It may very well be the best day of the year: it’s National Ice Cream Day! We hope at least some of these trips celebrate our favorite holiday with some delicious frozen treats today. Our stomachs are rumbling just writing this blog… so what better way to celebrate than to ponder which flavor best suits each of our groups out in the field? Naturally, we here in the office are coffee ice cream, typing away on the blog while sipping on our favorite caffeinated beverages, and always excitedly buzzing about to see what’s going on in the Apogee world each day!

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Skip to a Specific Trip: AKMC, CRMC, CSPR, CSVI, DEX, ECC1, ECC2, GSA, IMC, MCCE, MCJ, NEMC, NWX, PMC, VM

Alaska Mountains & Coast (AKMC)

Moose Tracks

Sorry, we had to… is there any group more befitting this delicious flavor than AKMC? Although moose are known to roam land and not sea, the Alaskan adventurers were poised to make many wildlife sightings as they began their two-day kayaking expedition through Resurrection Bay. They traded in their hiking boots for paddles as they kayaked to their campsite for the night, where they’ll sleep peacefully in their tents to the sounds of the water!

Caribbean Service Puerto Rico (CSPR)

Coconut

CSPR did trail maintenance today at the absolutely beautiful Canon Blanco with their guide Roberto. Their hard work was rewarded with sightings of Taino petroglyphs! They stocked up on groceries and traveled to their new lodgings for dinner and games. We see those palm trees peaking through in their photos… coconut ice cream is a natural fit for this group! Maybe they even saw some on trail today…

Caribbean Service Virgin Islands (CSVI)

Salted Caramel

After their service with Ruff Start this morning, CSVI took a hike to Hams Bluff Lighthouse for lunch! With those spectacular ocean views, we can practically taste the saltwater in the air! Another contender for their flavor of the day was cookie monster, because just look at that beautiful blue water… Their afternoon was filled with some nice relaxation and lots of fun games! Now they are tucked into bed, dreaming of another beautiful sunny island day.

Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)

M&M

A jam-packed day full of fun for our CRMC group calls for a jam-packed colorful ice cream flavor like M&M. After an awesome morning planting corn, squash, and peppers and helping aerate soil, Alexis & Captain’s crew enjoyed a refreshing dip in the river, learned about medicinal plants, and experienced a sweat lodge!  Tonight’s activity is a walk in the frog sanctuary followed by the usual array of card games! From Alexis: it’s also a full moon tonight for this wolf pack!

 

Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)

Neapolitan

Neapolitan ice cream was an easy choice for ECC1 since they biked through THREE different countries today! Packing up camp in Austria this morning, the cyclists made a quick pass through Switzerland before crossing the Italian border. Much like how a scoop of Neapolitan ice cream is a sight to behold, the views today on their ride were nothing short of scenic. Today officially marks the crew’s entrance into countries #6 and #7. For those keeping track at home, this is the last country of the group’s grand tour around Europe, but worry not! They still have many days to romp around together around Italy before their journey comes to an end.

Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)

Cake Batter

ECC2 made the most of their rest day today! After a slow morning, they enjoyed kebab for lunch and worked on their bikes! They also made all the requisite preparations for a birthday feast! Cake batter ice cream was a no-brainer for this celebratory crew. Don’t be fooled, however, because strudel was really the order of the day, fitting for the group’s location in Austria! The crew will get back on their bikes tomorrow to cross into countries #6 and #7 as they begin the final portion of their seven-country cycling adventure!

Golden State Adventure (GSA)

Pistachio

After a big challenge day yesterday, our GSA crew explored the incredible redwood groves of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park today. They basked in the shade of the enormous redwoods, and had a blast with many games, riddles, and more! Based on all of the greenery behind them in their pictures, we’re choosing their ice cream flavor to be Pistachio! And on tomorrow’s agenda: surfing in Santa Cruz!

 

 

Iceland Mountains & Coast (IMC)

Cookies and Cream

IMC traveled to the Vatnajökull region today, which is one of Iceland’s most famous and beautiful national parks! They got a taste of the treat that they are in for here with their post-lunch hike along the Skaftafell Glacier Trail! With visions of glaciers and black Icelandic rock in our heads, we thought cookies and cream was a fitting ice cream flavor for this crew of explorers. Back at camp they made sure to fuel up for their challenge hike tomorrow with some tasty dinner. They went to bed early and eagerly, anticipating their longest – and last – hike tomorrow!

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

Espresso Chocolate Chip

MCCE got off to a great start today in Maine! They headed up to their lodgings for the week, where they will craft their essays, eat delicious food, and have a ton of fun together! A great first dinner was enjoyed by the group before they settled in for the night and hit the hay before their first day of activity tomorrow! The trademark drink for devoted writers, espresso chocolate chip seemed a natural ice cream flavor of choice for this group of essayists. Over the next week, their inspiring writing sessions will be peppered by many sweet chips of exploration around Maine!

 

 

Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)

Vanilla

The Maine Coast Junior squad met up today to kick off an incredible week long adventure in Maine! Over the next seven days, they will sea kayak, hike, bike, volunteer, and make awesome memories together! They have all the makings for a pretty sweet, classic Apogee trip, so it’s no wonder why America’s favorite ice cream flavor goes out to this incredible crew! After arriving in Maine, the group settled into camp for the first time. They learned how to set up tents, cook dinner, and play many awesome games! They will fall asleep cozy in their tents tonight, looking forward to their sea kayaking adventure tomorrow!

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)

Campfire S’mores

After emerging from the Appalachian Trail backcountry yesterday, our intrepid DEXers wasted no time jumping into their next challenge: a summit attempt of Maine’s tallest mountain, Mt. Katahdin! They’ve had awesome rugged backcountry adventures, and what better way to share those stories and memories than over some yummy Campfire S’mores ice cream! After an action-packed last several days, they will enjoy a very well-deserved rest day tomorrow! (And thanks for your blog photo patience as they continue through a long stretch without consistent cell service!)

New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

New England Mountains & Coast had a blast on their first full day together! They hiked Arethusa Falls, had an “epic lunch” at the base, then had an awesome swim at Bemis Falls! Some of the crew did awesome water dunks while some of them decided to soak up the sun. The word of the day from leader Aya was “awesome” – we agree! With a little bit of hiking, a little bit of swimming, and a little bit of sun bathing, we thought Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, with its little bits of many delicious things, was an apt choice.

Northwest Explorer (NWX)

Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked

As the picture below suggests, and thanks to the recent flight fiasco, only about half of our NWX crew arrived as planned in Seattle today (the chocolate chip cookie dough component) while the other half (the fudge brownie squad) is scheduled to arrive very soon to round out the team! Like Ben & Jerry’s famous flavor, Cat & Andrew’s group already seems to be a fan favorite, and we can’t wait to follow along with their journey for the next three weeks!

Pyrenees Mountains and Coast (PMC)

Rocky Road

The PMC trekkers came hard and fast out of the gate this morning by starting the day’s hike with a big uphill and boulder-laden pass. Not to fear, for their fantastic feat was rewarded by amazing views and downhills past many beautiful lakes and dams. At one point, their trail took them along an old railroad track, which was used to transport the equipment that built the dams! There was no doubt what the ice cream of choice was for these bouldering wayfarers today, who hiked through a literal rocky road on the trail to tonight’s refugi.

Vermont to Montreal (VM)

Peppermint

“O Canada!” As VM crossed the Canadian border today, we can only assume that they experienced visions of red and white as the group entered the new country, making Peppermint, with its flecks of red and white, a fitting flavor for these fab cyclists! They celebrated their border crossing before completing their second longest day of mileage of nearly 60 km (we are in Canada now, after all… but for our American readers out there, that’s over 35 miles)!