Wild Waterworks Park Cooled Off Lake Ontario Trekkers

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

This morning, the Teen Treks gang was awoken by a barbaric yawt from Dan the Man. Afterwards, we hastily packed up and scarfed down our granola and Greek yogurt breakfast. Shortly after, we high tailed it out of Balls Falls and climbed a treacherous hill to get our adrenaline pumping. We journeyed for about 10 miles until making our first pit stop at Food Basic$, during which we purchased our lunch necessities.

We then adventured for approximately 52,800 feet until we arrived at Wild Waterworks water park at the edge of Lake Ontario. We slid, we swam, and some even sank, but we all made it out refreshed and unscathed by 14:30. We then traveled to yet another Food Basic$ and bought our consumables for tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast. After striking a bargain with the cashier and immediately thereafter inhaling a tub  of tri-flavored ice cream in a ravenous manner, we departed from our final pit stop and approached the campgrounds we would be sleeping at from dusk ’til dawn.

After reaching the climax of today’s journey, the terrific trio of Dan, Will, and Ryan got to work on the ramen stir-fry to satisfy the hungry stomachs of the group. The stir-fry turned out to be a huge success and the crew gathered around the dinner table to finish the day with a round of rose, bud, and thorn (with a few shoutouts too). Now, we must drift off into our slumbers and recharge for the exciting day ahead of us tomorrow. Lake Ontario and Toronto await!
Written Ryan & Paul

Learn more about the Teen Treks Lake Ontario Trek.

New England Trekkers Enjoy Hotel & Pool After Biking

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

This morning we woke up in Rocky Neck State Park. We took some long shady water breaks as we biked under a beating hot sun. Everyone was very happy to jump in the pool when we rejoined civilization in Mystic, CT.  I’ve never seen four pizzas disappear so fast in my life… Looking forward to trekking out to Block Island tomorrow!

Learn more about the Teen Treks New England Shore Trek.

California Trekkers Bike and Smell the Fresh Strawberries

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

We woke early for our big day…50 miles! After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and bagels, we took off. The first leg of our trip went well, though there were many more stoplights than we preferred. We bought lunch at “Grocery Outlet,” a store that excited everyone with its unbelievably low prices. PB&Js were consumed on some unrealistic turf under a real palm tree. The second leg of our trip did not go as smoothly. As soon as we left our lunch site, we were confronted by a strong headwind that persisted throughout the afternoon. Fortunately, it blew delicious scents from the strawberry fields right in our faces. We biked through massive farms, seeing where all our fruits and veggies come from. Marina, CA was our final stop, where we pitched tents for the first time this trip and made pasta on the camp stove. Tomorrow is Big Sur, something we’ve all been looking forward to!

Learn more about the Teen Treks California Coast Trek.

Beautiful Beaches on the New England Shore Trek

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

Today we woke up to a chorus of birds in Hammonasset State Park. We groggily adjusted to waking up with the sun from our urban sleep schedules as first light hit the marshland, similar to how it hit the bay as we swam at sunset the night before. We biked 12 miles to Old Saybrook and swam at a beautiful beach. We got our first flat and stopped by a bike shop where we were helped by a former “olympic racing mechanic” (pictured). Then we rode down some hilly stone wall lined backstreets to camp and cooked a ramen stir fry. We topped the night off with roasted marshmallows.

Learn more about the Teen Treks New England Shore Trek.

Lake Ontario Trekkers Camp At Beautiful Balls Falls

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

At 6:59, we had a great time
We rolled out of bed and then we were fed
Tyler put on his flannel and we biked to the canal
There was a museum about lax and then we had snacks
Next we had lunch (we’re quite a hungry bunch)
At the playground we played tag, but then we started to lag
We were behind on our journey, so we had to hurry                          
There was a massive hill that was really a pill          
But we made it to the falls, by the name of Balls
We set up our tents at camp, but it was a little damp
We made a dinner of chicken, everyone was finger lickin’
We played duck duck goose, but it ended in a truce
Now it’s time for bed, with another great day ahead!

Learn more about the Teen Treks Lake Ontario Trek.

NY-Montreal Trek Finishes in New York City

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

Montreal at last! Yesterday, we visited the Museum of Fine Arts, which was a great activity while it drizzled outside. Then we had our last big meal together at a nice restaurant down the street from the museum. Once the skies cleared, we hiked up Mount Royal to get a beautiful panoramic view of Montreal. After we finished our excursion, we made our way up to the bus terminal to pack up bikes and return to the Big Apple. The bus left at 11:30 at night, and got us to Port authority by 6:00 in the morning! We reassembled our bikes before the rush hour traffic got too bad, and bid farewell to some of the Trekkers. The remaining kids enjoyed the sun in Central Park before catching flights back home. 

Learn more about the Teen Treks New York – Montreal Trek.

NY-Montreal Trekkers Split Up To Do Their Own Thing

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

Today, four ambitious trekkers left the hostel at 8:00 in the morning for the highly anticipated century ride. We followed Le Route Vert out of Montreal, along the north side of the St. Lawrence River. After 50 miles, we took a ferry to the south side and got lunch at a  Tim Horton’s in the town of Sorel. Then we did another 50 miles on the return trip to Montreal, breaking 100 miles as we crossed the bridge into the city! The pace was fast and easy since the terrain in French Canada is very flat.

The trekkers that stayed in the city had a fun time exploring. We biked to the Biosphere Museum and  observatory of environmental science. On a nature walk there we learned how to identify different species of maple tree. (Fun fact: The maple leaf on the Canadian dollar is not an actual Canadian-Native Maple, it is actually the invasive Norwegian Maple! This was a mistake made by the designers.) After learning about sustainable urban practices and species of plants and animals of Montreal, we splurged on beaver tails, fried sweet dough with dessert toppings, for the group. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the various street entertainers and festival activities of Montreal’s summer events. 

Monday will be our last day in Montreal! Unfortunately, the forecast is for rain, so we will likely be exploring the city’s many museums. 

Learn more about the Teen Treks New York – Montreal Trek.

Lake Ontario Trekkers Sightsee, Hike, and Bike Around Niagara Falls

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

The day started at 7:30, leading to a group breakfast at 8:00 that was full of peanut butter banana toast and Nutella. We then packed up our panniers with the little amount of gear we needed for the day and headed off to the American border.

After narrowly escaping the clutches of a mean border patrol lady who didn’t want us spending time in the shade, and threatened to detain Tyler, we biked to Whirlpool State Park for a hike. The hike consisted of beautiful views of the water and many rocks to climb. Once we made it to a group of flat rocks that overlooked the rapids, we stopped and relaxed. The walk up was slightly more strenuous, as we climbed up a massive amount of stairs, but it was all the better to help us prepare for all the biking we have in our futures.  

After hiking for an hour we went to a supermarket on the New York side and stocked up with deli meats and cheeses.  We enjoyed our lunch and then went on the Maid of the Mist where everyone was drenched at the front of the boat.  We then proceeded back across the Rainbow bridge and had fun waving at cars as we waited on line to go back into Canada.  We ended the day celebrating Ryan’s birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe where we enjoyed burgers and sundaes. Tomorrow we head to Jordan for our first night camping.
Written by Trekkers Sarah & Ted

Learn more about the Teen Treks Lake Ontario Trek.

Across America Trekkers Sightsee at Mt. Rushmore

Posted Teen TreksPosted in 2017

Today the Across America trekkers took a day to sightsee outside of Rapid City, SD. They rented a car and drove south to see Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Custer State park. They got to see a buffalo up close. Matt found an iPad on the side of the road. Kyle, fighting the strong headwinds going downhill was not able to break eight miles per hour. It was meatball sub day at subway. It was quite a hot day but it was a good one, and the group is looking forward to a slightly less windy day tomorrow.

Learn more about the Teen Treks Across America Trek.