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Cowabunga, dudes! Like the name implies, today was chock full of hellos and goodbyes—and of course, surfing. And what better time to learn some surfing lingo than on a beautiful summer’s day? Some of our trips are “paddling out” to see the big one rapidly approach as trips and hike tours start. Others are between “swells” or executing a “cutback” to transition to a new part of their trips. Finally (and sadly!), still more are getting out of the metaphorical water and its highs and lows: today, AKMC, IMC, and PMC threw up a shaka to some or all of their members. Though they will be missed, we’re grateful for the rippin’ good times we’ve had—and whether or not we’re “lining up” or “kicking out,” the days ahead are gonna be radical! Check out our Instagram @apogee.adventures for even more sweet content!
Skip to a Specific Trip: AKMC, AX, CRM, CSPR, CSVI, DMCC, ECC, IMC, NEMC, NWMC, PMC
Alaska Mountains & Coast (AKMC)
Fresh off of yesterday’s glacier hike, AKMC spent their penultimate day smoothly riding the metaphorical shoulder of a clean wave into Anchorage (coincidentally, the home of some of the largest tidal swells in the world)! Rather than get in that chilly water, our campers opted for a day of exploring the city, enjoying their final dinner together—is it just me, or does it feel like it came too soon? Maybe it’s because the sun still hasn’t set…as they peace out to their respective corners of the world, we wish them safe travels and hope their memories of Alaska are as gnarly as their photos!
Alps Explorer (AX)
Holy moly, we’re actually on the TMB!!! Our Alpen Explorers left the edelweiss and chocolate of Switzerland behind today as they began their 12-day, 105-mile, 30,000-foot elevation-change tour of western Europe’s highest mountain. That starting line never stood a chance. The surfing metaphor is already stretching thin…hmm, let’s see, what do waves and mountains have in common? Oh, I know: that classic a-frame shape, the thrill of summiting a big wedge, the smell of fresh air—it’s almost too perfect a metaphor. Pair that with games of fishbowl, contagious laughter, and pink churches? Well, then you’ve got a TMB start impossible to forget.
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)
Jumping right into the deep end, our CRM crew spent their first full day on trip hiking around beautiful Grand Lake, CO. Those “gremmies” and “grommets” won’t be novice hikers for much longer, as this is just the beginning of their Rocky adventure! They also enjoyed a lovely picnic, then spent the afternoon playing frisbee and making friendship bracelets. If waves were mountains, then there’s a “corduroy” of “nugs” in store for them in the next few days, and hopefully no “mushburgers.” And yes, in case you were wondering, that’s all actual surfing lingo.
Caribbean Service Puerto Rico (CSPR)
Well, if there’s any trip that benefits most from today’s theme, it’s this one! CSPR spent the day in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, learning how to (wait for it) SURF! With their days of service officially done, CSPR could finally hang loose. While they may not be able to hang the perfect ten or perfect their “soul arches” yet, today was a much-deserved treat for our indomitable volunteers. Now’s the time to wind down and relax before final dinner and departure from San Juan!
Caribbean Service Virgin Islands (CSVI)
What’s that I hear? Day 1 of another session of CSVI? You know it is, and it’s gonna be the bomb!! Arriving at the pristine beaches and perfect palms of the Virgin Islands, our soon-to-be volunteers got settled in their cozy accommodations just minutes from the water, their base of operations for the next week. Though they won’t be surfing, there’s no way you’ll keep this crew away from the ocean—snorkeling, sea kayaking, sea turtle habitation, oh my! This week is sure to be sublime.
Dolomite Mountains & Croatian Coast (DMCC)
If today’s hike down was a surf down a wave, it would make the record-books: almost 4,000 feet of descent, all in one day!! It wouldn’t be hard to mistake the DMCC crew for actual Olympians with that tremendous effort—and just like that the first leg of the trip (known by very cool people as AV1, by the way) is officially over, woohoo! The later part of today was spent doing laundry, picking up gear, and grabbing groceries in preparation for the days ahead. Fun and glamorous stuff. Next up, charging on to Croatia!
Europe Coast to Coast (ECC)
Escape from the Alps! Today, our ECCers had a scenic downhill ride through northern Italy, ending their ride at Italy’s #1 ranked city for quality of life, Bolzano. That metric certainly holds true for the night’s campground, which is, to quote our director, “An Apogee favorite.” Needless to say, absolute stunner of a site and a day. The sea is just a few more days away, and Venice is calling…though I’ve not heard much about Venice’s surfing scene, all that peddling might be good practice for cross-stepping (look it up if you’re itching to watch something impressive tonight). Just saying…
Iceland Mountains & Coast (IMC)
Oh, how sweet! Oh, how sad! A real cowabummer, if you will. We had to bid our farewells to this iciest of lands today, as our IMC troopers boarded their planes in Reykjavik. As their planes “punt” up into the sky (flying is surely an aerial trick, no?), we reminisce on the good times we had together. Also, we’re literally looking back at the past—as promised, here are some photos from yesterday that we missed! Those cave vistas are definition “mysto spots,” bros. Thanks for a perfect 10 trip!
New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)
Sayonara, White Mountains! As our fearless NEMCers executed a flawless pivot away from New Hampshire and towards Maine, they got grounded in their new environment with a trip to a local farm for volunteering! The kiddos were stoked to get hands in the dirt under the magical guidance of the big kahuna/head honcho herself, the marvelous miss Martha. Look out for sea kayaking and final dinner tomorrow!
Northwest Mountains & Coast (NWMC)
Go on, plop down, take a load off, be a “ho-dad” for a change—because after today’s challenge hike in the North Cascades, our fearless NWMC crew will need it! With highs in the 70s and full sun, it was the perfect day for a hike. With only a couple more days left in Cascadia, our hikers will surely thread the needle of this trip’s metaphorical “barrel” to finish in Seattle. Mental.
Pyrenees Mountains & Coast (PMC)
And finally, fittingly, our last trip on the list: Pyrenees Mountains and Coast, it’s officially curtains! Here’s to our participants and leaders, who got up outrageously early (in surfing lingo, this would be called “dawn patrol”) to see our PMCers off at the airport. To make the loosest of metaphorical connections and to supply one last fun fact, while Great Pyrenees dogs have never been successfully recorded surfing on the high seas, they have developed the peculiar and viral habit of “counter surfing”: using their immense height to snatch food off of the world’s counters. Likewise, we hope that the good times of PMC will be snatched up as memories by our departing campers. Safe travels, and once again—aloha!