Salutations, you lovely Apogee blog readers! It is already Day 4 of Apogee Summer 2019 and somehow we have even more adventures beginning today. Time to welcome Costa Rica Mountains & Coast and Europe Coast to Coast 2 to our stacked blog lineup! From PCA acting out their inner spirit animal to ECC1 jamming out to a roaring Dutch speaker, our groups got up to some epic antics today. Let the exploration continue!
Skip to a Specific Trip: MCJ, CI, NEMCA, NEMCB, CRM, GSA, CS, MCCE, DEXA, VM, CRLS, CRMC, CMCA, CMCB, AKMC, NWXA, NWXB, PCA, PCB, AX, PMC, ECC1, ECC2 ACC
Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)
This morning, our MCJ crew got their tires spinning on Acadia National Park’s famous Carriage Roads! They had a blast pedaling past chickadees, blueberries, and even a lobsterman or two. Afterwards, they made the best of a rainy afternoon by enjoying some homemade ice cream from Bar Harbor, ME!
Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)
Looks like CI is on the move! This group said a sad goodbye to the Vineyard and an emphatic hello to Nantucket! After a short ferry ride in the morning, they spent the day riding around the island and logging some serious beach time.
New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)
NEMCA was smilin’ and swingin’ this morning as they participated in team building activities at a ropes course in Southern Maine. Afterwards, they departed for the White Mountains where they will spend the next few days exploring!
New England Mountains & Coast B (NEMCB)
This crew also spent the morning at the ropes course, climbing and getting to know each other, before heading off to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to spend the next several days hiking! P.S. here is a bonus pic of NEMCB escaping the heat yesterday in the pool!
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains A (CRM)
Trip highlight alert! CRM took part some epic rock climbing in Estes Park, CO. Between the awesome climb and the one of a kind views, this group is not likely to forget today any time soon. Don’t worry, it’s normal to be a little jealous.
Golden State Adventure (GSA)
After some stunning hiking yesterday, this group was pumped up and ready to do some service work! They spent the morning removing invasive species right along the coast a local nature conservancy organization, before heading off to prepare for their early morning ferry ride tomorrow. Next stop, Santa Cruz and the Channel Islands!
Caribbean Service (CS)
The service projects have begun! CS took their minds of the heat by volunteering at a local animal shelter before exploring some of the natural treasures Utuado has to offer. Cute puppies guaranteed.
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)
Time to check up on our crew of budding intellectuals, who have been putting pen to paper (metaphorically, of course…) and letting the ideas flow! After spending the morning working with their writing instructor, Colin, MCCE enjoyed some classic rainy day activities. Between friendship bracelets, Fishbowl, and Iron Chef, this group didn’t let a little rain get in the way of their fun. Write on! (Very punny, right?)
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)
DEX took a break from exploring the mountains of Maine to take advantage of the salt water! They paddled around midcoast Maine and even helped out with some beach cleanup projects as they went. Let’s hope Malcolm held on to his phone after taking that action shot!
Vermont to Montréal (VM)
Did someone say, “VM has officially hit the road and absolutely crushed it on their first ride today?” Well, they spoke the darn truth, because this crew made great time into camp. The picture below was taken just after they conquered the first big climb of the trip – The Wall!
Costa Rica Language & Service (CRLS)
Hola CRLS, ¿Qué pasa? Today this adventurous crew continued their service work and bought some veggies for their upcoming Iron Chef Competition: Salsa Edition. Let’s hope they bring their newly acquired cooking talent back home with them!
Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)
Hold on. Did we just begin another awesome trip? We totally did! CRMC was ready to rumble after meeting up with esteemed adventurers and renowned jokesters, Parker and Emmaline. And what better way to kick off a Costa Rican adventure than to head straight to Manuel Antonio State Park?
California Mountains & Coast (CMCA)
Our CMCA group enjoyed a beautiful day completing some unforgettable service projects! They finished up some impressive trash cleanup at North Beach this afternoon. In the words of Nils and Nicole, “The stoke is high!”
California Mountains & Coast (CMCB)
This group has been non-stop adventuring on the beautiful California water! After spending the morning kayaking, CMCB made haste across towards Yosemite to play some games and prepare for their upcoming backpacking trip.
Alaska Mountains & Coast (AKMC)
Oh man! These silly hikers were the first Apogee group of the summer to spend the night in the backcountry! They spent the day returning on the Crow’s Pass trail before preparing for their second backcountry adventure tomorrow. AKMC is undoubtedly learning some pretty gnarly wilderness skills while enjoying these killer views.
Northwest Explorer (NWXA)
These west coast wanderers spent the day taking on some impressive day hikes around Olympic National Park. Afterwards, they headed back to camp to rest their legs, play some games, and get ready for the backcountry!
Northwest Explorer (NWXB)
Splish Splash! Our NWXB left their land legs behind as they spent the day rafting on Sauk River. After they boldly conquered the rapids, they spent the night drying off and cozying up to continue their camp game marathon.
Pacific Coast (PCA)
PCA booked it to Bullards Beach today, and had a great time on the way! After getting in their daily miles, this group wanted to show off their inner “spirit animals.” We haven’t yet confirmed, but we think Domi is giving us his fiercest lemur.
Pacific Coast (PCB)
After conquering an early morning hill, the rest of the day was smooth sailing as PCB rode to Sunset Bay State Park. Meg & Andrew’s squad had crushed 20 miles before 9:30 AM today, which meant an afternoon at the beach. Well deserved, PCB!
Alps Explorer (AX)
Today we received some predictably dull photos from our AX crew… Just kidding! They are still having the trip of a lifetime and trekked up to Trift in the Swiss Alps! Today was spent gleefully trekking, as Rachel and Jack worked on their yodeling skills.
Pyrenees Mountains and Coast (PMC)
PMC had a big hiking day with some views that made the work more than worth it. After getting in some serious miles, this persistent group was rewarded with gorgeous lake views and a delicious dinner. Unfortunately, there’s no WiFi way up in the Pyrenees, which means no photos for us tonight.
Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)
To make up for the lack of ECC1 pics yesterday, we have SO MANY gems today! Yesterday, this crew said “howdy” to the North Sea. Today, they completed their first day of riding (woohoo!), played some pickup soccer, and found a mysteriously awesome Dutch speaker.
Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)
And here you thought we had reached peak awesomeness for the summer. Not yet! ECC2 took off today from the airport with Apogee superstars, Mark and Stella! They spent the night playing games and gettin’ cozy in preparation for their first day of riding tomorrow.
America Coast to Coast (ACC)
Yeehaw! Someone (meaning the awesome ACC crew) just crossed their first state line! Today they enjoyed the beautiful sunrise before eating as many peaches as they possibly could (we’re assuming, anyways) once they reached Georgia.
