By: Gracie, Kelly, and Hannah
As we groggily looked at our alarm clocks this fine Thursday morning, we couldn’t help but exclaim at how fast this week, and summer, has been flying by (and feel the utmost respect for our Apogee trips that were up and at ’em way before us.) Our cross-country bike trips have less than a week until they reach the opposite ocean, we have hiking groups who are already halfway through their adventures in the mountains together, and others that are already settling in comfortably with one another as they take off into the Apo-world. We’re not throwing back, but trucking forward this Thursday as our Apogee trips continue their awesome adventures!
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE3): These coastal scholars woke up and readied themselves for a first full day together with a morning visit to Bowdoin’s campus for a “secrets of college essays” workshop, led by Kat Stegeman, a Bowdoin Admissions guru. They were back at it in the afternoon working on topic development with Jaed. Tonight they cooked up some delicious dinner and stewed some more about essay topics, which got them on the topic of witty jokes. Here is their submission for the day:
“How do you find Will Smith in the winter?”
“You look for fresh prints.”
Cape Cod & the Islands (CI3): Tourists weren’t just whale-watching on Nantucket, they were also watching our Capers whip around the island on their bikes! Our seacoast cyclists navigated the streets like experts as part of their full-fledged tour of this Wampanog-named “faraway island.” Pastel colors were abound as this crew flew by sailboats on the water and rustic houses aligning the cobblestone streets.
Caribbean Service Adventure (CSA3): After getting down and dirty with some trail maintenance work in the Puerto Rican jungle, these CSA3ers got to rinse off in the Caribbean! They didn’t have to go far this morning to help out at the conservation center, since it’s right out their back door! They spent the afternoon splashing and sunning around Arecibo beach to top of another fun and productive day in Puerto Rico.
Vermont to Montreal A (VM3A): These Vermonsters packed their panniers with a picnic lunch and jumped right into their kayaks for a beautiful day’s outing on Lake Champlain. If their paddling skills are anything like their cycling, they likely made some ripples in the water as they motored around Burlington’s lakefront. They’ll get to explore more on the ground in Burlington tomorrow as they will dedicate their morning to volunteering, and then have the rest of the day to tour around Vermont’s gem of a city.
Vermont to Montreal B (VMB3): Hey, cow! Chandler and Anna’s Dynamos waved hello to many of these farm friends as they chatted amongst themselves during their 28 miles of riding today. They were udderly impressed by the wide expanses of farmland as they made their way to Shelburne, which is just outside of Burlington. They will take to the water tomorrow with a morning of kayaking on Lake Champlain, and maybe catch a glance of the rumored lake monster, Champ?
Maine’s Downeast Explorer A (DEX3): Camping on a private island, kayaking throughout the day, watching the sunset across the water, laying underneath the stars before drifting off to sleep….are these Dexsters on vacation or what? Today marks day two out on the water for this crew’s kayaking escapade. Tomorrow they’re headed to the next vacation destination – Acadia National Park for some gorgeous hiking.
Costa Rica Language & Service (CRLS3): What a great day in Costa Rica! The group started the morning with four hours of Spanish classes on the terrace of the school overlooking the beautiful town of Turrialba. This afternoon, the crew headed over to volunteer at a local nursing home and played Bingo with the residents! Can you say, “B-I-N-G-O!”?
Coast to Quebec A (CQ2A): These coastal cruisers said “au revoir” to the ocean and headed inland as they weaved their way towards Unity. The day was quite hilly, but they rocked some group stretching to get ready for some of the big climbs. They flew by fences and farmland before posting up shop at Unity College, located in Waldo county in Maine. We wonder if they caught any sight of the red and white striped man himself, Where’s Waldo?
Coast to Quebec B (CQ2B): They’re blue da ba dee da ba daa – from all the blueberry picking they’ve been up to! Community service with the Camden Mountains Land Trust placed these CQ2Bers in a blueberry patch, where they harvested berries and got to check out the plant. They returned to their campsite in Camden for an evening of fun and games before hitting the road again early tomorrow morning!
California Mountains & Coast A (CMC3A): Day number two out on the ocean for this kayaking crew proved to be double the fun, with a tour around Point Reyes National Seashore. These parts of the peninsula are home to sea lions and (according to our trustworthy friend Wikipedia) has some of the cleanest beaches in the entire state of California. The only downside is that service can be fairly spotty out at sea, so we’ll have to wait for the kayaking Kodaks until tomorrow.
California Mountains & Coast B (CMC3B): This Cali crew just crushed a whopping 7.5 miles in the Giant Sequoias of Calaveras Big Trees State Park today! Later today, in preparation of hiking through the labyrinth of the Yosemite forests tomorrow, they navigated through grocery store aisles to prep for their back country gig. After picking up summer sausages, granola bars, and PB&J supplies galore, they transited to their campsite for the night, where they fell asleep with dreams of the wilderness and wonders of the trail dancing through their heads. They’ll be without service as they wander into the Yosemite woods tomorrow, so we will have to anxiously await their pictures until they emerge!
Montana Service Adventure (MSA2): Freddy and Anna’s Montanans took a break from the headwinds on the highway and helped out in Browning with some community service at their homeless center. After stocking shelves and raking lawns they came together for some great A’s and P’s round the dinner table. There’s certainly a lot to be thankful for – like the views that they’ll be seeing soon of Glacier National Park!
Northwest Explorer (NWX2): Day Three in the backcountry, will these NWXers ever want to leave? Today these explorers made it to one of the most beautiful spots in this portion of the North Cascades – Hidden Meadows Stock Camp. At 6300 feet in elevation, this subalpine meadow is breathtaking, and not just from the elevation! Hopefully the pictures we’ll see when they exit the back country will give its divine beauty justice.
Pacific Coast A (PC2A): With a 60 mile day under their belts, Bonnie, Mike and their Pacific peeps are just raving about the views from the ribbons of road. They got to ride along the world famous “Avenue of Giants,” a long stretch of road that parallels acres upon acres of redwood groves. These big trees made for some big smiles as the group rode into camp at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
Pacific Coast B (PC2B): After a hearty breakfast, these Pacific coast pedalers headed to downtown Eureka for some community service with Food for People. These Good Samaritans dedicated their off day to helping others in difficult situations, and we’re sure their A’s and P’s shared tonight reflected their hard work today. Kudos to this giving crew!
Scottish Highlands Explorer (SHX2): Forget about the “Big Ben” clocktower in Great Britain, our SHX2ers became well-acquainted with the Scottish “Ben Nevis” as they climbed partway up the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. Everyone had time to run around Fort Williams afterwards for a nice little break before heading out on the Great Glen Way. Along with yesterday’s sea kayaking adventures, the crew had quite the range of activities to refuel from – which they did with a top chef worthy dinner. Looks yummy, cheftestents!
Alps Explorer (AX2): These Alps adventurers may have missed out on the Tour de France stage that climbed through, Col de la Croix, or the Pass of the Iron Cross, but they did not miss out on the gorgeous views from the top! They hiked an impressive 20 kilometers today which was full of sheep, rolling hills, and French Alps splendor. They’re tucked into one of the most gorgeous valleys in the Alps – but it’s remote enough that they don’t have means to beam us a pic – we should have one after they cross into Italy tomorrow.
America Coast to Coast 1 (ACC1): The 73 miles ACC1 crushed today were bittersweet (actually… probably just sweet) as it was their last full day in Arizona. The gang cruised 60+ miles into Parker, AZ before 10 AM – then they spent the bulk of the day playing vampires as they slept through the heat of the day, emerging with the dusk to ride their last few miles out to tonight’s campsite deep in the California desert. Tomorrow – 29 Palms!
America Coast to Coast 2 (ACC2): Its the last of the last rest days for ACC2 today! After getting an ample amount of zzz’s, these rested riders headed to the local Boys’ and Girls’ Club for some community service. Nearing the end of their six-week cycling epic, what better way to spread the love than by teaching kids about bike mechanics? Did we mention they’re less than a week away from dipping into the Pacific Ocean? Getting chills already!
