We’re smack in the middle of the golden days of summer—days that remind us of ice cream, briny ocean air (for our Nova Scotian and Coastal Maine travelers) and piney mountain air (for our ridge line travelers). As August approaches and Odyssey campers pack their trunks in preparation for camp, we’re excited to offer an update on the monumental adventures of the Four Trails villages already at camp:
Shaw village is currently on the third day of their hike through the Mahoosucs range, where today they’re experiencing sunshine and 65 degree weather in addition to the panoramic summits of Mt. Carlo and Goose Eye Mountain. Today they’ll walk the ridge line between these two summits for nearly 2.5 miles, before descending to their campsite to rest for the night. Tomorrow they’ll take on the Mahoosuc Notch, a meandering mile of hiking around and over large boulders. It’s some of the most unique hiking on the entire Appalachian Trail.
Flag village is having their own unique adventure as they canoe down the Magalloway River on their way to Lake Umbagog, where they’ll camp tomorrow night right on the shore of the lake. Tonight, they’ll camp close to the shore of the river as it passes slowly by them. As they move forward, they are practicing and preparing for the culminating day of their trip where they will run down some class I and II rapids.
Nesuntabunt and Chocorua villages are biking steadily up the coast of Maine toward Bar Harbor. Nesuntabunt traveled nearly 50 miles yesterday from Standish to Phippsburg, ME. On their first night, they were able to stay near a farm where roosters could be heard crowing throughout the evening and morning. They’re looking forward to making their way toward Camden, ME tonight to a beautiful campsite there. Chocorua, having left one day ahead of Nesuntabunt, left Camden this morning and will be traveling 47 miles to Ellsworth, where they’ll camp near a scenic lake and maybe go swimming!
Katahdin checked in moments ago to tell us that they are spending some relaxing time on top of Saddleback Mountain, with a panoramic view of surrounding Maine mountains. Today they are summiting three separate mountains along the same ridge line—Saddleback Mountain, The Horn, and Saddleback Junior. It’s a challenging day, but at the end is a quaint campsite with a quiet stream where they can enjoy dinner, a relaxing Village Insight discussion, and some restful sleep before continuing their epic hike tomorrow.
Voyageur Men and Voyageur Co-Ed continue to make their way up the opposite coasts of Nova Scotia. Voyageur Men are meandering up the South Shore stopping at various landmarks along the way—lighthouses, beaches, and scenic cliff views. They’re currently reading The Hobbit and are comparing their journey with those described in the book. Last night, they camped alongside the Clyde River, a beautiful and rural river that leads straight to the ocean. Voyageur Co-Ed will have their own coastal adventure today as they ride into Wolfville from Digby, a distance of 90 miles. Wolfville and the neighboring Grand Pre have some of the best opportunities for mud-sliding on the North Shore. We hope they take the chance to hop in the water, cool off, and just get muddy.