Thursday night! Which is good, because this was an especially sunny day for most Apogeers! From us folk in the office, to our kayakers in Northern Maine, to our bikers in Belgium, to our hikers in the Alps, we’ve been making good use out of our investment in sunscreen. We’ve been up to so many exciting, sunny adventures today!
Skip to a Specific Trip: AKMCA, AKMCB, AXA, AXB, CCM, CRMC, CS, DEXA, ECC1, ECC2, ECC3, NWX, PC, PMC, VMA, VMB
Alaska Mountains & Coast A (AKMCA)
What an experience – waking up to the sound of waves and emerging to a beach outside the tent! AKMCA started their morning on an island, got to visit this beautiful waterfall, then kayaked back to civilization through a brisk sea breeze full of stoke for their next epic adventure – glacier hiking and ice climbing! Bald eagle report of the day: 18 (and lots of other wildlife, too)!
Alaska Mountains & Coast B (AKMCB)
AKMCB crushed the second day of their backcountry excursion! They cruised around beautiful Alaskan backcountry lakes with ample opportunity to splash cold refreshing water on their faces to cool off from the hiking. After descending from the ridges and seeing some incredible views, they even got to break open their pinata they’ve been carrying once arriving at camp after their full day of hiking!
Alps Explorer A (AXA)
With their quads of steel, AXA crushed their challenge day by summiting Col Du Balme, smack on the border between Switzerland and Italy! They were treated to an epic view of clouds that would not be out of place in an oil painting. The cruised easily over the snow capped alps where they snacked and watched the world go by before heading down to explore Chamonix, an incredible mountain town marinated in history of mountain climbing and alpine adventuring.
Alps Explorer B (AXB)
Feeling rejuvenated from their welcome snooze in a real bed after what ended up being an incredible FIVE course meal, AXA descended from the mountainsides towards Chamonix. Their guide, Anne, has been welcomed by the crew as one of their own, and showed them around the picturesque mountain town, steeped in mountain climbing and adventure history!
California’s Coastal Mountains (CCM)
Even though they just got out of the backcountry, CCM hadn’t gotten enough yet and cast off for some day hikes today! They trekked around Big Sur State Park among towering redwoods and checked out some incredible beaches where the forest seems to end almost in the water. How can you help but go for a hike when you’re in someplace like that?
Caribbean Service (CS)
Who says service can’t be fun? No one on this team! Today the crew worked to clear out weeds and beautify the area around a 100-year-old school that has been turned into a museum. They spend the afternoon venturing to their new accommodations in Southwest Puerto Rico– spirits are high, and they are excited for the final major leg of their trip!
Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)
It being high time for an aquatic adventure, CRMC took off snorkeling off of Caño Island! They drifted about the calm, crystal clear waters with some professional snorkeling guides to spy all kinds of wildly colorful creatures darting about among the coral below them. Their swimsuits were so colorful they would have belonged among the coral themselves, if it weren’t for that pesky need to breathe air!
Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)
ECC1 cranked through some cool canals that guided them from Belgium into France through the morning and got to check out some of the history behind them. The beautifully curated and well loved bike paths of Belgium gave way to French cobblestones full of character, but ECC1 and their new other halves (i.e. trip mates!) proved more than up to the challenge! They even got to explore some of the ancient structures near the canals! 
About to drop the hottest album of 2023
Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)
ECC2 started their day exceptionally well with a smooth morning ride along gorgeous canals and picturesque farmland! They biked through Deinze and several other beautiful towns before they made it to camp ahead of schedule (classic ECC2 move, am I right?), where they played games and enjoyed the sunshine. After a well-deserved dinner of scrumptious Greek bowls, they settled into their homes away from home to get some rest before crossing into France tomorrow!
Europe Coast to Coast 3 (ECC3)
After a great night of rest in Bruges, ECC3 took to the ancient cobblestone streets, alleyways, canals, and churches to take in the history on a rest day from biking! They strolled through a medieval city, complete with horse drawn carriages rolling past them in one of the major squares!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXA)
The DEX crew finally got to take to the water on their long-awaited kayaking day! They tapped into their intrepid sides and teamed up to take off for the island they will have all to themselves for the night. They paddled through the smooth, clear coastal waters, then splashed about on the beach of their island and learned about the tides from their kayak guides; what a difference from the rugged mountains they have been in thus far!
Northwest Explorer (NWX)
NWX had an incredible day rafting in the depths of the Cascades, rocking through the wave trains and bustling whitewater under the steady hands of their amazing raft guide. Upon catching their breath after reaching the shore, they exchanged play-by-plays on the way back to camp for some rest and relaxation before heading out on their big backcountry adventure tomorrow!
Pacific Coast (PC)
Did someone say redwoods? Today, PC biked through majestic, towering redwoods in Del Norte Redwoods State Park! It’s a notoriously misty area, and the mist drifting among the redwoods in the morning light was an incredible sight. Better yet, the riding difficulty was frontloaded, so PC got to cruise down a refreshing 5 mile hill right into camp at the end of the day! Does it get much more California than that? Service is quite wanting at their campground this evening, but we’ve been promised epic double pictures for tomorrow!
Pyrenees Mountains and Coast (PMC)
PMC crew once again demonstrated their indomitable spirit by getting rained out of their planned hike at Refugi Colomina, and instead pivoted to their next destination, Refugi Llong – they had a fantastic hike there instead! On their approach hike to Refugi Llong, their guide, Lisi taught them about the local trees, plants, and rocks they passed on the way, then they explored around the mountainous area, enjoying the better weather. 
Vermont to Montreal A (VMA)
It’s the second to last day of biking, and VMA are bike touring experts by now! They crushed 16 miles of pavement – all before lunch! They settled in to camp, then spent the hot afternoon cooling off at the water park in camp (can I go too? It’s roasting in Brunswick!). They capped off an incredible day with a talent show over ice cream. VMA has concluded that Canada rocks! 
Vermont to Montreal B (VMB)
The long awaited day has come, VMB has finally made it all the way to Canada, and solely due to the power in their own two legs; Wild stuff!! They got up early, some might say even early enough to wake up the birds instead of the other way around! A day with little to no hills was well received, and before they knew it they were riding on Canadian asphalt! Montreal, here we come!
