Sing, O Muse, of Things Apogeeian!

Good evening, Apogee Empire! Apologies for the late post today, but I was away from the computer for most of the day. I had the privilege of joining Lidia and Cyrus in Boston today as they wrapped up their trip. It is always special to watch students who, two weeks ago, had no idea who their fellow trippers would be give big hugs all around and join their folks in waiting cars – alternating between big smiles and wistful looks back at their new friends. Lidia and Cyrus, too, were sad to see everyone go, but truth be told, they were pretty happy to sit back and enjoy a long, quiet drive back to Brunswick!

I’m attaching a very nice shot of our three Mountains and Coasts leaders with two of their recent students – partly because it’s a lovely picture of nice young people, but also because it demonstrates that the sun does, in fact, shine in Maine. The rain, the wretched rain, has returned. With luck, and if the forecasters are to be believed, the gorgeous weather we’ve had recently is on its way back – but not quickly enough if you ask me…

On the opposite side of the country, students from all over flew into Seattle today to meet Rachel and Mike (late of Vermont Hiker fame) for their 20-day Northwestern Explorer adventure. They’re getting to know each other this evening and will head into the mountains tomorrow. Mike sent along the below picture of Rachel on top of the van after a 2.5 hour wrestling match with the van’s roof rack. Attaching the rack apparently required several advanced degrees and the strength of Hercules. I’m happy to report that Mike and Rachel were victorious in said wrestling match, though the result was not a foregone conclusion.

We should be hearing from our Maine Mountaineers in a couple of days, but for now, they are still deep in the Maine woods – crossing bogs, cresting ridges, and counting rippling waves of mountains disappearing in the distance. And, perhaps, counting the days until they get a shower…

I hope to post a trip-describing rhyme that Mike and Meaghan’s Quebecers sang into my cell phone recently – but, as melodious as their collective voices were, I had trouble understanding the message that was left for me. Must have been a problem with the cell phone… Both of our Quebec trips have enjoyed, until today, perfect weather for riding. Both trips are within a day or so of leaving the rock-bound Maine coast for the rock-bound Maine mountains. We’ll try to get some pictures from both trips up tomorrow.

Seventy-four miles before 11:30 AM! Our Coasters are unstoppable right now. They were in tonight’s destination, Roswell, New Mexico, before lunch time! Today they enjoyed their coolest temperatures of the trip, the benefit of a perfect tail wind, slightly overcast skies, and Kevin – there to act as custodian, concierge and bellhop. In a bit of news to ACC parents, the group is taking advantage of the easterly breeze and skipping tomorrow’s day off of the bike in Roswell. Instead, they plan to take a day off in Socorro – where they’ll be back in the air-conditioning.

~ Chad