’s Capers rolled right on to the Nantucket-Hyannis ferry today – bidding the Murray’s and cable-knit sweater crowd a fond “adieu.” They’re now back on the Cape proper and winding their way past many a beach-side mini-golf course on their way into Brewster this afternoon.
NEMC: Sporting the latest in uber-hip, must-have outdoor gear, Midge and Matt’s gang tackled mighty Mount Washington today. That’s 6300 feet of fun when you’re wearing those hats…
Mount Washington or Bust! Looking good, guys! No, really…
VM: Meanwhile, over in the Green Mountain State, our Vermonsters put the mountains behind them and made their way through Middlebury (paying homage to your humble scribe’s brother, Mike Olcott, Middlebury ’04 as they rolled through. Actually, that’s not true about the homage – it is true, however, that Mike – a great guy should you have occasion to meet him – is a proud Middlebury Panther.). The group is headed for the shore of Lake Champlain tonight and will be following it all the way up to the border!
Quintessential Vermont covered bridge? Check.
CMC: Emma and Dylan are still on the water in Tomales Bay – we’ll hear their tales of dolphins, campfires on the beach, and color-coordinated kayaks tomorrow as they head inland to the Sierras.
CSA: Will and Lucy are living that sweet Caribbean dream today – today’s report: “the kids did an amazing job with a beach cleanup and received lots of thanks from people around. Now a swim to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor.”
CQA: Ohh, CQA – we barely knew thee! Parting is such sweet sorrow – and riding in a van after two weeks on a bike saddle is just sweet… Mike and Mary’s gang is headed their separate ways after wrapping it up in Quebec City last night!
CQB: And given the scale of the tears at their farewell today, perhaps it’s just as well we don’t have a picture of Pete and Sherry’s crew – I will say that, as a director, we always secretly love those “I don’t want it to end” tears….
DEX: Alas, our DEXsters also called it a wrap today – after a big night out in Portland last night, it was time to dole out the blue shirts (given that they’re given out at the end of the trip, I’m tempted to call them the “Blue Shirts of Sorrow,” but that may be a bit much…) and say fond farewells in foggy Freeport this morning (how’s that for alliteration, Shem??).
The group is, per Erin and Marino, “saucing the one” in this last picture. I’m afraid I have no idea whatsoever that means – but yes, friends – sauce that one.
MSA: Making near-record time despite a nasty little headwind, our Montanans are tucked into Browning for the night and looking forward to service with the Boys & Girls Club tomorrow.
NWX: Izzy, John and Co. are deep, deep, deep in the woods in the North Cascades. It’s lovely, there are rushing streams, tall trees, towering peaks, and the occasional elk. But there is nooooo cell service. Talk to you Sunday, gang!
PCA: Service day in Eureka (!), CA for Matt and Jeanne’s dynamos today – time was anything but wasted as the gang sorted hundreds – nay, thousands – of pounds of food at the food bank in town!
PCB: A foggy lunch spot and a crowded picnic table – it must be life on the road to San Francisco. Kate, Trevor, and their Coastal Cruisers are rolling into Eureka (!) this afternoon and looking forward to their own chance to sort it all out at the food bank tomorrow (I think that qualifies as a pun – even if it’s an awfully weak one… I’m just trying to make you proud, Annika.)
AX: And over there in Europe and making the rest of the world sick with envy, our Jack, CC, and their Multi-Lingual Mont Blancers moved out of Les Houches tonight. They’ve got one more night in France before crossing in to Italy on Friday…
The dapper gent in the foreground is beloved Uncle Garth – Apogee’s amazing leader and European support dude-extraordinaire. He’s hiking with our AXers until they hit Courmayeur in a few days.
Fresh raspberries? Bien sur!
Breakfast indoors? Mais, oui!
ACC1: Next rest day, you ask? Saaaaannnn Diiiieeeegggggooooo! In the meantime, though, it was just another beautiful day of incredible vistas as Laura and Josh’s group descended from Prescott down into the mountain. We don’t have pictures of it, but they encountered their first saguaro cacti today – they’re the really cool big ones featured prominently in the Wily E. Coyote cartoons.
Special thanks to Josh’s grandfather Dave for treating us to Thai take out last night!!
Just takin’ in the view in them thar hills…
Down on the desert floor, the road straightens out a bit.
ACC2: And speaking of hills, how about a nine-mile downhill? Yessir! Sam and Ally are putting those gorgeous AZ hills behind them as they roll into Prescott for their final pre-San Diego rest day.
Rockin’ the rest day colors and looking awfully good while they’re at it…
Umm, yes, please!