Hi Lo from the Apogee Fam in Brunswick- this is Chris checking in from the Apo Whitehouse on Maine Street. It’s a balmy three thousand degrees in Brunswick (at least in our equipment barn) with mild humidity somewhere in between being in a cloud to being underwater…time to pump some electrolytes, top off the Nalgenes, lather on the SPF 70 and get outside! We’ve got group swimming, bike riding, ice cream eating, kayaking, lounging, laughing and loving life Cali to the Caribbean and everywhere in the middle – so without further Apo, it’s story time!
CI: High fashion meets trail-worn ruggedness. The CI guys and gals spent some well deserved rest and relaxation time on Newbury Street in Boston today as their trip winds to a close, practicing their best big-city poses and enjoying some ice cream on the Common.
Hey, save some for the ducks!
VM: We just heard from Kirk – the gang is safely into Vieux (sp?) Montreal! They’re loving the big-city feel – and the real beds and air conditioning don’t hurt, either! They’ll be exploring the city together tomorrow before a grande finale (a little French – fitting, ne c’est pas?) dinner tomorrow night. Here are a couple of shots of the group from earlier today and last night.
Lakeside camping? Tres bon!
Poolside-chess? Mais oui!
NEMCA: Phil and Emma’s NEMCers traded their spades and trowels for life vests and paddles today as the group takes on the coastal waters of Maine. It’s also the final day of their trip (tears) which means a final dinner extravaganza in Portland…this blog writer is jealous.
NEMCB: After a hard day of volunteer work at the community garden down in Harpswell yesterday, Matt and Victoria’s group decided to kick back, relax and put their very best skirts on- their very best paddling skirts, to be specific. NEMCB spent the day out with a Maine kayak guiding service along the coastline finding all sorts off cool inlets, lagoons, wildlife and fish. Rumor has it that this adventure will lead to a final dinner at a certain waterside eatery enjoyed by many a previous Apogee group!
CQA: Ben, Lizzie and their Hill-Munching Horde are into the Greenville, ME area this evening in fine fettle. Here’s a shot of the group post-hill munching this afternoon.
CQB: Up in the woods around Dexter, ME, Posie and Postyn’s group are enjoying a beautiful summer evening – and not enjoying picture-sending cell service. Alas!
DEX: Also way up in the Maine woods tonight – and way out of cell service – are Izzy, John and our Indefatigable Dexsters. They’re hiking the Appalachian Trail and will be out of range for the next three days. To our parents – no news is good news! And there is no news….
CMC: He who waiteth shall receive …many photos from CMC, that is! After their multiday backcountry photo blackout, Jack and CC’s crew have come stormin’ back with a flood of photos. Looks like backpacking in and around Yosemite was a blast!!
What better way to thank the leader who has shepherded you through the wilds of the Yosemite backcountry than to bury her in the sand upon arrival at the beach? Sorry, CC – this is why we pay you the big bucks!
CSA: Apogee = sunscreen for you and me! Looks like it’s another rough day on the beach for Hannah and Dylan’s Caribbean adventurers – this shot is from this morning in the village of Esperanza.They’re living the dream on the beautiful island of Vieques, enjoying an afternoon of kayaking and bio-baying, and are looking forward to working on their island service projects tomorrow!
PCA: It’s another day of beautiful redwoods and shady Pacific roads for Tim and Ally’s group. They’re cruising down the Redwood Highway and looking forward to a day largely off of their bikes tomorrow doing community service. Here’s a particularly good-looking cross-section of the group during a GORP break.
PCB: Mia and Jeremy have particularly bad cell service today, but they’re inbound to Eureka, CA this afternoon. Eureka! Here’s a shot of the gang after they conquered a particularly nasty hill headed into Crescent City yesterday afternoon. These guys will be doing service tomorrow, as well – and they should enjoy better cell reception for picture-sending purposes, too!
MSA: The majestic rocky mountains, beautiful fields filled with bright wildflowers and…Captain America on one of the rider’s shoulders!? MSA is having a great, goofy time as their trip hits the midway point near Glacier National Park. Spirits are high. Possibly a little too high in the lower righthand corner…
ACC1: Pulling into Kosciusko, MS this afternoon, our guys are going to be the hit of the ice-cream church social they’ve been invited to attend. Here’s our gang enjoying the Mississippi sunshine:
“Sun’s out, guns out…”
ACC2: The coast-to-coasters pose next to their new ride. From leader Mike: “A huge thanks to the Richville Fire Department for amazing hospitality, dinner and laundry!” Ditto from the folks here at the Apogee office…the people we meet along the road make all the difference.
ECC: Deep into the charming, rural region of Picardy in northwest France, our ECCers are in the tiny town of Fillievres tonight. We heard from David who said that they enjoyed a super-smooth day of riding today. Unfortunately, however, they don’t have wifi tonight (and may not tomorrow night, either), so no pictures. They have two more days of riding until their first day off – in Paris…