By: Izzy Janzen
With many trips finishing up yesterday, we have a much shorter blog for you this afternoon. That being said, our Coast to Quebec rock stars start their trips today, and we couldn’t be more excited for the adventures they have ahead! In other news, we have deemed today Support Sunday in order to honor some of our hardest worker bees; those who live behind the scenes , quietly buzzing away to make their respective trips run smoothly. To put it simply, we couldn’t do it without them. Our support staffers are truly the unsung heroes of the Apogee summer; they get down and dirty with the nitty gritty of the trips to make the magic happen. Below, see our wondrous support staff members highlighted: Emily, Doig, Nate, and Aaron. Thanks, Support folks, for all that you do! You’re the glue that holds this bad boy together and the grease that makes the gears spin (both literally and metaphorically).
East Coast Support (ES):
ES stands both for East Coast Support and Emily Sturtevant – this bundle of sunshine has been a participant on a whopping 5 Apogee trips of her own, and we’re so excited that she agreed to join us in the office this summer! Emily works tirelessly to organize all manner of paperwork; write the blog; and, well, support Apogee trips both near and far. Thanks Emily, we can’t imagine the summer without you!
New England Mountains and Coast (NEMC2):
Today NEMC went white-water rafting in The Forks, ME! Pom told us that it was an epic day and that the group was absolutely amazing. They enjoyed a relaxing afternoon before a big and delicious dinner to cap it all off. It sounds like another wonderful day to be on NEMC!
Coast to Quebec (CQ2A & CQ2B):
Today is the big day for both of our new CQ groups: the day the adventure begins! Spirits are high and energy is flowing. Everyone did some meeting, greeting, and breaking the ice today. We’re so excited for the wonderful journey these groups will have over the next 15 days, creating great friendships as they bike coastal and inland Maine on their way to Quebec City.
Montana Service Adventure (MSA2):
Our Montana folks spent the morning in Helena doing some service work in community gardens before spending the afternoon resting their legs and enjoying the day off. It sounds like the group is getting down to some good hard work and enjoying every minute of it!
Northwest Explorer (NWX2):
Today finds our Northwest Explorers fully in the Olympic back country, so we won’t be getting any pictures from them. However, if you close your eyes and picture majestic snowy peaks looming in the distance, perfect purple flowers blowing in the breeze at your feet, and maybe even a mountain goat looking fondly at you from the next hillside over, then you’ll have successfully put yourself in their shoes (or hiking boots, as it were).
Pacific Coast A (PC2A):
Well, you’ve done it again PCAwesome. The pictures below of the group giving superhuman-support-machine Alex Doig the glory he deserves are priceless! Doig you are a rock, thank you for all of your hard work! (Geo-pun intended – for those of you who don’t know, Doig studies Geoscience in college.) We’ve also included a picture of the colorful PCA family in front of the blue and sparkling ocean they rode along to get to last night’s campsite.
Pacific Coast B (PC2B):
After crushing the Seven Devils yesterday, this group cycled another 40 miles today and enjoyed some spectacular scenery as they went. This ride could be described as “quintessential Oregon” – including some stellar views of the Pacific, as well as a variety of other great viewpoints.
Alps Explorer A (AX2A):
AXA spent the day trekking atop the epic Aletsch glacier. This glacier, the largest in the Alps, is a UNESCO heritage site, which means it is recognized and protected as something of special physical or cultural significance. The pictures below speak for themselves; this group had a stunning day.
Alps Explorer B (AX2B):
Here are some cozy pictures of AXB gearing up for the Tour du Mont Blanc. This quaint pink church the group is posing in front of is an iconic feature of the adorable town of Trient, where their TMB adventure begins. Remember this church in 12 days! Let the magic commence…
Europe Coast to Coast A (ECCA):
ECCA spent today exploring Venice and enjoying every last minute they could together. Tomorrow morning the gang will head their separate ways. We can’t believe it! It’s been such a journey. Unfortunately they weren’t able to get any pictures to us from their Venetian exploration, but we heard that it’s been a great way to cap off such a fantastic trip. Please see below for a tribute to our wonderful support star Nate, who has worked some very long days to help make ECC run smoothyl.
Europe Coast to Coast B (ECCB):
Below you will see ECCB with the heart and soul of Europe, Nate Repass, and his trusty steed of a gear van. Nate has been very busy supporting ECCA and ECCB this summer, and we can’t even begin to express how much he’s done. He appears to have a limitless knowledge about bike maintenance and he’s done it all in order to make things run smoothly for our champion ECCers. Thanks Nate! Also below, see some beautiful photos of ECCB getting down to some straight Venice chillin’! Today was the final day for this group to enjoy each other’s company amidst the beauty of Venice before their departures tomorrow.
America Coast to Coast (ACC):
Our Coast to Coasters are lucky enough to have Aaron Lapkin out there with them. Aaron puts in long days and big miles to facilitate smooth sailing for these champions. Thank you Aaron, you are the man! Today ACC covered 70 miles of ground, bidding a fond farewell to Pie Town and heading on towards Springerville, AZ. That’s right, the gang crossed into Arizona today! Today marks the 30th day of their epic adventure together and yet another state line to cross off their list. Below are some pictures of their border crossing, as well as of their adventures in Pie Town yesterday.
