Happy 4th of July, Apogee Friends & Family! We at Apogee would love to take the time to observe just how lucky we all are to be able to spend this holiday doing so many amazing activities in the great outdoors. From hiking to biking, snorkeling to kayaking, and everything in between, we wish everybody a safe and happy holiday filled with fun, lifelong memories, and hopefully some barbecue and s’mores!

Skip to a Specific Trip: MCJ, CI, NEMCA, CRM, CS, DEXA, DEXB, VLCA, VLCB, CRLC, CMC, AKMCA, AKMCB, NWXA, NWXB, NWXC, PC, ACC1, ACC2

Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)

It was a rainy morning in Acadia but MCJ didn’t let that dampen the vibe! After packing up camp, they put on their dry layers and warmed up on the van ride back to Brunswick. After popping in for a quick hello at the Apogee office to fetch their mail, they went to their campground and commenced with their July 4th festivities.

Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)

Our CI biking extraordinaires crushed a challenging 25-mile ride today from Wellfleet to Provincetown. They were looking forward to getting their legs pumping again after such a relaxing rainy rest day at the campground yesterday. 

New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)

The office was lucky enough to receive an NEMC sighting today! Anna, Duncan, and crew stopped by to collect mail, packages, and hugs before carrying on to their final campground of the trip. Due to today’s weather, we rescheduled their kayaking for tomorrow, when sunny skies seem to abound. They weren’t able to get us a good group photo by press time, but we’ll update if they send something in after their kiddos are tucked in.

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)

While we experienced a wet July 4th here in New England, our CRM team had a warm and sunny morning in Fort Collins whitewater rafting! They spent their afternoon eating lunch and exploring a bit in town before heading back to their campsite. For the rest of the evening they relaxed and shared the bittersweet excitement of exploring Boulder tomorrow and having their last Apogee family dinner together. 

Caribbean Service (CS)

The glistening ocean welcomed our CS crew as they spent their holiday snorkeling! They came across colorful starfish, massive sea urchins, and beautiful reef fish.

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXA)

Congratulations and welcome back to our DEXA group for completing their backcountry AT adventure! The team celebrated with well-deserved ice cream at the campground and spent the rest of the afternoon calling home and gearing up for (weather permitting) their Mt. Katahdin summit tomorrow! At 5,269 feet, Katahdin is Maine’s highest mountain and is a favorite amongst New England hikers. We hope you get good weather, DEXA!

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXB)

As DEXA’s backcountry Appalachian Trail trek came to a close today, DEXB’s adventures had only just begun! With packs stuffed with gear and all the food they’ll need, they began hiking into Baxter State Park in Northern Maine, a much more secluded area than where Acadia is located. With night one on the AT in the bag, DEXB is eager to keep pushing it and have a great day of hiking tomorrow!

Vermont & Lake Champlain A (VLCA)

More miles bring more smiles! VLCA was welcomed by more picturesque farmland and quiet country roads as they pedaled to Shelburne, VT today. They crushed 25.8 miles and are looking forward to spending their off-day tomorrow doing community service. 

What other way to bike up a big hill on Fourth of July than to sing “Firework”? Katy Perry would be proud.

Vermont & Lake Champlain B (VLCB)

VLCB started their July 4th morning eating M&M pancakes with local Vermont maple syrup! With full bellies, they hit the road for some easy riding through historic Middlebury over to Lake Champlain. They’ll be enjoying fireworks from their campground tonight. 

With the help from his leaders, this pro fixed his first flat tire. Major kudos!

Costa Rica Language & Community (CRLC)

CRLC started their eventful day with their second Spanish class that lasted until noon. For their service project, they headed over to a botanical garden that is dedicated to research and graduate education in agriculture, and the management, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. After a tour of the grounds, they worked on weeding in a greenhouse with medicinal plants and prepping an area that will be dedicated to a frog conservation project. To top the evening off, they moved and grooved in a salsa dancing class!

The CRLC crew getting in some hammock time during their Spanish class break.

California Mountains & Coast (CMC)

Hooray for Day 2 in the Yosemite backcountry! How lucky is CMC for being able to spend their July 4th backpacking through such an isolated part of the 3rd-oldest national park in the U.S.?! We’re wishing them great weather, incredible views, and even better Apogee memories. 

Alaska Mountains & Coast A (AKMCA)

AKMCA kicked their morning off today with an incredible breakfast and calls home. They resupplied their groceries in preparation for their upcoming two-day kayaking trip and with some extra time, the crew got to explore Seward and check out the shops and fishing piers. 

Alaska Mountains & Coast B (AKMCB)

The crisp Alaskan air greeted our AKMCB’ers this morning as they rose from their tents and hiked out of Crow Pass. They’re spending tonight in the front country so they can be well-rested for the next few days back in the Chugach backcountry!

Northwest Explorer (NWXA)

T’was a busy day for NWXA as they hiked out of the backcountry, caught their ferry, and made their way to beautiful state park accommodations for the night! Today was mostly a transit day for this awesome group, so they had some extra time to rest. Tomorrow they will be found exploring the city of Bellingham and prepping for their multi-day sea kayaking trip!

Northwest Explorer (NWXB)

NWXB made their way into the North Cascades backcountry in serious style with some July 4th swag. They’ll be seeing some spectacular views that we cannot wait to share with everybody on the blog! Also pictured are some more photos of yesterday’s summer sledding and day hike. 

Sledding in shorts and a t-shirt? Don’t mind if we do!

Northwest Explorer (NWXC)

NWXC enjoyed a jolly trek out of the backcountry this morning and caught a ferry later in the afternoon to head to the state park they’ll call home for the night. Tomorrow they’ll be exploring Bellingham and getting ready for their sea kayaking trip.

Pacific Coast (PC)

Greetings from Crescent City, California! Our Pacific Coast team is getting stronger every day and celebrated July 4th with their first state border crossing! Keep up the fantastic work and crush those miles! Tomorrow, PC will take a rest day in Crescent City and spend part of it doing community service. Stay tuned for what kind of project they’ll be doing!

Sad to say goodbye to Oregon…

but thrilled to say hello to California!

America Coast to Coast 1 (ACC1)

The wheels kept spinning and the momentum never stopped as our ACC1 team rode another 75+ miles to LaGrange, GA. They enjoyed the beautiful landscape and rolling hills along the way and are looking forward to a well-deserved rest day tomorrow. Stay tuned for what activities they get into! 

America Coast to Coast 2 (ACC2)

With the Olympics only a few weeks away, it’s only appropriate for there to be Apogee records broken this summer too! Our ACC2 crew, led by Nicole and Christian, were absolute units this morning setting a new Apogee record of getting to camp at 11:25 am after riding 62 miles. The prior record was set by ACC’18 with their arrival being at 12:11 pm. Congratulations, ACC2 and keep up the stellar work!