You may or may not believe it, but there are five (5!!!) days left of the Apogee summer (we are the authoritative source on the matter; you should believe it). Folks, that isn’t a lot of time. That’s a work week’s worth of Apogee. But looked at differently, that’s a ton of time. Wars have been won and fought in less than five days. People have summited Everest, they have driven across the United States, they have kayaked the entire Maine coast all in less than five days. The question is, then, what will your kid do in their five? Luckily, we can give you a window into some of that via this remarkably well-run and well-written blog page. Sit back and enjoy some photos of your kids making the most of their trip time left, whether it be exploring behind a waterfall in Iceland or summiting Mount Katahdin in Maine.
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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)
Not ones to let bad weather get in the way of fun, the AKMCers went on two hikes today around Seward. They saw spruce and hemlock forests found on the eastern side of the Kenai Peninsula, along with some streams and creeks as well. After a scrumptious post-hike lunch, the group found some respite in the Seward public library to watch a movie in their downtime (let’s be real…is there any better rainy day activity?) This group is not letting it rain on their parade.
Alps Explorer (AX)
It looms ever closer and closer. Day by day, hour by hour, these Alps Explorers amble onwards towards their goal. No, that goal is not finding the best baguette in Europe (though the group claims they reached that goal on this very day), or even the best campsite in the region. That goal is, of course, the completion of the Tour de Mont Blanc. Today marked the last full day on the trail for these now-seasoned hikers, a day which included spotting different wood carvings along the trail and bonding over some riddles and other games. Tomorrow they have an early morning (think, like, 4 A.M. early morning…) to catch the bus and begin the transit back to Geneva. What a fantastic couple of weeks for this inspiring group!
Caribbean Service Puerto Rico (CSPR)
Caribbean surf-this! The CSPR group took to the waves of the vast Atlantic today, trying their feet at a little surfing before a transit day in the mañana. After shredding (or learning how to shred, mostly) all morning with some top-tier instruction, the day consisted of games on the beach and relaxation. Few things are certain in this life, but after some deep existential reckoning here in the Apogee office we have come up with one: CSPR will have a phenomenal day filled with laughs and exuberance. It has proven true with this crew all summer, and we await the rest of their island days eagerly.
Caribbean Service Virgin Islands (CSVI)
Another gorgeous, sunny day in the Virgin Islands for the squad! This morning the group did service work with turtle nesting at the Ocean Foundation. This incredible experience helps to protect and improve the turtle nests, while also getting to see small turtles on the beach! What more can you ask for? After the service the group hiked to the Hams Bluff Lighthouse experienced the breathtaking views of the coastline, topped with some silly games along the way. Back in camp the group cooked a dinner of filet mignon and (…had you there for a second didn’t I) rounded out the day in Apogee fashion with A’s and P’s.
Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)
Two days ago, the United States’ very own Caroline Marks won gold in the women’s surfing category. The competition was held in Tahiti. Nearly 5,000 miles away, CRMC took inspiration and did a little bit of surfing of their own with some Olympic levels of enjoyment and progression. The morning began with lots of pancakes and bacon before shredding it on the waves, looking like locals. After a delicious pasta salad lunch, the group returned to the beach for even more time in the water, specifically body surfing! The busy day concluded with some pool time and a spa night before they transit to Alajuela tomorrow.
Iceland Mountains & Coast (IMC)
This group woke up in the beautiful Vatnajökull National Park before beginning their transit over to Reykjavik. They stopped along the way to to walk behind the Seljalandsfoss waterfall (likely the most famous in Iceland) and then explored another one tucked behind some walls in a cavern. They lunched at the iconic black sand beaches in Vík; not too shabby for a transit day! This group will soon round out its time together in The Land of Fire and Ice, but look forward to a great last day together in Reykjavik.
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)
This group woke up to some awesome birthday decorations at their accommodations! They then took advantage of a primo Maine weather day, and did some great activities in The Great Outdoors. Such activities included blueberry picking and beach going (I mean, can you get more Maine?). The group also created an Apogee Olympics, and the birthday girl, of course, got to choose some of the activities! We can’t know for sure… but were the games rigged? All in all it was a wonderful day for the MCCE crew, and they finished it off with even more birthday shenanigans!
Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)
Man, these guys stay crushing it. After a day kayaking, today they did some lovely hikes around Acadia National Park and soaked up some sun and views. They even managed to push a 200 million year-old boulder over (kidding!). But seriously, we are stoked for this group and they are absolutely crushin’ it. Even better, this evening the group celebrated the van’s birthday by decorating it and using washable paint! Keep on keepin’ on MCJ!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)
When the famous Henry Thoreau climbed Katahdin in 1846, he was astounded. He had this to write in his journal: “Here was no man’s garden, but the unhandseled globe. It was not lawn, nor pasture, nor mead, nor woodland, nor lea, nor arable, nor waste land. It was the fresh and natural surface of the planet Earth.” Thoreau, as it happens, never actually reached the summit of Katahdin in his 1846 attempt. Katahdin is a beast of a mountain, the most common route up being a 5-mile trail with a 4,000 elevation foot gain. Some Appalachian Trail thru-hikers consider it the hardest part of the trail (it marks the start or finish of the AT), and the weather around the mountain is often unpredictable and harsh. Against all of this, DEX summited Katahdin this morning, making them the first of the summer to do so. Whoop, Whoop! This required an early wake-up and some serious grit as they scrambled up boulders hundreds of millions years old. The “fresh and natural surface of planet Earth,” indeed. After downclimbing, this DEX crew will head into a well-deserved rest day at Baxter State Park before they head south towards the Maine coast for some kayaking (because summiting the tallest mountain in Maine just isn’t enough for this intrepid group). Go DEX!
New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)
Day cinco for this rugged crew of mountaineers! Today NEMC continued exploring the White Mountains with a beautiful hike to Arethusa Falls, the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire. After crushing that hike, they then found a swimming hole to escape the Maine heat and have a relaxing afternoon. The group is tucked into camp for the night and is super excited for tomorrow’s challenge day!
Northwest Explorer (NWX)
We wouldn’t consider ourselves one-dimensional here. Some people you get the picture of within a few hours of meeting them. Not us. We have depth, variety. And so too with our trips. After several days hiking heavy miles in the backcountry, NWX thought they would try out some sea kayaking in the Pacific, because, well, they can. But then they also did a little hiking too, so as not to risk being one-dimensional. We like this group. Tomorrow they will do a little community service (another dimension!) and settle into a last few fun days together.
Pacific Coast (PC)
Our Pacific Coast riders are crusin’ their way into Olema! They’ve put some miles on their bikes this trip, and they are absolutely killin’ it! After a morning of beautiful vistas heading into camp, the group stopped for a well-deserved lunch in quaint town called Point Reyes Station. They spent the afternoon eating some yumming ice cream (from a water buffalo?) and playing games before an awesome feast for dinner tonight! Tomorrow is their final day pedaling, and the final PC pedal of the summer, for that matter! It’s a bittersweet moment for all of us – but they will crush it!
Vermont to Montreal (VM)
Am I dreaming? Can this be Mont-real? These guys have churned and burned, pedaled to the metal, grinded gears (in the literal sense, not like making people angry) over some 200 miles and ten days to get to their final destination of Montreal! And most importantly, they did it with a kick-butt attitude, smiles, hugs, face-paint and all. After 37 miles today (and some exploration of the F1 track!), the group will rest their legs a bit with some casual exploring in Montreal tomorrow. Justin Trudeau himself is slated to have final dinner with this crew. Stay tuned!
