It is almost unbelievable, friends, but today marks the beginning of the end. As Kevin, Rachel, Mason and their team of Vermonsters pulled back into Manchester this afternoon after the long drive down from Montreal, Mason and Rachel became our first leader pair of the summer to finish up their season. To say it all goes by so very quickly doesn’t begin to describe it!
Let’s not wax nostalgic, though, let’s get to the field!
In today’s FAIL category:
PCA: Way out in the redwoods, in the land of very, very poor cell phone reception, Andy and Danika’s group is making their way south. They are in the great northern city of Eureka (!), CA tonight. They will be looking forward to their service project at a local food bank here in the next couple of days.
NWX: Farther to the north, our Northwestern Explorers are really exploring now, as they went into the backcountry for their five night expedition. They had to change their route a bit because of all of the snow in the area. Barring any problems, we won’t hear from them until they come out of the woods on Monday.
CI: Here’s a shot of our intrepid Capers at Madaket this afternoon, on the far end of Nantucket and halfway through their challenge ride.
CQA: Here’s a shot of Laura and Pat’s group, all lined up after a dip in their authentic French-Canadian swimming pool!
CQB: It was Hannah and Shem’s group’s turn to swap out flags at the border today!
NEMC: In their last full day together, Sam and Jillian’s group enjoyed an awesome day on the water in Casco Bay — they’re off to Portland as I type for their big night out and final dinner.
DEX: Having safely emerged from the woods today, Josh and Nora’s group ate a huge pizza lunch in Millinocket and, as you can see, did their best to dry out people and gear after a wet night on the trail.
CSA: It was with sadness that Heidi, Wyatt, and their Bueno Band left the gorgeous island of Vieques this morning — but they were off for their gorgeous hilltop villa in Cabo Rojo this evening. I just heard from Heidi, and their cross-Puerto Rico journey concluded safely!
VM: Here are the aforementioned Mason and Rachel’s kids, just before going their separate ways in Manchester this afternoon.
PCB: Here is a shot of most of Lucas and Anna’s group at a foggy vista point in foggy Northern California. These guys are riding the gorgeous, redwood filled coastal hills towards Eureka over the next couple of days.
TSA: And way, way over in Italy, Nick, Cait & Co. enjoyed their off day at Spannocchia learning about the fancy pigs on the property, hiking in the chestnut forest and just relaxing by the pool. Here’s a shot of the group a couple of days ago taking in the sunset view of Florence from the Piazza Michelangelo.
ACC: Our almost-all-the-way-across-the-country folks are pulling in to Prescott, AZ as I type. They’ll enjoy their last rest day tomorrow — and will be stopping by the Boys and Girls Club in town to give a safe riding demo and tell tales of their journey.