By Jack Messerly
Per usual in Apoland, there was no shortage of adventure today. On the contrary, actually, there may have even been a surplus of adventure (is that even possible?). In general, it felt like Apogee trips across the world experienced abundance: plentiful sunshine, copious amounts of pizza, truly enormous footwear (see: LL Bean), borderline over-the-top beautiful panoramas, and a cornucopia of miles on the bikes. While we understand the importance of moderation, we’re not sure if that principle applies when it comes to adventure this summer, and we couldn’t be happier about that!
Skip to a Specific Trip: MCJ, CI, NEMC, CSA, MCCE, MCP, DEXA, DEXB, VM, CRLS, CMCA, CMCB, ECCA, ECCB, ACC1, ACC2
Maine Coast Junior (MCJA)
The MCJ Armadillos rocked their community service project this morning, lending a helping hand at the Harpswell Community Garden. They’ve since cleaned up and are ready to hit the town – Freeport, ME, that is – for a big, celebratory dinner tonight.
Maine Coast Junior (MCJB)
It was a stunning day to be kayaking off the Maine coast for Tina & Will’s Maine Coast Junior Bullfrogs. They spent the evening exploring Portland’s Old Port before celebrating with a tasty final dinner together. Has it really already been a week?!
Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)
Ben & Rachel confirmed that everyone in their group did, in fact, hang loose today during their surf lesson on Cape Cod. It looked like an absolutely gorgeous day to be on the water, and the gang is looking forward to P-town tomorrow!
New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)
Jack & Olivia couldn’t be more excited to start their 10-day adventure into New Hampshire and Maine today. They’ve taken a look into their crystal ball and said that they foresee group bonding on the ropes course, excellent hikes in the White Mountains, epic whitewater rafting, pristine sea kayaking, meaningful community service, and more in the coming week+!
Caribbean Service Adventure (CSA)
Emma & Matthew’s Caribbean Service Adventurers worked alongside local students as they partnered with Reach For Success today. They then spent the afternoon exploring an awesome black sand beach. Pizza was on the menu tonight, and some of the evening’s activities included braiding leader Matthew’s hair.
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)
If this MCCE trip was an essay, today was the introduction, and, like all good intros, it started with a bang: the famous LL Bean Boot. (It’s safe to assume these essayists will include better metaphors than this, too.) We can’t wait to see what they craft over the next week!
Maine Coast Photo (MCP)
Casey & Saul’s Maine Coast Photographers snapped away through a tour of the Boothbay Botanical Gardens this morning, and also had some free time to explore the gardens and seek out more photos on their own time. They managed to squeeze in some Frisbee games this afternoon which led to some adorable pictures.
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXA)
What were you doing at 5 AM today? While many of us were sleeping, our DEXcellent team was busy hiking up to the tallest mountain in Acadia National Park. Cadillac Mountain, at 1,530 feet, is the tallest peak on the North Atlantic seaboard, making it one of the first places in the country to watch the sunrise.
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXB)
Fresh out of the backcountry (although “fresh” might not be the right word…), the DEXtreme team thoroughly enjoyed a celebratory post-backcountry pizza party. Now they’re locked and loaded to try a summit attempt of Maine’s tallest mountain, Mt. Katahdin, tomorrow. Enough chit-chat – enjoy some great backcountry pictures!
Vermont to Montréal (VM)
Bienvenue au Canada! The resilient Vermonsters put the US in their rear view mirrors today, and can just about smell the poutine.
Costa Rica Language & Service (CRLS)
Anna & Connor’s fantástico crew transitioned from Turrialba to their home for the next three nights deep in the Costa Rican rain forest. They hiked three miles into their Ecolodge and, though we won’t have pictures for a few days, they’re likely falling asleep to the sounds of waterfalls tonight…
California Mountains & Coast (CMCA)
The mountains are calling, and CMC A answered the call. Today they embarked on a three-night, four-day journey through the gorgeous Tuolumne Meadows of Yosemite National Park. Stay tuned for (amazing) pictures when they return to civilization next week!
California Mountains & Coast (CMCB)
This just in: Yosemite National Park is absolutely gorgeous. The CMC Broncos emerged from a three-night, four-day stint deep in the heart of Yosemite today. Chances are good they saw more marmots than people during their expedition, and we’ve been told that their mid-July snowball fight was thoroughly refreshing.
Europe Coast to Coast (ECCA)
ECC Aardvark rode into Balzano, Italy today, where they’ll rest up tomorrow before their final push to Venice. They weren’t able to pass along any pictures today, but we’re confident that we’ll get some photographic evidence of their resting tomorrow.
Europe Coast to Coast (ECCB)
ECC Boomerang crossed the final border of their month-long journey today. Riding from Austria to Italy, they spent the night tonight in Glurns, IT. There wasn’t much in the way of scenery today (note: sarcasm, please see pictures below).
America Coast to Coast (ACC1)
ACC Uno pushed through 105 burly miles through the heart of Texas today, which marks the last full day in the Lone Star state. Tomorrow, they’re on to New Mexico! Congrats on completing the longest day of the trip, ACC1!
America Coast to Coast (ACC2)
ACC Dos cruised into camp in Throckmorton, TX and escaped the heat by about 1:00 PM today, after a smooth 70 miles of riding.
