Day 9: Feelin’ Fine!

The 4th of July may be over, but the fun continues in Apo-land. We’ve got a myriad of photos to entertain you, so scroll down to check out some *SPOILER ALERT* sea kayaking (in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans), surfing, feasting, tree-pose-ing, Belgian waffle eating (in Belgium!), and – of course – hiking and biking. Enjoy!

Skip to a Specific Trip: CI, NEMCANEMCB, CRM, GSA, CS, MCCEDEX, VM, CRLSCRMCCMCA, CMCB, AKMC, NWXA, NWXB, PCA, PCB, AX, PMC, ECC1, ECC2 ACC

Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)

Rolling into Provincetown after one of their longest mileage days yet, CI might be one of the the most monumental crews to arrive in P-Town since the Mayflower in 1620! On the ride over they even ran into Apo leader Ben Campbell’s mom. There’s Apo fam wherever you go!

New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)

Cool activity alert! Today NEMCA hit the beautiful Androscoggin river for some whitewater rafting and we heard that spirits were high after riding the waves. We hadn’t yet received a photo as of press time, but we’re hoping it comes in soon and we’ll update accordingly!

New England Mountains & Coast B (NEMCB)

Today NEMCB had their last full day of hiking in the White Mountains (AKA their beautiful home, backyard, and classroom for the past 4 days). It’s all smiles for this group as there are more exciting adventures ahead! Service prevented them from sending in a photo as of yet, but we’re hopefully to get a peek of their adventures soon.

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)

You know what they say… Time flies when you’re on the trip of a lifetime with 11 of your new best friends led by the coolest trip leaders Eddie and Jordan! Here’s a final group shot to celebrate the last day of CRM, plus a few bonus pics they discovered on their phones. They did it!

Golden State Adventure (GSA)

Sadly, all adventures must come to an end and Golden State Adventure is no exception. For those of us feeling sentimental, here are lots of bonus pics from their time in Santa Monica yesterday and morning surf lesson. Congrats GSA!

Caribbean Service (CS)

If there’s three things these folks can’t get enough of, it’s service, ocean views, and… basketball? Looks like our Caribbean Service crew beat the heat playing some hoops!

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

You heard it here first – the college essays are officially DONE! To celebrate all that they have accomplished, our hardworking writers hit the town for a final dinner after a morning paddle off the coast of Maine. What a dreamy day!

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)

Woohoo! DEX just had their first day hiking the epic Appalachian Trail. We knew from their fourth of July pics yesterday that these peeps know how to throw a party, but who knew that they were such pro hikers too?! Unfortunately the backcountry stint means no photos for us fans at home, but we can’t wait to see what they emerge with!

Vermont to Montréal  (VM)

We’re getting up north, folks! Today is VM’s last full day biking in the U.S. before they put on their Mountie hats, chug some maple syrup (along with a healthy and nutritious breakfast, of course) and cross the border into Canada. As for now, the crew is posting up in the beautiful Grand Isle State Park.

Costa Rica Language & Service (CRLS)

We can’t believe CRLS has already come to an end! We also can’t believe students will have to go back to roughing it and actually walking places instead of zip lining. Adios, amigos!

Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)

Today is a transit day for our Costa Rica friends and in typical CRMC fashion they are headed to yet another stunning destination deep in the Costa Rican jungle. We know everyone will be getting a great night sleep tonight as they fall asleep to the soothing sounds of the waterfalls around their ecolodge.

California Mountains & Coast (CMCA)

One of the first national parks in the country, Yosemite holds a special magic and significance. Our group is doing everything they can to soak it all up on their last day of the backcountry.

California Mountains & Coast (CMCB)

Much like their CMCA counterparts, CMCB is enjoying their last day in the Yosemite backcountry. We’ll eagerly welcome them back to civilization tomorrow!

Alaska Mountains & Coast (AKMC)

AKMC just one-upped us all and spent the day kayak camping! After a day of paddling, they enjoyed dinner on the beach with views of the Holgate Glacier and a night under the stars (just kidding, it barely gets dark in the summer). Here is a pic of last night’s fourth of July feast that they snuck out before leaving the phone-zone!

Northwest Explorer (NWXA)

Strap on those helmets and P.F.Ds because NWXA just hit the water today and went whitewater rafting with their amazing guides. All smiles from these whitewater pros!

Northwest Explorer (NWXB)

Sea stars, otters, and orcas, oh my! NWXB just had their first of three days of kayaking in the San Juan Islands. Watch out J-Pod, there’s another squad in town!

Pacific Coast (PCA)

Check out those PCA tree poses! Such beautiful form! It must be all those Redwoods they biked by as they passed though Del Norte Redwoods State Park. After hard day of biking, our friends topped it all off with a delicious dinner featuring not one, but two watermelons!

Pacific Coast (PCB)

Look at these surfers! PCB had an amazing day taking surf lessons at a nearby beach in Crescent City. They’re enjoying the water while they can because tomorrow it’s back on land to bike through some beautiful redwoods!

 

Alps Explorer (AX)

What a day! AX met their French Mountain Guide, Anne and completed a day hike up to Lac Blanc. Here’s an action shot of the team crossing from Switzerland into France. And those campsites? I mean c’mon! That’s a #tentview if I’ve ever seen one.

Pyrenees Mountains & Coast (PMC)

Well, well, well… if we weren’t already jealous enough, PMC just put us over the top. I mean, look at those views! We want to say “bonjour” and teleport to summertime in France. Starting in the mountains and ending in the ocean, this group has gotten to see it all and even crushed their longest day of hiking today. C’est magnifique et fantastique!

Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)

Next up, we’ve got the beauteous border of France and Belgium! The photo was strategically taken with half the crew (left side in the pic) in Belgium, and the other half (right side) in France. Country number 3 done! We’ve also got an exclusive photo of the finest display of helmet-tan this side of the Mississip—Er, this side of the Rhîne. Way to rock it!

Check out that helmet tan!

Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)

Here we have some cultured ECC2 folks enjoying their Belgian waffles in Belgium. Because what else would you eat?

America Coast to Coast (ACC)

That’s more like it! We almost didn’t recognize ACC yesterday on their rest day without all their helmets and biking gear. After some well deserved relaxation yesterday, ACC hit the road again and is heading to Alabama!