Day 39: Everyone’s Having a Great Time

Sometimes Tuesdays feel like the forgotten day of the week. We all know (and sometimes dread) Mondays for being the start of the school and work week, Wednesday is hump day, Thursday is almost Friday, Friday is almost the weekend, and Saturday and Sunday get their fair share of love. When you’re on an Apogee trip, though, the days of the week are relatively meaningless. Every day is an adventure, and this Tuesday certainly proved to be just that. Read on to find out what adventures our groups got up to!

Skip to a Specific Trip: CS, DEXA, DEXB, VLCAVLCBCRMCCMCAKMCA, AKMCB, AKMCC, NWXA, NWXB, PC, ACC1, ACC2

Caribbean Service (CS)

Today our amazing CS crew did service with the Vieques Humane Society. The fruits of their labor were celebrated by the animals they cared for today. We are so impressed by this groups ability to do it all,  especially as they look forward to another day with the Humane Society tomorrow!

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXA)

Wahoo! We love a good day hike. Today DEX A hit the trail in Acadia National Park. They say good things come in threes, so our DEXers summited three peaks: Bald Peak, Parkman Mountain, and Gilmore Peak! What a rockin’ day. 

Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXB)

DEX B had a blast hiking in Camden Hills State Park today. Camden is known as ‘the Jewel of the Maine Coast’ and for good reason. This quintessential New England town lies right on the Atlantic shoreline, and the Camden Hills State Park offers many trails for hiking and exploring. We’re so happy they got to see some of it!

 

Vermont & Lake Champlain A (VLCA)

Today is the first full day for VLCA! After getting suited up and fitted to the bikes, the crew rode for 16 miles. While the first full day of a trip can feel a bit daunting, we know this group crushed it.

Vermont & Lake Champlain B (VLCB)

VLCB also had their first full day of the trip today! Riding 20 miles, the campers are sure to be getting a feel for their bikes already. With helmets on and smiles all around, we are excited to see all that these VLC B-ers will accomplish in the days to come!

Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)

Today CRMC headed to an Ecolodge in the Costa Rican Rainforest where they will be enjoying and exploring for the next few days! After their commute (aka hike into the rainforest!), the crew unpacked and settled into their new temporary home, getting a feel for the plush, green landscape around them. Tonight they made chocolate and tortillas with the Ecolodge hosts — we are mega jealous! As psyched as we were to see pics of this delicious endeavor, phone service at the Ecolodge is unfortunately not on our side. Let us instead imagine smiling faces with homemade chocolate and tortillas spread in front of them, it’s almost like we’re there! 

California Mountains & Coast (CMC)

The CMC crew had a busy day of prepping for the backcountry today. Tomorrow they will be heading into the Yosemite wilderness, so they went over backcountry protocols, checked their gear, restocked any food and fuel needed, and picked up mail from the post office. Don’t worry, though, the day was far from just errands. Any day in Yosemite is a day to treasure and our group was able to do some fun exploring too!

Alaska Mountains & Coast A (AKMCA)

Our AKMC A-ers came out of the backcountry today! No pictures by press time, but it sounds like they had a total blast! Tonight they will get some much deserved sleep and then be off for community service and a transit day tomorrow. Yeehaw!

Alaska Mountains & Coast B (AKMCB)

After their big day on the glacier yesterday, AKMCB took a step back from hiking and gave their legs a bit of a rest. They transited to Anchorage, ran some errands to stock up for their backcountry trip (which starts tomorrow!), packed, and picked up mail. We can’t wait for them to hit the trail come morning! 

Alaska Mountains & Coast C (AKMCC)

Today was day one of AKMCC’s two day kayaking trip. After ferrying over to their campsite in Aialik Bay, the group got out on the water and explored the beautiful icebergs around them. Epic! We wish we were a fly on the wall of their trip… or maybe a fish in the sea?

Northwest Explorer (NWXA)

It’s day one of NWXAs backcountry trip! For the next six days they will be in the North Cascade Wilderness, so we won’t be seeing any pics from this crew. That being said, we know they are having a blast and can’t wait to be back-loaded with photos when they return! 

Northwest Explorer (NWXB)

After a bit of exploring in the area, NWXB did some big time backcountry prep to get ready for their trip tomorrow. Pick up bear cans? Check. Shop for trip food? Check. Backpack packing demonstration? Check. Gear check? Check. Can we say check any more times? Check. Of course no good backcountry prep day would be complete without a theme — Jonathon and Emmaline made today “spa day.” Sparkling apple cider on the beach for all!

Pacific Coast (PC)

PC2 put more miles in the books today as they continue their quest down the Pacific Coast. The group traveled further inland today, saying a brief goodbye to the ocean (don’t worry PC, you’ll see it soon!) in favor of shaded roads and swimming holes. Keeping on coasting, PC!

I don’t know about you but I can’t get enough of that alpine tree line!

America Coast to Coast 1 (ACC1)

Today’s route had Mark, Grace, and co. biking from Wickenburg to Salome, AZ. All in all, the ride was 54 miles, but who’s counting at this point?! With less than a week left on their trip, we are truly in awe of how much ACC1 has accomplished. No picture from Salome today, but I’m sure we’ll see photos from their adventures tomorrow. Rest easy, rockstars!

America Coast to Coast 2 (ACC2)

Another lovely rest day has come and gone for ACC 2. Along with laundry and, of course, some bike maintenance, the group also did some community service with Feed My Starving Children, a non profit organization that packs food for communities in need. We hope they enjoyed a bit of time off the bikes and that they are excited to saddle back up tomorrow!