By Annika Nygren
Gorgeous day up here in Brunswick! The sun is shining, there’s a light breeze and the squirrels are dancing about all over the place. I woke up early this morning and found this sign on my drive to work so naturally I took a selfie with it because it’s…. SELFIE SUNDAY!
#shamelessselfie #support #getit?
Well, not officially… BUT selfies do seem to be a recurring theme among our leaders this summer and I got a few in for today’s post, so it seemed fitting. Today we have groups entering the backcountry, exiting the back country, entering new countries and states, exploring cities, completing service, swimming, and eating final dinners! Without further ado, here are our Sunday-Funday pictures and blurbs:
Cape Cod and the Islands (CI): Last day together and Emily and Will’s group are strolling through Boston in style! It looks like a gorgeous day in my home city and I am so jealous of these guys! Newbury Street shopping, Boston Commons lunch-ing, touring Boston by foot and dinner at Fire-and-Ice (a personal favorite…yum) tonight!
… and then they got a demonstration at Lush! Way to cleanse those pores.
New England Mountains and Coast (NEMC): Midge and Matt’s group is going out with a bang today for their last day together as a group! SEA KAYAKING on the beautiful Maine Coast. Final dinner plans in Portland are in the works.
On the way to their final dinner in Portland…
Vermont to Montreal (VM): Abby and Reuben’s group emerged from farmlands and pushed into into the bustling city of Montreal this morning! Riding from southern Vermont across the border to Montreal? Check! The majority of today’s ride was spent on a gorgeous bike path and the gang is gearing up for a day of exploration in the city tomorrow! Pictures from Montreal are forthcoming, but here’s a shot from yesterday’s waterpark adventure!
Yesterday’s Water Park excursion!
California Mountains and Coast (CMC): And they’re baaaack! We missed you CMC while you were away in the backcountry! Emma and Dylan’s group enjoyed a post-backcountry treat and are looking forward to a night of playing and relaxing on the beach before tomorrow’s excursion into San Francisco after a morning of service. Here are some pictures from the hikes!
Caribbean Service Adventure (CSA): Doesn’t it sound like a perfect day for service, a picnic in Esperanza and dinner in La Finca? Will and Lucy reported a great night paddling on the biobay last night, followed by breakfasty at La Finca (below) and then a terrific morning of service with our partners at Reach for Success. These chicos and chicas are continuing to live the dream and are now relaxing on the beach. We are so sad to see this group go after tomorrow!
Breakfast at the beautiful la Finca Caribe. Biobay last night was a hit!
Hanging at the beach with some Vieques locals from the Reach for Success program: a youth development non-profit based on Vieques.
Coast to Quebec (CQA): Greenville to Jackman. Mary and Mike’s superstars are enjoying (or “enjoying”) their first 50-mile day today and sent us this gorgeous shot from one of their many, many beautiful views on this gorgeous route. Rumor has it, the very end of the route holds an ice cream shop….
Coast to Quebec (CQB): Sun! Glorious sun! Although yesterday was wet, Pete and Sherry surprised their group with some fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies last night! 40 miles to camp and then a swim on tap for today. Big 50-miler day on the way tomorrow – weooo!
Making their own mountains…?
Selfie Sunday 2.0!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX): Onto the Appalachian Trail we go! Erin and Marino’s crowd made big individual bags of GORP (a possible acronym for “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts,” but I just call it trail mix) to keep them fueled on the AT over the course of these next few days. We didn’t get a pre-BC picture from them today, but life sounded just fine when we connected over the phone – we’ll see these guys on Wednesday – unless they can sneak a picture out of the backcountry…
Montana Service Adventure (MSA): Blue Sky Montana! Or is it Big Sky? Either way, Hannah and Opie did an awesome job of capturing the group during their beautiful ride to Browning this morning. On the docket for tomorrow is service involving some bike mechanics! Pretty nifty stuff is what my co-co Alex would tell you (he works in the Apogee Barn and builds/fixes all the bikes that go on our trips! You should be meeting him over the blog these next couple of days…)
Selfie Sunday 3.0
Northwest Explorer (NWX): Day 1 out of 6 in the backcountry: DONE! Each day Izzy and John’s hikers’ packs will get lighter and lighter as they eat more and more of their fooooood. This is an extended period of backpacking and the gang is already fired up to be living on what they carry on their back for just under a week. Pretty neat (and impressive) stuff. We’ll hear from these guys on Thursday!
Pacific Coast (PCA): Last night’s dinner was pretty epic, courtesy of cool-cat-support-staff Christian who surprised the crowds with meatball subs, a birthday cake and ice cream after a 54-mile ride! Dinner was prefaced by fro-yo (who says you can’t have dessert first?… or twice?) and an epic volleyball game. Today, Matt and Jeanne’s team slept in late and had a pancake breakfast alongside some yogurt and granola! Tonight,some awesome Olympic Games are on tap.
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy biiiiirthday to yoooouu, happy birthday to you!
Pacific Coast (PCB): The town of Arcata was the perfect lunch stop for Trevor and Kate’s team today during their long ride to Eureka. They had spotty cell phone service on their ride today and we didn’t get a picture before press time, but imagine them winding their way among stunning redwoods and you’ve about got it!
Alps Explorer (AX): Woo! AX is killing it with the wifi connection AND taking killer group pictures. CC and Jack’s crew had a fabulous and sunny hike today and are looking forward to many more calf-crunching but mind-blowingly beautiful days on the TMB! They also sent us this picture of some of the pizza they devoured after a long hike yesterday! Mmmm… 
Mmmmm….French pizza!?
Europe Coast to Coast (ECCA): Rolling french countryside and pain-au-chocolate? This sounds like scene worth setting in [for] a movie! Long ride today for Mia and Jeremy’s group, but their first full day in France was “fantastique”! They’re in a tiny little hamlet tonight, so we didn’t get any pictures, but we should tomorrow!
Europe Coast to Coast (ECCB): Bonjour! Salut! Bienvenue en France mes amis! Nick and Christine’s group enjoyed a stunning ride as they crossed their second border from Belgium into France – their new home country for the next week or so. They sent in the shots below from today’s ride. 
America Coast to Coast (ACC1): First almost century ride! 99 miles of riding. After the first 14 miles Josh and Laura’s group had to improvise around the lack of good Mississippi signage and photoshopped in their own border cross! That perfect blue sky served as a nice backdrop, didn’t it?
Here’s the squad enjoying some lunch in the shade!
America Coast to Coast (ACC2): The second, arty shot below was taken by super support staff Tim! He captured the front pod crushing miles through Alabama this morning.
Stayed at the Rockville Firehouse last night!
Alrighty Apogee fans, that is all for this “lazy Sunday.” I will be out of the office until Wednesday morning, leaving you, my friends, in the wonderful hands of Chad/Kevin/Cait/Alex/Shem/Elizabeth! Adios, muchachos.