It’s Day 4 of the summer and we have plenty to be excited about! To start, we get to welcome our Caribbean Service, Northwest Explorer (A, B, and C), and Pacific Coast trips to the blog, so everybody please give them a warm, Apogee family welcome!

While our new students arrived and settled in, we had groups kayaking in Alaska, Maine, and California; day hikes in New England and Colorado; community service with on Cape Cod and in Midcoast Maine, and a first long bike ride! Read below to see what fun our Apogee groups got into today.

Skip to a Specific Trip: CI, NEMCA, CRM, CS, MCCE, DEXA, DEXB, CMC, AKMCA, AKMCB, NWXA, NWXB, NWXC, PC, ACC1

Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)

Our Cape Cod & the Islands students had a fantastic day working on a community service project and exploring Martha’s Vineyard. They lent a helping hand at Island Grown Initiative, a 40-acre farm with a 32,000 square foot greenhouse, community garden, and orchard. After getting their hands dirty on the farm, they had some well-deserved relaxation time in Martha’s Vineyard where they explored the town and visited the beautiful beaches.

New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)

Welcome to the White Mountains, NEMCA! After an incredible time at the ropes course yesterday, the crew packed up their packs, laced up their hiking boots, and went out for their first day hike in the lush and scenic Whites in New Hampshire! Upon their 4-mile hike, they were lucky enough to come across some beautiful waterfalls. 

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)

The sun rose high in the sky this morning and shined on our students as they crawled out of their tents and breathed in the crisp Rocky Mountain air. With clear skies and full bellies from breakfast, they packed up their daypacks, applied their sunscreen, and hit the trails for a day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park! Happy hiking, CRM!

Caribbean Service (CS)

¡Bienvenidos a Puerto Rico! We’re ecstatic that our Caribbean Service students all arrived safely to San Juan today. Once our leaders, Kendra & Kramer, met everybody at the airport, the group left San Juan and drove to Utuado, a town surrounded by mountains on the island known as La Cordillera Central. After a well-deserved rest, they’ll spend their day tomorrow with their first service project and exploring the central valley!

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

MCCE had another helpful and informative group session this morning with the one and only Leah! The workshop was incredibly collaborative and the students were able to put on their Writer’s Hats and get their creative juices flowing. Tomorrow they’ll look forward to having individual conferences with Leah for her to review the overall structure and topics of their essays. During the afternoon, the group cooled off at Crescent Beach!

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXA)

Whales & puffins & moose, oh my! Our DEXA group made it to Acadia National Park! As one of the most beautiful parks in the U.S., we’re so excited for their adventures. After driving to the park, they went on a short day hike and set up camp. Tomorrow they will have their first full day in Acadia filled with more hikes and views!

Impromptu frisbee game at the campground before cooling off in the pool.

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXB)

If you didn’t already know, Apogee students are the best kayakers around! After their night of island camping under the stars and a beautiful sunset paddle, our DEXB’ers packed up camp, loaded their kayaks, and expertly paddled back to basecamp. After lunch, they made their way to Camden and set up camp to prepare for their day hike tomorrow!

A well-deserved stop for ice cream after kayaking Casco Bay!

California Mountains & Coast (CMC)

Hooray for cell service! Our CMC group became expert sea kayakers yesterday and we now have the photos to prove it. After witnesses some stunning bioluminescence last night, they packed up their beachfront campsite  this morning (prime real estate over here!) and paddled back to basecamp. With more beautiful weather today, they enjoyed an afternoon hike along the protected coastline of Point Reyes. Like true California Beach Bums, they made a pit stop at North Beach before heading back to their campsite.

A peaceful foggy morning awaited our CMC’ers before they paddled back to basecamp.

Alaska Mountains & Coast A (AKMCA)

Moose alert! After returning from their first overnight backpacking trip, our AKMCA crew reported not one, but TWO moose sightings (meese?). After their first night in the wilderness, they packed up camp early and trekked back to their van at the trailhead. Tonight they’re camping in Anchorage again so they can be well rested and ready to crush their second backcountry adventure tomorrow! Keep it up, AKMCA!

Alaska Mountains & Coast B (AKMCB)

Just 3,200 miles north of where our California Mountains & Coast crew were kayaking, our AKMC B started their own overnight nautical adventure! They started their day riding a ferry to their campsite and spent the rest of the day in their kayaks exploring the glaciers, fjords, and wildlife that the spectacular Aialik Bay has to offer.

Northwest Explorer (NWXA)

NWX 2021 has begun! NWXA arrived at the airport today and we couldn’t be more excited! After a successful pickup, they escaped the Seattle heat to set up camp in a nearby State Park. After introductions and get-to-know-you games, they crawled into their sleeping bags and dreamt of the adventures that they’ll experience in the Pacific Northwest, starting with a day hike tomorrow! 

Northwest Explorer (NWXB)

NWX 2021 has begun! We’re bursting with anticipation for NWXB to start their adventures. Once all of our students safely arrived at the airport, they hopped into the van and headed north to the beautiful coastal city of Oak Harbor in Whidbey Island. Tomorrow they will be sea kayaking and camping in the San Juan Islands. We can’t wait!

Northwest Explorer (NWXC)

NWX 2021 has begun! Welcome, NWXC – we hope you’re as stoked as we are for this amazing trip. Our students arrived in Seattle today and were greeted by their excited trip leaders, Connor and Clio. Once they were together, they got into the van and drove to their campsite at a nearb. Sleep tight NWXC, Olympic National Park awaits!

Pacific Coast (PC)

Welcome to Oregon, Pacific Coasters! Our leaders Nellie & Alex met our students today at the airport while our fantastic Support Staff, Ajed, made sure all of the bikes were loaded up and ready to ride. The group took a bus from the airport to a beautiful coastal State Park where they set up camp for the night. Sending you all good vibes for your first ride tomorrow! 

America Coast to Coast 1 (ACC1)

Our brave ACC’ers hit the road bright and early this morning to tackle a casual 64 miles from James Island to Walterboro, South Carolina. This was ACC1’s first big day of biking and we’re so proud of them for putting those miles in and crushing it. These pros make it look easy!