As the Olympic Championships continue to reign in Paris, as do our Apogee trips across the globe! From the peaks of the Swiss Alps to the beaches of the Caribbean, each and every Apogee student is going for gold in their own individual way. Whether that be through rocking a day of volunteering or crushing a challenging hike, we here at the office love cheering for Team Apogee!

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Skip to a Specific Trip: AKMC, AX, CRMC, CSPR, CSVI, DEX, IMC, MCCE, MCJ, NEMC, NWX, PC, VM

Alaska Mountains & Coast (AKMC)

A rainy day is no match for AKMC as they paid a visit to the Alaska SeaLife Center this morning! The aquarium featured animals such as sea lions, king crabs, and coho salmon, which are all native to Alaska. The day’s festivities continued with a thrifting trip to pick up unique, snazzy outfits for Iron Chef, one of Apogee’s most revered traditions. After grabbing some team swag, the group split off into cooking crews, each with the goal of creating the most nutritious, plentiful, and creative meal. The judge is still out on who reigned victorious, but rumor has it that the food was deserving of a Michelin Star.

 

Alps Explorer (AX)

Word on the street is that our very own hikers completed the Tour du Mont Blac today! Truly an incredible accomplishment, as the group celebrated their third and final border crossing with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Now officially in Switzerland, the final stretch of the TMB took our hikers alongside a river surrounded by the Alps’ trademark snow-capped peaks. To commemorate their dedication, resilience, and hard work, fresh baguettes were ordered for breakfast and a balloon animal competition took place! A fitting reward for their resilience and determination throughout the TMB is a hiking excursion to an ice glacier tomorrow, which AX is positively buzzing about. 

Caribbean Service Puerto Rico (CSPR)

CSPR spent their morning volunteering at a farm in the coastal municipality of Cabo Rojo. Known for its clear waters, sandy shores, and charming city streets, Cabo Rojo was the perfect site for a beach hike following the group’s service work. The afternoon by the coast brought our volunteers a fun basketball game and a refreshing ginger hibiscus drink before their surfing lesson tomorrow, which is sure to be nothing short of a blast!

Caribbean Service Virgin Islands (CSVI)

It was a beautiful day in the Caribbean, and our volunteers helped out this morning at a beautiful Botanical Garden. Following the morning venture, the group snorkeled along the coast of Saint Croix, where they were met with the quintessential calm and teal waters of the Frederiksted Pier. The day was capped off with a scrumptious dinner and dessert at their cozy accommodations. Tomorrow our volunteers will continue their service work, engaging with folks helping turtle nesting!

Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)

What better way to begin the day than with a hike out of the Costa Rican rainforest? Passing through towering trees rich with tropical wildlife, as well as flowing rivers and waterfalls, the trek was nothing if not scenic. Feeling invigorated, the group then transited to Uvita, a seaside town along the Pacific Coast. Part of the Bahia Ballena stretch of coastline, Uvita will be CRMC’s home for the next couple of days. Oh, and of course, Uvita is one of the top spots for waves in Costa Rica, a fact that our campers will discover soon enough with their surfing lesson tomorrow!

Iceland Mountains & Coast (IMC)

If there’s anyone that deserves a cheering crowd, it’s IMC, who embarked on their challenge day hike in Skaftafell. Described as a “hiker’s paradise”, Skaftafell is famed for being one of Iceland’s most wondrous nature preserves. Thunderous waterfalls, towering glaciers, and soaring, ice-capped peaks are among the scenery that our campers experienced on today’s trek up Mount Kristinartindar. Accomplishing the hike with ease, the group will be celebrating their impressive feat in Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik, which they will be traveling to tomorrow. 

 

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

After yesterday’s afternoon of paddling along the shores of Maine, our writers were back in the classroom. Still in the beginning stages of brainstorming topics and sharing ideas, the group engaged in writing exercises throughout the morning. At this rate, there is sure to be a plethora of incredible essays by the end of the week, especially with how much effort and work the group is putting into their writing, as well as supporting each other! And of course, the day was capped off by games at Bowdoin and a home-cooked, family-style meal enjoyed all together. 

Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)

For MCJ, the morning began with a bang as the group headed out on kayaks for a paddle along the coast of Maine. Stopping at inlets and beaches along the way, all sorts of native aquatic life were discovered on the shores. Crabs, snails, and horseshoe crabs abounded, and our campers loved having the chance to explore both on and off the water. Following the kayak, the group transited to Acadia National Park, the eastern jewel of coastal and mountain scenery. A dinner was the perfect way to settle into the park, and excitement was in the air for tomorrow’s day hike.

 

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)

As their backcountry trek winds to a close, DEX is celebrating their accomplishments with a well-earned rest day in Baxter. A state park full of forested landscapes, the group spent time swimming and exploring the area. Baxter is the home of Mount Katahdin, which our hikers are ready to summit tomorrow. As the tallest peak in Maine, it will be a challenge, but one that this group is excited to tackle. Unfortunately no blog pictures tonight for this crew as they are out of cell service range!

 

New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)

Waking up in the midst of the White Mountains is truly a dream, and NEMC had the opportunity to explore the forest even further today. A day hike was in order, as the group embarked on another trek through the lush greenery and mountainous views of New Hampshire along the Square Ledge Trail. A celebratory ice cream stop was in order once back from the hike, along with excited chatter about another adventure tomorrow!

 

Northwest Explorer (NWX)

The Northwest Explorers embarked on their second leg of kayaking this morning, continuing to work their way around the San Juan Islands, an archipelago in Washington State. Known for displaying a fantastic taste of rural northwest landscapes, the San Juan Islands are also an epicenter for native wildlife. Our paddlers were sure to keep a keen eye out for sea lions, river otters, and numerous seabird species such as cormorants, sanderlings, and winged gulls. 

Margo’s half-birthday cinnamon roll cake!

Pacific Coast (PC)

Our bikers continued to hit the roads today, successfully completing a ride with lightly rolling hills and beautiful forest scenery. The theme for the day was redwoods, as our bikers passed through the beautiful, giant evergreens of the coast. The group is feeling excited and ready to continue pushing up through California tomorrow. Spirits are high and for good reason, as our bikers have been positively crushing it each and every day!

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Vermont to Montreal (VM)

Still riding on the excitement of crossing into the Canadian border yesterday, our bikers continued to push towards the city of Montreal! After completing another swift and successful ride this morning, the group was able to cool off at a local waterpark. Buckets of fun were had zipping down slides and swimming in the pool. Invigorated, our bikers are ready to keep up the rocking pace tomorrow!