Happy Friday! The weather is warm and sunny here in Brunswick, Maine, and we hope that it is equally nice wherever you’re reading this post from. While a couple of our trips encountered rain today, they all managed to find rainbows amidst the clouds!

P.S., Happy Canada Day!

Skip to a Specific Trip: MCJ, CI, NEMCA, CRM, CS, MCCE, DEX, VMA, VMB, CRMC, CMCA, CMCB, AKMCA, AKMCB, NWX, PC, AXA, AXB, ECC1, ECC2, PMC

Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)

MCJ took advantage of the stunning weather by tie-dyeing shirts and playing games in the great outdoors before embarking on their service project⁠— building new trails with the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center! After their fun-filled day, everyone enjoyed a final dinner together and reminisced on what a great trip they had. 

Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)

Today was a day of learning for this crew, and the blue skies and ocean breezes created the ideal classroom! The group went on a hike and learned all about the land they are traveling through. Afterwards, they hit the water in kayaks and paddled the bay and river systems around the far eastern side of Cape Cod. The team ended the day with a tasty dinner back at camp.

New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)

NEMCA had a perfect, bluebird day for their rafting adventure! The crew had so much fun that they floated down the river twice. This team is having a blast playing games when they are not on the water, and they are looking forward to doing some more hiking in the coming days. 

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)

CRM woke up to a picture perfect day in Glacier Basin! After breakfast, they traveled to Lily Lake in Estes Park to meet up with their rock climbing guides. The views were stunning and the kids were in awe! They spent hours climbing the granite rocks around them, and they finished their day’s adventures with some epic zip-lining. 

Caribbean Service (CS)

CS enjoyed another beautiful day in the tropics! The group helped make some natural fertilizer and created a garden bed for a local community center. They also got to enjoy a home-cooked meal for lunch, which was a real treat! They finished out the day at a swimming hole with a beautiful waterfall.

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

It’s all sunshine with our rising seniors! These folks have been hard at work revising their essays and practicing for admissions interviews. They finished out the day (and their trip!) with a celebratory final dinner in Portland. We’re so proud of this group, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish in college and beyond!

 

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)

After some rain clouds rolled in, the DEX team enjoyed their last night before heading into the backcountry by watching “The Rise of Gru” (on opening night, no less!). Today, they headed to the woods once again to enjoy Mother Nature’s movie: shooting stars, towering pine trees, and the beautiful landscapes of the Appalachian Trail. Just like Gru and his minions, these folks have an exciting path ahead of them filled with adventure, teamwork, and friendship.

Vermont to Montreal A (VMA)

Today, VMA crushed their bike ride and got into camp early! To celebrate, they went for a late afternoon swim in a nearby river. The group had a great time hanging out and playing Marco Polo all afternoon. They are looking forward to continuing on towards Montreal, and maybe even stopping for some Ben and Jerry’s along the way! 

Vermont to Montreal B (VMB)

Today was the second day of VMB’s trip, and what an amazing day it was! They had spectacular weather and biked from Lake Bomoseen to Lake Branbury, stopping for a yummy lunch by the water. The group spent a restful evening in camp, but they’re ready to hit the road tomorrow morning for another epic day of riding.

Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)

CRMC had fun playing a rousing game of soccer last night! Though the competitive juices were definitely flowing, they were all winners in the end. The group started today off with some amazing zip-lining through the Costa Rican treetops and finished with a peaceful shuttle ride to their next accommodation. Pura Vida!

California Mountains & Coast A (CMCA)

Sunny skies in California made CMCA’s backcountry prep go especially smoothly! While day dreaming of El Capitan and Half Dome, the group shopped for their favorite foods to fuel for their coming adventures. They spent the rest of the day playing games, sharing laughs, and resting up for what’s to come.

California Mountains & Coast B (CMCB)

The CMCB crew has been having an amazing time on an overnight kayaking adventure! A real highlight was an evening paddle through bioluminescent waters. The group has loved their time on the water, but they’re looking forward to exploring Yosemite in the coming days.

Alaska Mountains & Coast A (AKMCA)

AKMCA’s pictures seem to speak for themselves, but we’ll give them a blurb regardless! Mac and Molly’s crew spent today getting prepped for their next backcountry section – a two nighter – and exploring the Eagle River area. The crew is locked, loaded and ready to hit the backcountry tomorrow – soak in these great pics because they won’t have enough service to send any for the next couple of days!

Alaska Mountains & Coast B (AKMCB)

The group wrapped up an epic day of kayaking today, and they’re looking forward to exploring a glacier in the backcountry in the days to come. Just look at their smiling faces! From their kayaks, they saw an amazing sampling of Alaskan wildlife⁠— including humpback whales, orca whales, sea otters, sea lions, bears, and sea stars.

Northwest Explorer (NWX)

While the skies were partly cloudy on the Northwest coast, spirits were fully sunny. The trip had a great day hike along Lake Crescent before (per reports from leader Ben) belting Taylor Swift songs all the way to the grocery store to do their backcountry prep. NWX heads into the Hoh River Valley tomorrow for an epic two-night backcountry experience, and they couldn’t be more excited!

Pacific Coast (PC)

Today our courageous PC crew tackled Seven Devils Road (hence the seven fingers), a series of seven (we think more) winding hills that overlook beautiful, misty forestland. They absolutely crushed the ride and made it into camp early today with plenty of time to rest, hammock, take showers, and play cards! Way to go, PC!

Alps Explorer A (AXA)

Tommy and Hannah’s crew waved adieu to the Matterhorn and said “Hallo” to the town of Fiesch! They settled into their new digs after a train ride and went on an afternoon hike (pictured below). Reports are that after they got back to camp, a rousing match of volleyball was played: bump, set, spike, AXA!

Alps Explorer B (AXB)

Trains, planes, and automobiles! Well, in this case, just trains and feet, actually, but our AXB crew made their way to Martigny this afternoon – their launching point for the Tour de Mont Blanc. The crew explored the town of Martigny today and made preparations for the epic adventure to come: 11 days of infinite incredible views!

Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)

The biking has begun! The trip is having a blast riding through new territories and beginning to explore the Netherlands. With sunny skies, their riding was breeze. They have found an affinity for stroopwafels and are loving them almost as much as they love riding their bikes! 

Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)

July 1, 1903 was the start of the first Tour de France so what a fitting day to start our ECC2 trip! Grace and Christian’s crew has gathered in the Netherlands and is ready to begin the upcoming adventure that will be… wait… what did you say? Riding across a continent?! These kids are amazing! Bikes are built and students are ready to commence riding tomorrow (after some much needed jet lag adjustment tonight). Ahoy, ECC2!

Pyrenees Mountains and Coast (PMC)

Day four of our Pyrenees trip was full of hiking, swimming and great food. They had a wonderful hike up to a monastery where they had lunch and took in the incredible views! Reports from leaders Connor and Clio are that the group crushed the hike and enjoyed a well-deserved rest in the campground pool!