By: Emily and Emily
With the third Maine Coast Junior and New England Mountain’s and Coast trips starting today, our last trips have officially started. Before we know it, leaders will be returning to Brunswick and we’ll begin to wrap up the summer. But why dwell on that fact, these trips all had incredibly fun days!
Maine Coast Junior (MCJ3):
They have arrived! Our third and final Maine Coast Junior group met this afternoon in Massachusetts. They’ve since transferred to Maine, where they set up their campsite and settled down to their first family dinner. These guys are in for a great trip – over the next 7 days they’ll be hiking, biking, volunteering, and spending an awesome week in the beautiful Maine outdoors.
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE3):
Our writers took a quick break from crafting their essays and went on a coastal adventure this morning. After hiking 3 miles to and from a beautiful Maine beach, they spent the afternoon working with Jaed and continuing to polish their essays.
Cape Cod and the Islands (CI3):
Our island bikers spent their day exploring Martha’s Vineyard. With nothing on the agenda but relaxation, these guys decided to hit the beach! After some fun in the sun, they get to spend a nice evening at their beautiful campground. Tomorrow they are heading to the FARM Institute for community service. From the photo below, it looks like these guys are having some delicious meals!
New England Mountains and Coast (NEMC3):
Isa and Aaron’s group arrived today for their 10-day adventure together. They’ll be hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, rafting the Kennebec River and paddling sea kayaks along the Maine coast. Today they played some “get to know you games” and settled into their first campground. Tomorrow they are headed to a high ropes course for team-building and aerial adventures before heading to the Whites.
Vermont to Montreal (VM3):
With 27 miles behind them, our Vermont riders completed their longest day of riding yet. Their ride today took them along quiet country roads and through cow dotted farmlands. It’s hard to believe that these guys are already over one-third of their way to Montreal!
California Mountains and Coast (CMC3):
These California hikers spent today preparing for their time in Yosemite – doing laundry and and stocking up on the essentials with a big shopping trip. They’re scheduled for a service project with park naturalists tomorrow, before taking some time to explore the Valley.
Caribbean Service Adventure (CSA3):
Our friends in the Caribbean had a day full of service today, completing 6 more hours. This morning the group headed to a new Puerto Rican town where they met up with Casa Pueblo, an organization that focuses on protecting the natural and cultural resources of Puerto Rico. They’ll be working with Casa Pueblo tomorrow as well.
Coast to Quebec A (CQ2A):
Big day of riding for our Quebec bound friends. They had a challenging 38 miles to complete with “roller-coaster-like hills,” but there’s a swimming hole near camp that they can enjoy as a reward for conquering their ride. As another treat, they had their first mail pick up today – yay packages!
Coast to Quebec B (CQ2B):
With just 35 miles on the agenda for today, CQB has long been tucked into their accommodations in Dexter, ME. Word is that their afternoon agenda included a visit to the laundromat; and that their hosts for the evening had cooked them dinner. Our thanks!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX3):
Leaving their island campground behind, these explorers woke up early and paddled back to the mainland. They spent the rest of the day preparing for their adventures in Acadia National Park.
A classic “APOGEE” sunset pose.
Montana Service Adventure (MSA2):
Another day of riding for these service super-stars. The group is on their way to Glacier National Park, where they will work with Park Rangers on service projects and continue to soak up all the natural beauty around them.
Northwest Explorer (NWX2):
Short day in the backcountry for Will and Becca’s hikers. They’re on the shores of an alpine lake tonight, and will be hiking out of the backcountry tomorrow.
Pacific Coast A (PC2A):
PCA left the redwoods early this morning to escape the sun as they biked inland along the Eel River. Tonight’s campsite is also along the Eel River, where they will be able to cool off before another 60 mile ride tomorrow. Word is that they’re cooking fried rice for dinner!
Pacific Coast B (PC2B):
Big day of riding for this group as they traversed into the redwoods, biking along the famous Avenue of the Giants on the way to their campsite. They will sleep among these gorgeous trees tonight, and enjoy their shade, before heading further inland tomorrow.
Alps Explorer A (AX2A):
Buon pomeriggio e benvenuti in Italia. Noah and Emma’s group has crossed into Italy and is spending the night at a rifugio, which means a delicious four course meal, beds for the night, and breakfast in the morning. Tomorrow they have a long hike, but dreams of the upcoming rest day will get them through. We got a flood of pictures from these guys today, enjoy!
Alps Explorer B (AX2B):
Happy rest day, Alps Explorers. These folks enjoyed their one and only day off on the TMB today. After sleeping in and having a big breakfast, the group explored Courmayeur, a vibrant Italian alpine town with real gelato and pizza!
America Coast to Coast (ACC):
Mia and Opie’s bikers got up before the sun to beat the heat and crush their ride into 29 Palms. Despite being a 100 mile ride (their last of the trip!), they were able to get in early and spent the remainder of their day resting up for their final push. Three days to San Diego!
