It’s Day 17 of the Apogee summer already and the sun graced all of our trips with its presence today! While we always have fun in the rain, it is nice to feel that sun on our faces, too. Read on to see what our groups got up to today!
Skip to a Specific Trip: AXA, AXB, CI, CRM, ECC1, ECC2, ECC3, IMC, MCCE, MCJ, MCP, NEMC, NWX, PC
Alps Explorer A (AXA)
Our Alps crew took advantage of the clear skies today and enjoyed a cable car ride into the sky! They took in the views and took some silly pictures! After their cable car ride, the crew explored the beautiful Italian town of Cormayeur. Just another day in the life for these adventurers!
Alps Explorer B (AXB)
This Alps crew crossed their final border of the trip! They returned to their home(ish) country of Switzerland while blue skies lit their way! They conquered a 13 km/8 mile day and only have two more days of hiking to cruise through on the Tour de Mont Blanc!
Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)
The sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky today as our Cape Codders woke up and biked to the farm to do their awesome community service project! The kids set up fences, cleaned a chicken coop, and harvested veggies – talk about a productive morning. They even met the friendly farm pooch! After service, they biked to the nearby beach for lunch and swimming. Such a fun day all around – though it’s hard to not have fun when the sun is shining on the Cape!
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)
Our Colorado crew tackled another stunning hike today in the Grand Lake area. Afterwards, they picnicked in their old campground before breaking trail across Rocky Mountain National Park to their new campground! They drove through the Park on arguably one of the most beautiful roads in the country under a terrifically blue sky and capped the day off with some good ole fashioned hacky sack!
Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)
ECC1 experienced the benefits of a few back to back rest days first hand, as they made record time during today’s ride into the French city of Bar-le-Duc! Once their rejuvenated legs woke up and got reacclimated to pedaling, nothing could stood in their way. Well-rested from a fantastic few days in Paris and Epernay, the shining sun ushered this crew from rest stop to rest stop, and they’ll continue their spirited ride through the French countryside tomorrow!
Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)
After yesterday’s delightful exploration of Paris together and soaking in all the sights and sounds (and sunshine!) of the City of Lights, this group transitioned from Tourist Mode to Rest Mode today. They lounged in camp and rested their weary legs and minds, preparing for the next leg of their journey! Rebooted and ready to ride, they hit the hay early tonight to get after it early tomorrow morning – so early, in fact, that the leaders could not be reached to provide their blog pics for the day… so instead, here are a few more selfies from their Paris day!
Europe Coast to Coast 3 (ECC3)
ECC3 was living large as they soaked up a delightfully sunny day of exploring the lively, fabled Parisian streets! According to their leaders, this group crossed everything off their list, including crepes, croissants, pizza, and gelato. They sightsaw all the highlights, too, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the currently-under-construction Notre Dame. Per leader Grace, “this crew just doesn’t stop moving!” They’re looking forward to a true rest day tomorrow before hopping back in the saddle on Thursday!
Iceland Mountains & Coast (IMC)
Our intrepid Iceland crew took a trip over to a classic Iceland waterfall today! Grundarfoss waterfall is an impressive 70m (230 feet!) tall. They took in the view and had an amazing hike as a group before celebrating with some selfies at the falls!
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)
Our college essay writers kicked off a busy day with an extremely productive morning of writing and 1-on-1 sessions with their lead instructor, Leah. After lunch, the group headed to Bates college to meet with the Bates admissions team and learn about college admissions straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak! Their van rides today were filled with lots of laughs and apparently some serious alphabet game drama, according to leader Saul. Before dinner, they went for a lovely nature walk in Damariscotta, and they plan to close out the evening with another productive writing session (and some delicious dessert, of course!).
Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)
Today, our Maine Coast Juniors really took advantage of the sun peeking out from behind the clouds and went swimming at Echo Lake in Acadia after an invigorating hike up South Bubble in the morning! They were celebrating Opposite Day today and so they had burritos for breakfast and pancakes for dinner – those wacky MCJers! Spirits were high, views were great, and smiles were large!
Maine Coast Photo (MCP)
Our young photographers were especially thankful for sunny skies today as they got to enjoy an all around blue day during their Casco Bay kayaking adventure! They also had a great photography session at the unique and beautiful Giants’ Stairs trail with their photography instructor, Brian. A gorgeous summer day in Maine wouldn’t be complete without some tasty ice cream before heading back to camp!
New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)
Our NEMCers traded in their hiking boots for water shoes today and hit the river! They went rafting in the Whites and got to take advantage of the hot, sunny day with a swim in the river afterwards! The whole group loved it and was really excited to be on the water – the rafting guides facilitated some excellent raft games and the crew had a ball! They certainly worked up an appetite and were excited to go back to camp and whip up a big, tasty dinner.
Northwest Explorer (NWX)
Our Northwest Explorers were not messing around today. They crushed their longest hike of the whole trip – a whopping 10-miler – and I’m sure right now they feel like they could conquer just about anything! The majority of their backcountry expedition is now squarely in the rearview as they prepare to return to the land of cell service tomorrow, and we cannot wait to hear the stories and see the photos from their 6 days in the wilderness of the Cascades! Check this space tomorrow for highlights from their epic adventures!
Pacific Coast (PC)
Our PC squad tackled their challenge day today in STYLE! Vanquishing Leggett hill is no easy feat, and our PC’ers handled the difficult riding with grace and determination (per the leaders). After climbing 4 miles straight up this morning, the group was able to enjoy an 11 mile descent back to the ocean and the cool Pacific breeze! More hills awaited, but nothing this accomplished crew couldn’t handle. Now they can proudly say they’ve conquered the highest climb along the Pacific Coast between Mexico and Canada! They have an opportunity to rest their weary legs tomorrow on their final rest day before making their big push to the Golden Gate Bridge and beautiful San Francisco!
