At Apogee, we’re all about the balance between work and play. These groups have been working SO hard– biking, hiking, kayaking, taking photos, doing service, and more. But the best part about a day of hard work is that it makes dinner that much tastier, and your rest days even more rewarding! Tune into today’s blog to see these groups’ impressive accomplishments, but stay for their smiles!

Skip to a Specific Trip: AKMCA, AKMCB, AXA, AXB, CCM, CI, CRM, CRMC, CS, DEX, ECC1, ECC2, ECC3, GSA, IMC, MCCE, MCJ, MCP, NEMCA, NWX, PC, PMC, VMA, VMB

Alaska Mountains & Coast A (AKMCA)

Our adventurous Alaska crew headed into Chugach State Park for their backpacking section! They are doing an out and back in a beautiful alpine valley – will they take a dip in the pristine (but cold!) alpine lakes? We’ll find out when they return tomorrow!

Alaska Mountains & Coast B (AKMCB)

This crew of Alaska explorers made their way down the Seward highway today to the small, picturesque coastal town of Seward. The Seward Highway is where the mountains meet the sea and we know AKMCB was glued to their windows on the drive down! They chatted with their kayak guides today and started prepping their supplies to hit the water tomorrow! Below is the group split into smaller teams as they work on skits… who do you think had the best performance? (Probably a three-way tie!) 

Alps Explorer A (AXA)

AXA finished the TMB today- yahoo!! The crew woke up at the crack of dawn (3:30am!) to hike out and set a record to be, in the words of their lovely trip leader, “the fastest and coolest crew to ever finish.” It also happened to be their lovely trip leader’s birthday- so Häppi Börsdei, Megan! Upon finishing the TMB, the squad said farewell to the pink church, then took a bus (followed by a train) to Geneva. The group celebrated Megan’s big day in true American fashion with cake and pizza. Go AXA!!

Alps Explorer B (AXB)

This group got to sleep in and enjoy a relaxing morning after all of their hard work! They enjoyed a beautiful train ride to Geneva, then had an exciting afternoon exploring the city. They had a celebratory dinner out, then went to bed early to rest up for their big day of service tomorrow!

California’s Coastal Mountains (CCM)

Our California crew is psyched for their first full day in the Golden State! They broke in their hiking boots with a morning hike in Point Reyes National Seashore before setting their sights on the water. They connected with their kayaking guides and started their packing tonight, and the excitement is building!

Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)

Time is flying by for these riders! We can’t believe they only have one more day until reaching Provincetown tomorrow! Today, our group crushed their miles and were cycling machines! And, speaking of cycling machines… our CI’ers also had an epic laundry day, too! They took a break from spinning their tires, to spinning their clothes in the washer. I’m sure everyone’s tent mates will be grateful for this pit stop. 

Caribbean Service (CS)

Our CS crew hit the ground running today with some community service work at Fundación Wepa, a local non-profit organization who focuses their efforts on environmental conservation and education. The group spent their time painting signs and building little free libraries. They treated themselves to some ice cream afterwards, then went back to the house to take a dip, play games, and get to know each other better!

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)

Today our CRM all-stars went white water rafting! From their trip leaders: “After our big hike yesterday, it felt great to cool off in the class two and three rapids on the Cache la Poudre River! The group had a ton of fun with our awesome guides.” Afterwards, the group had a picnic feast at a park by the Cache la Poudre. They drove back to their campground for games in camp, a delicious dinner, and a sunset walk. You’re crushing it, CRM!

Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)

CRMC dove right in for their first full day in Costa Rica! This morning was an early one in order to make their way over to the incredible Manuel Antonio National Park in time to catch the best views of the wildlife. Accompanied by a park guide there to help spot dozens of sloths, monkeys, and other amazing creatures. They made their way through the lush rainforest and popped out at a pristine sandy white beach where the group settled for lunch and took in the afternoon sun. Sounds like a great day all around! We know they can’t wait to head out for ziplining tomorrow!

Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)

ECC1 muscled their way into their fourth country today – hallo, Deutschland! They are well on their way to Venice, and are flexing in front of castles now, apparently! I’m sure they’re looking forward to a day off the bikes tomorrow as they gear up for their next big push, which will take them up and over the alps! 

Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)

Rollin’ right along, ECC2 is spending the night perched on the border of France and Germany, in the historic city of Strasbourg. Tomorrow, they cross the Rhine river and will start using leader Ben’s sweet German skills! Looks like today they took a break to walk through fields of gold – maybe ECC2 are a bunch of Sting fans!

Europe Coast to Coast 3 (ECC3)

ECC3 cruised into the hills beneath the lush Vosges mountain range, settling in for their second-to-last evening in France. The crew made the best of their rainy ride and took in the views of the beautiful rolling farm fields, including their ray of sunshine for the day – sunflowers along the side of the road!

Iceland Mountains & Coast (IMC)

Today, the group packed up and left for the moon – the most highly anticipated part of their trip! And by the moon, we mean, the Skaftafell section of the Vatnajökull National Park, of course! After arriving, they made their way out to check out the Skaftafell glacier and explore the glacial moraine field! It’s an early to bed night, as they will head out early for their challenge day tomorrow!

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

Wow, wow, wow, is all this blog writer has to say! After a whole week of cranking on their essays, the team spent the morning out on a misty hike to the beach where they played in the water, then made their way to Freeport to do some exploring! This evening, they capped things off with their Final Dinner where they get to swap stories about their writing process and favorite memories from this past week! Bravo, MCCE folks!

Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)

Our Maine Coast Juniors were sad to say goodbye today! After all the laughs they shared over the past seven days, there were some tears shed at Trip End today. We hope to see them all on future Apogee trips!

Maine Coast Photo (MCP)

Today the Maine Coast Photo crew drove to Boothbay Harbor for their photo show! They got to enjoy a leisurely walk around town by the water before heading to the library to set up for their show. Tonight they went out to dinner to celebrate their hard work this past week! Just look at those beautiful photographs! 

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXA)

Well hello there, DEX2! Welcome to the blog! We were thrilled to kick off our second round of Maine’s Downeast Explorer today, and what a great group it is! We can’t wait to see all of the things they’ll get up to in the days to come. First on the list – ticking off another one on the National Parks tracker – tomorrow they’ll hit Acadia!

New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)

NEMCA got to enjoy a peaceful kayak this morning without fear of sunburn! They kayaked through the coastal fog, exploring new terrain. This afternoon the group hit the beach, getting the occasional glimpse of sun in between clouds!

Northwest Explorer (NWX)

Another beautiful day in the PNW! This group was lucky enough to enjoy the sun in kayaks as they explored the San Juan Islands. For their service project, they spent a portion of the day identifying and logging marine species onshore. After service, they headed back to their island camp to enjoy a hearty dinner and gorgeous sunset!

Pacific Coast (PC)

What’s that you say? PC will ride their way, triumphantly, into San Francisco tomorrow?! Holy moly! We’re so proud of these intrepid riders and can’t wait to see their epic Golden Gate Pics tomorrow! In the meantime, we hope they’re enjoying the beautiful views that Marin County has to offer. So close, PC! We can’t wait to see your photos tomorrow! 

Pyrenees Mountains and Coast (PMC)

PMC had another fantastic day in Spain! The group packed up and left their campsite in Sitges to transit to their new home in Port de la Selva. They passed the time on the bus with bus “speed friending”, fun fact assassin, and some Spotify roulette. After setting up camp in Port de la Selva, the PMC squad went for an afternoon walk along the water, admired the gorgeous views & scoped out their hikes for the next two days, both of which you could see from the waterfront! The cook crew made a delicious dinner before playing some card games. Wowie, what a day! 

Vermont to Montreal A (VMA)

Welcome to the Green Mountain State, VMA! Today marks the beginning of an epic journey northward. The crew arrived at camp on beautiful Lake Bomoseen and partook in some name games, introductions and… did someone say… a game of Who Stole my Jedi Juice?! An Apogee classic?! This group is gearing up to shift their gears on their bikes tomorrow- yahoo!

Vermont to Montreal B (VMB)

VMB began their travels towards the Land of Poutine today! This group has a riveting 12 days ahead of them that will take them through the Green Mountain State and into the exciting city of Montreal. These go-getters arrived at camp on stunning Lake Saint Catherine, got to know each other and feasted on a tasty first supper. We can’t wait to see these rock stars on their bikes tomorrow!