One week in, and the adventure just keeps rolling! From beautiful bike rides to spontaneous SUP excursions and summit‑day triumphs, every moment has been one to savor. They embraced the joy of today, celebrating van birthdays, dressing up for fancy Fridays, and finding magic in all the little moments in between. Settle in and read on to hear all about today’s adventures! As always, check out our Instagram @apogee.adventures to see even more memories in the making!
Skip to a Specific Trip: AKMC, AXA, AXB, CRM, CRMC, CSVI, DEX, DMCC, ECC, MCCE, MCJ, NEMC, NWMC, VM
Alaska Mountains & Coast (AKMC)
AKMC woke up excited for another day of exploration in Alaska! First on the agenda was a spectacular drive to their next epic location. Everyone made sure to keep an eye out for the one of the largest bore tides in the world in the Turnagain Arm. Today’s big activity was community service, and the group got a taste for watershed conservation with our awesome partner organization! And to make things even better they saw 2 sets of mama moose with babies and 5 billy goats! After a long day of exciting experiences, the crew made their way to Seward for some exploration–and saw the biggest fish they’ve ever seen on the pier–before settling into their campsite for the night. Stay tuned for their big kayaking adventure in a few days!
Alps Explorer A (AXA)
Our first group of Alps Explorers took on their second day of the Tour du Mont Blanc! In the morning, the group met their amazing guide, Anaïs, who immediately got everyone excited to get on trail by showing them a map of the route. After a few miles, the group enjoyed their yummy lunches together beside a beautiful lake while taking in another day of stellar weather in the Alps! This cool squad arrived at their refuge for the night with plenty of time to enjoy a delicious home-cooked dinner and play card games together. We can’t wait to see more pictures of their tremendous trek!
Alps Explorer B (AXB)
Following in the footsteps of AXA, AXB began their Tour du Mont Blanc this morning! After a very serious group photoshoot at the bus stop, the crew made their way to Trient, eager to get on trail and see more epic scenery. The sky was a brilliant blue as this group of intrepid hikers began their ascent. Lunch was a scrumptious affair with spectacular panoramic views. After 9 miles on trail, our Alps explorers arrived at their camp for the night, eager to enjoy dinner together and play some Apogee games before resting up for their next adventure!
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)
Our Colorado crew jumped out of their tents extra early this morning to embark on another epic day hike together! But before any other celebrations could begin, they had to celebrate… it’s their van’s birthday! Yes, MCJs and CRMs’ vans are twins! On top of this exciting celebration today was a “challenge day” in the mountains, and this stellar group absolutely crushed their hike! With tired legs and full buckets, they returned to their campsite for an early dinner and an Apogee and Perigee circle before heading to sleep for some much-needed rest! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog pictures…I hear this crew will be whitewater rafting!
Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)
What a phenomenal day en las montañas with an early Independence Day celebration since they will be driving tomorrow! After time in the mountains headed down, down, down into a beautiful swimming spot where they had some scrumptious lunch and played some soccer/frisbee/Alaskan baseball, and to top things off, they had surprise ice cream because what is July 3rd without ice cream?! To round out the night, they had a BBQ and s’mores and, of course, did some laundry before their next adventure! What more could you ask for?!
Caribbean Service Virgin Islands (CSVI)
The CSVI squad was thrilled to head back to The Nature Conservancy for a second day of community service today. They got up and at ‘em early to avoid the hottest part of the day and prepared for another meaningful morning with gusto. Today’s service involved a beach cleanup and painting fence materials! After a picnic lunch, the group headed to the beach for some relaxing time together. Perhaps the highlight of today for this squad was their nighttime sea kayaking adventure! We can’t wait to see what they’re up to tomorrow!
Dolomite Mountains & Croatian Coast (DMCC)
The DMCC crew had yet another picturesque hike on day 3 of the Alta Via 1. They tackled their most epic climb yet, with games and sunshine along the way. They even hiked to the highest point of the entire AV1! With some hacky sack in the cards for the afternoon at camp, the group had an amazing day, rounded out by a delicious Rifugio dinner. They’re sleeping soundly and getting excited for what tomorrow brings while we’re over here with our jaws on the floor trying to figure out how these stunning photos are real!
Europe Coast to Coast (ECC)
ECC crushed 118 km (73 miles) today, making it their longest mileage day yet—and of the entire trip! Here at the office, we couldn’t be more excited. The squad broke camp early this morning to hit the road with the full day ahead of them. Once again, the route involved boarding a ferry, followed by the first border crossing of the journey. Welcome to Belgium! Everyone was all smiles as they enjoyed some delicious lunch wraps in the shade. Tomorrow, this goofy group will spend their first rest day in Bruges! Stay tuned for more epic pictures…
Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)
Our creative MCCE crew had their final writing session this morning with their iconic and brilliant writing instructor, Jack. The group has written some beautiful essays with topics spanning from the beach to making friendship bracelets, clearly inspired by the summer that’s surrounding them. Following that theme, MCCE had a chill afternoon at the beach to reward themselves for finishing their writing sessions and surviving this heat! But to really top it off, the inspiring authors have been split into two teams all day, competing in various challenges to keep things interesting (we wonder what that prize might be!).
Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)
Maine Coast Junior woke up excited for a very special celebration today…for Kelly van Melanie’s birthday! Kelly van Melanie being their trusty van. In other news, the festive group journeyed to a lighthouse in the morning for some views of the Maine coast before going swimming in the beautiful Echo Lake! They ended the day by returning to Brunswick for some time playing classic Apogee games like “Where’s my Jedi juice?” in camp. Stay tuned to hear about their Challenge Hike tomorrow, which may involve watching the sunrise. We can’t wait to find out what’s next for this crew!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX)
Our intrepid Maine explorers spent their second day in the backcountry today. Everyone was eager to get on the trail after a delicious backcountry breakfast, and the vibes were high for the rest of the day. During lunch, the group took in a spectacular view of Katahdin in the distance, a sneak peek of their adventure in a few days’ time. High spirits continued through the afternoon segment of the hike and into evening activities! After dinner, it was time to enjoy a special treat of berries and cream for dessert, packed into camp by our amazing field leaders!
New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)
It’s fancy Friday on New England Mountains and Coast. Our NEMC crew put on their camp finest (pictured in the very serious blog pick) and started their day. They had a big transit day, saying goodbye to the White, their home of the last six days, and hello to the beautiful coast of Maine. After setting up around camp, the group hit the waves, checking out one of our favorite swim spots in the Brunswick area. They then headed back to camp for dinner and games.
Northwest Mountains & Coast (NWMC)
Day 2 on the San Juan Islands! Today, this epic crew went kayaking again, surrounded by the most stunning scenery ever, like WOW, we are jealous over here in the office. In addition to kayaking today, they volunteered with some local community service projects on Cypress Island, helping to leave the island better than they found it. After a long and impactful day, they gathered at camp for some yummy food and fun games! Tomorrow, they will head off the island and get ready for their next adventure! No blog pics for this squad since they are busy paddling their hearts out!
Vermont to Montreal (VM)
Wow, this team does it all! Today they had a break from biking and spent the day exploring Burlington, reading their email stops, and trying out a new sport: stand-up paddle boarding! What can they not do?! We are so impressed with their go-get-em energy. They ate some delicious dinner and hit the sack before their big day! Tomorrow, they will hop on those bikes again and ride to a new location about 20 miles outside Burlington. We are so stoked to hear about their next few days!
