Chris here, writing from the press room of the Apo white house in a soggy but hopping Brunswick. Coolness is the matter of the day, both in terms of temperature (64 degrees! Looks like the rain dances worked!) and the activities completed by campers across the globe. So, from ME to CA, from Lake Champlain to Lago Caldonazzo…we give you…the blog!

CI: CI’s lookin’ fly (as the kids say these days…)! Kirk and Laura’s gang gathered together for their first (damp) day of awkwardness-ending name games, group riding and camp dinner. It’s bon voyage to parents, and helloooo to many miles of Cape Cod exploring!

NEMC: Just look at this rolling house of scintillating intellect. The NEMCer’s played some pretty intense cerebral car games as they drove through the White Mountains today…but come tomorrow the brains turn into brawn, the rope course gets conquered, and the hiking boots get laced up!

CQA: When it’s hot, the CQers swim. When it’s moderate out they…do the same! Ben and Lizzie’s group had a ton of fun busting out some longer mileage today as their trip hits the half way mark. 

CQB: ‘Red in the morning, sailor’s warning’ goes the saying. Granted, this is a photo of the sunset the night before…but still. A bit of rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the CQers, and whatever got damp was quickly saved by a trip to the laundromat! Clean clothes = big smiles….

DEX: Is that a…moose? No, it looks like it’s got lobster claws too! And it has way too many feet! It looks like the creature in this photo must be the illusive DEX, a fun-seeking, be-jacketed backpacking creature known to inhabit parts of the Appalachian trail.  It’s three nights in the woods for these guys.  And today’s weather aside, they should have great conditions – starting tomorrow…

CSA: CSA spent the day exercising their artistic side by helping to paint signs for local charities – and for Apogee. Of course creativity wasn’t the only thing exercised…the group had a blast swimming in a white-capped Caribbean Sea! 

PCA: Challenge day means war paint in the morning, hills for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and exultant beach photos at the end. Great photography, gang – keep up the good work, both on the bike and behind the camera!

NWXA: Olympic dreams (of the Olympic National Park kind) have Garth and Kelly’s group out of cell phone service but well connected with nature. Service should return as soon as they get out of the back country (tomorrow) but until then it’s campfires, fried bagels, and a vigilant moose lookout.

NWXB: Jeremy and Mia also are part of the photo blackout that often occurs when one runs blissfully far away from cell phone towers…their back country exploration began today – we should hear from these guys on Sunday! 

ACC1:.Big day for ACC2 today – with the green chili cheeseburgers of several days ago but a happy (?) memory, these guys checked another box on the Gastric Challenge Checklist today – pie in Pie Town, NM.  Oh, and they crossed the Continental Divide.  No biggy…

ACC2: You can tell it’s ACC when the group chooses to do sprints….on their day off in Socorro. Rest is for the weak, miles are for the mighty, and New Mexico is almost done. Cheers.

ECC: It’s a hard knock life for ECC…just listen to the name of the lake they they’re riding next to:  Lago Caldonazzo. Looks like a pretty rough place, doesn’t it? And they’re stuck in Italy eating fresh mozzarella and tomatoes…yes, it’s a difficult job, but somebody has to do it. Two (!) days of riding left – and tomorrow, it’s all downhill.  Literally.