Happy Day 8 and 4th of July everybody! We thought we would take advantage of an absolutely classic title rhyme to explain how we show gratitude here at Apogee. As some of you may know, Apogee has many creative traditions that make us who we are, and an important one of those is the practice of giving kudos. Every evening on trip, during A’s (Apogees) and P’s (Perigees), each person gives their “kudos” to one person who made their day a little brighter. With that said, we are giving kudos to the entire Apo family for already making this summer one of the best yet!
Skip to a Specific Trip: CI, NEMCA, NEMCB, CRM, GSA, CS, MCCE, DEX, VM, CRLS, CRMC, CMCA, CMCB, AKMC, NWXA, NWXB, PCA, PCB, AX, PMC, ECC1, ECC2, ACC
Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)
Cowabunga, friends! CI spent the day stand-up paddleboarding off of the beautiful coast of Massachusetts, and it looks like it was a good time all around. No better way to beat the holiday heat than some time on the water!
New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)
NEMCA celebrated their last day exploring the White Mountains with a majorly impressive feat – they summited Mount Washington! For those of you who are unfamiliar, Mount Washington is the highest peak in all of New England. Making it to the top is no small task, but this crew was up for it. To the top!
New England Mountains & Coast B (NEMCB)
NEMCB crushed some pretty difficult hikes today in the Whites, but the views made everything well worth it! It wasn’t all trail treading, though – they made time to soak in the scenery, including this lovely lake.
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)
Today CRM celebrated the 4th by giving back! They picked up trash around Standley Lake Regional Park to help restore Colorado’s precious natural surroundings. Afterwards, they enjoyed a delicious final dinner in Boulder. We can’t believe goodbyes are tomorrow – say it ain’t so!
Golden State Adventure (GSA)
GSA was pumped up to take a break from the incredible hiking they’ve been doing to hit the waves! They spent the day surfing in the great state of California, before drying off for one last, cozy night together. Plus, here are some of the bonus pictures from yesterday!
Caribbean Service (CS)
Our CS crew put in some serious hours of service work helping with the ongoing repairs needed after Hurricane Maria. Afterwards, they had a picturesque night in Vieques with some sweet celebrations. Nice work, CS’ers!
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)
MCCE started the day off with some more editing and writing before heading off to celebrate the 4th! It’s hard to believe, but tomorrow they’ll put the finishing touches on their drafts and celebrating all they’ve accomplished over the last week. Our essayists are headed to print!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)
DEX took the phrase “seize the day” quite literally and were the first in the continental US to see the sunrise atop Cadillac Mountain this morning! They didn’t let the early rise slow down the rest of their day – they took in the local Fourth of July parade in Bar Harbor and prepped for their upcoming time on the AT. What a day!
Vermont to Montréal (VM)
VM took the day off from riding to get in some awesome service hours around North Beach! Elliot reports that the students picked up litter along the bike path, with one student collecting as much as 130 pieces of trash alone. As a reward, they stopped by the local Ben & Jerry’s for a sweet treat – well deserved. Also, for your viewing pleasure, enjoy this bonus ‘yaking pic from yesterday.
Costa Rica Language & Service (CRLS)
CRLS had an awesome last day in Costa Rica with some of the greatest ziplining in the world! Wahoo! When we chatted with the group spirits were as high as the zip-line, but they can hardly believe that this will be their final evening together. A trip as epic as this one deserves an epic ending!
Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)
CRMC had their choice of day hikes today as they continued to explore rural Costa Rica! What kind of incredible sights did these voyagers find today? From the looks of it, some neat trails and refreshing water falls. Looks like another great day in Costa Rica!
California Mountains & Coast (CMCA)
CMCA spent their second day in the backcountry of Yosemite, where they continued to reap the benefits of the remote corners of this gorgeous park. Again, no blog pictures tonight, but they’re coming in the very near future and they’re sure to be radical!
California Mountains & Coast (CMCB)
Today was a busy day for CMCB, who readily headed into the backcountry! We’re soaking in these photos as we don’t expect them to have service for the next couple nights, but can’t wait to hear all about their remote adventures when they emerge.
Alaska Mountains & Coast (AKMC)
AKMC took a well deserved rest day today, after a great hike through the Alaskan wilderness! They had some kooky celebrations tonight and are getting ready for their upcoming kayak trip!
Northwest Explorer (NWXA)
What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than exploring Bellingham, Washington?! Liam reports that the group had a blast around town, and they’re eagerly anticipating tomorrow’s rafting adventure.
Northwest Explorer (NWXB)
NWXB emerged from the backcountry with that sweet wilderness glow (definitely not sweat). The reports are that the views were epic, the company was stellar, and they already can’t wait for their next backcountry stint. For now, though, they are excitedly headed to the coast to get ready for their upcoming kayak trip. Life is good on NWXB!
Pacific Coast (PCA)
PCA took a break from biking and caught the curl with some sweet California surfing! After a full morning lesson, these adventurers took it slow and cooked up some killer food and continued to enjoy all that the coast has to offer. Nice wet suits, team!
Pacific Coast (PCB)
PCB had yet another awesome ride today and officially crossed in to California! Between the views and some 4th of July mischievousness, this crew knows how to enjoy themselves – and crush some serious mileage.
Alps Explorer (AX)
AX is back on the trails and spent the day doing some unbelievably beautiful trekking. If you think their photos make it look like they’re living in a postcard, well, you’d be completely right. Everywhere they turn the scenery is breathtaking!
Pyrenees Mountains & Coast (PMC)
PMC is back and better than ever! France treated them well today as they took to the trail and crushed some serious elevation. From the looks of it, they put on their best red, white and blue accessories to give them an extra boost and they conquered the day.
Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)
Bonjour and Hallo, ECC1! This crew welcomed their sister-trip to Bruges by cooking them dinner last night – how thoughtful! After sharing notes on all things ECC, they split ways once again as ECC1 took off through the little roads of Belgium and pedaled past some sweet canals, winding their way towards their new campsite.
Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)
After a splendid dinner with ECC1, ECC2 enjoyed their well deserved rest day with some fun exploring of the city of Bruges, where good times and yummy desserts were guaranteed.
America Coast to Coast (ACC)
Oooo baby! It was finally rest day for these awesome cyclists, who took the opportunity to rest their legs and have some whacky 4th celebrations! Enjoy, ACC, you deserve it!
