By Chad Olcott
We sent Annika down the coast to meet with one of our Coast to Quebec groups this afternoon, so you’ve got Captain Ahab behind the wheel of the Good Ship Blog tonight. As usual there’s a lot to report and pictures from everyone except our Euro-adventurers tonight (should have those tomorrow, though…).
CI: Monster-gnarly-shred-wave-ripping time out on the outer Cape – our gang enjoyed perfect weather for hanging-ten (or at least standing up for a wild and crazy 10 seconds!). Unbelievably, Will and Emily’s crew has only one more day of riding and will be sleeping in Boston tomorrow night!
NEMC: More perfect weather on the upper reaches of the Kennebec River – Midge and Matt reported a terrific day on the rapids and are looking forward to coming down here to the coast tomorrow for community service and … mail!
Sun’s out, gun’s out (and PFDs on…)!
VM: Taking full advantage of this gorgeous bubble of high pressure over the northeast, our Vermonsters took full advantage of the “bike ferry” on today’s gorgeous ride to Grand Isle. Tomorrow – they’ll be on the lake itself, taking a break from the saddle and riding a sea-kayak around Lake Champlain.
I believe this is what the kids call a “snap chat…”
CMC: Finding a delightful pocket of cell-phone receptivity, Dylan and Emma sent us these great shots from the group’s time among the giants at at Calaveras Big Trees. They’re now in the heart of Yosemite and will see the sites in the Park tomorrow before setting out on their backcountry adventure up in the high country on Sunday.
And here we have a large pile of happy CMC-ers...
CSA: Way, way, way down on the southwest corner of Puerto Rico, it was sunglasses shenanigan time. Let it not be said that this trip is all work and no play…
Puttin’ in the hours!
CQA: Meanwhile, more gorgeous weather here in Maine today – Mike and Mary’s crew rolled down the Pemaquid peninsula this afternoon and was happily into camp before 3:00 – and they even had time to do some low-tide scouting for crabs (not dinner, I promise…).
Crab-spotting in Damariscotta
Oh, I’m sorry – it’s just a perfect day by the ocean!
CQB: Not far behind Mike and Mary’s group – it’s Sherry and Pete’s Mile Eaters. Cait captured them as they powered through Brunswick this morning and motored down the coast. They, too, were in to camp in near-record time this afternoon.
Youthful bike tourists – or NSA ninjas? You be the judge.
DEX: Our DEXsters are out on the water in Isle au Haut Bay tonight – sleeping under the stars and watched over by the ospreys. I can’t imagine a more perfect weekend for paddling than the one they’ve got!
Hello, there, friend!
Deep thoughts on the island…
ECCA and ECCB: After a long stretch of unseasonable chill and rain, the climatological pendulum has swung on our European riders! Both groups rode through Germany’s Black Forest today in hot and sunny conditions. Everyone is long into camp in small towns (and as my grandmother always said, “small towns in the Black Forest = charm and lots of geraniums but not a lot of wifi to send pictures”). We should get pictures from Mia and Jeremy’s group tomorrow as they ride the length of Lake Constance (and get their first glimpse of the Alps to their right over the lake…). We’ll hope we get something from Nick and Christine, but chances are good that they’ll be without pictures tomorrow, too.
ACC1: Sunshine and temps in the low 80s – in Texas – in July?? We’re not arguing! Call it a Polar Vortex, call it an anomaly, Laura and Josh will just call it delightful… Tomorrow: hasta luego, Tejas! Hola, Nuevo Mexico!
ACC2: Sam and Ally were back on the road today and enjoyed some delightful, well, umm, I’m not sure what those are, but I’m certain they’re 100% natural…
Mystery juice with lunch – yum!
Quack, quack!