By: The Apogee Office Fairies
Just as we all might be tuned in to our televisions this evening to watch as the Olympic torch parades around Rio, we are also glued to the updates we receive throughout the day from the myriad of trips out in the Apogee kingdom. However, instead of pools, tracks, and gymnastics bars we have kiddos splashing in Lake Champlain, hiking all over the gorgeous Alps, and stretching out their arms with some work in the garden. Although a bit different from Olympic athletes, our Apogeers still have the spirit and drive that we see during these games, and the camaraderie of coming together as a little family. So light up the Apogee torch, we have some games to check out!
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE3): It’s a truly perfect summer day in Maine today – 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. What better way to spend the day than with a morning of practicing interviewing skills (and power poses!) at Bowdoin and and an afternoon spent doing service work? The group soaked up the sun as they volunteered at a local community garden in the area. Tonight they’re looking forward to a writing workshop with Jaed, Greg and Eliza tonight in the Maine twilight.
Cape Cod & the Islands (CI3): Today the crew left the island of Nantucket to head to Cape Cod. It was a gorgeous ferry ride and the best way to end a great few days on Nantucket! After soaking up the summer sunshine, the CI-ers rode 17 miles along the Cape Cod Rail Trail to their campground. Below are a couple of pictures from the ferry ride along with a picture from yesterday’s trip to the beach (note the Spikeball equipment which has apparently been the hit of the trip!).
New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC3): Andy and Julia left the Apogee headquarters this morning psyched to start their final trip of the summer – and from the looks of the picture below, what a great crew to take on the adventure! Our NEMC group played a couple of get-to-know-you games and are looking forward to their first night in the New Hampshire wilderness before “hanging out” at the ropes course tomorrow!
Caribbean Service Adventure (CSA3): It’s transit day for our CSA-ers as they head from central Puerto Rico out to the gorgeous western coastline. A rainy afternoon prohibited too much outdoor adventure, so the crew decided to stay out of the rain, order a couple bags of popcorn, and go see a movie together. The group really enjoyed their restful day and is looking forward to another few mornings of service work at the Wildlife Refuge starting tomorrow – oh yeah, and of course exploring the gorgeous west-coast beaches!
Vermont to Montreal A (VMA3): Instead of putting the hammer down on the hills, these Vermontsters had hammers in hand as they helped out with trail maintenance today. The Burlington Parks Department really appreciated all of the arm strength they shared to help beautify the trails and the crew celebrated their hard work with an afternoon of meandering around downtown Burlington. Church Street is not only home to some great stores and sites, but also a shop for Vermont’s own Ben & Jerry’s! Who else is screaming for ice cream??
Vermont to Montreal B (VMB3): These churning cyclists got to rest their legs this morning while dabbling with sea kayaking on Lake Champlain. The hot sun made for a great day out on the water – they were more than happy to be splashing around and kept a close lookout for the notorious lake monster, Champ!
[Note: No Champ sightings this summer, so it looks like we’ll have to wait until next year to snag a pic of the mythical beast]
Maine’s Downeast Explorer A (DEX3): Here in the office we dream of waking up on an island, roused by the smell of salt air, birds overhead and lobster boats passing by. Today, that dream was undoubtedly a reality for our DEX3’ers! This crew spent their day cleaning up to the beautiful area they’ve been exploring, traveling by sea kayak and picking up trash along the islands and shores. Kudos for giving back!
Costa Rica Language & Service (CRLS3): It’s Day 3 of language classes for our Costa Rican adventurers and another day spent volunteering at the nursing home in the afternoon. We heard yesterday’s game of Bingo was a total success, so we can only imagine that today will be nothing short of great (and pretty hilarious). Tomorrow is their last day of Spanish classes before their white water rafting adventure on Sunday down the Pacuare River!
Coast to Quebec A (CQ2A): Now that they’ve got an entire week of bike touring experience under their belts, these dexterous cyclers made their way to Dexter. With today’s terrain a bit easier than yesterday’s hills, these CQ2Aers welcomed not only giving their legs a bit of a rest, but also celebrating a birthday! Best birthday surprise of all is that these bikers will be sleeping inside again tonight.
Coast to Quebec B (CQ2B): These CQ2Bers paid one last look at the ocean as they exited Camden and went on their ways toward Unity. They traded the sea salt smell of the ocean for fresh cut hay and manure as they climbed deeper inland towards Maine farm country. As we can see below, they rocked matching hairstyles today to unify during their stay in Unity!
California Mountains & Coast A (CMC3A): Time to take it from the open waters to big canopies of trees – these Cali kayakers headed to Calaveras Big Tree State Park today. They’ll be able to explore amongst the monstrosities as they camp out for the next two days and prepare for the deeper woods of Yosemite. The only con of venturing into the deep woods? Poor service. Fingers crossed we get pics from this crew tomorrow!
California Mountains & Coast B (CMC3B): After a morning exploring the famous Yosemite Valley, Jessi and Nick’s crew strapped on their packs, tied their boots, and embarked into the epic Yosemite backcountry. Over the next three days, they’ll explore sections of Yosemite that a very, very small percentage of the 3.8 million annual visitors of the Park get the chance to experience. We’ll have to wait for a few days until we receive photographic evidence of their adventures – however, stay tuned!
Montana Service Adventure (MSA2): After a great day of service with members of the Blackfeet Indian tribe yesterday, the crew was psyched to hop back on the bikes and hit the road towards the mountains of Montana! They climbed over a STUNNING pass over to St. Mary and finally arrived to Glacier National Park. The next few days will be filled with hands-on community service, gorgeous views, and outstanding hikes. What more could they ask for?
Northwest Explorer (NWX2): Our NWX’ers are still making their way through the backcountry of North Cascades, although with only one more full day remaining, we imagine they have lighter packs and even bigger smiles. Weather forecasts are looking in their favor with sunny skies today, so we imagine the views are stunning!
Pacific Coast A (PC2A): It was a hot, yet beautiful, day of riding for our PC2A group as they rode just under 50 miles to their campsite. They started their morning with a few final pictures in the Redwoods, then started their ride journeyed along the Eel River – and hopefully the group will be able to take a refreshing dip in the river after their ride!
Pacific Coast B (PC2B): Welcome to the Avenue of the Giants – one of the most gorgeous and breath-taking rides of the trip! The group started the morning in the small town of Loletta (where they stopped to pose briefly for a photo). They had a few morning rollers and some post-lunch climbs, but it was all worth it when they arrived to the Avenue. Their campground tonight is located in the middle of a second generation forest, surrounded by tall trees and massive stumps.
Scottish Highlands Explorer (SHX2): This group had a big day today and they teed up their adventure along The Great Glen Way. With packs packed, boots strapped, and smiles abound, they took on the first dozen miles of their trek towards Inverness. We can’t wait to follow along with their journey!
Alps Explorer (AX2): With stunning views of the hike up Vallee des Glaciers and along the Col de la Seigne, these explorers couldn’t help but slow down to soak in the scenery. In addition to the beautiful hike, they also crossed from France into Italy and tallied off another mountain hut for the night. They’re snuggled in nicely at their indoor stay with full bellies from dinner, and are looking forward to the hut’s breakfast cooking tomorrow morning. While we weren’t able to get any pictures today, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled tomorrow!
America Coast to Coast 1 (ACC1): These coast to coasters were squeaky clean as they crossed the border into California (!!) after their bath in the Colorado River yesterday. Desert day got these ACC1ers moving and grooving extra early today, with the reward of the sunrise on the desert horizon. A monumental day for these cyclers who entered the last state of their 6 week journey!
America Coast to Coast 2 (ACC2): These ACC2ers are going back to their elementary roots riding all the way from A to Z today – almost a hundred miles in Arizona, that is! They cannot wait to crest the hills in two days and set their sights on California.
