From the Perspective of a Great Leader: Tony

The Maine Ingredient

In his book “Desert Solitaire”, Edward Abbey—critiquing the National Parks system—notes:

“A man on foot, on horseback or on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles. Better to idle through one park in two weeks than try to race through a dozen in the same amount of time. Those who are familiar with both modes of travel know from experience that this is true; the rest have only to make the experiment to discover the same truth for themselves.”

This was our Teen Treks Maine Coast adventure. While the vast majority plowed down highways in superfluous fuel injected machines, we meandered northward along the tranquil beaches and crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean; relying on oatmeal, fruit, and turkey sandwiches as a clean burning fuel alternative. Our tents routinely would squeeze into campsites amongst oversized RV’s; concerned with electrical hookups as we searched for ample firewood. Two and a half weeks of vibrant sunrises, rocky shorelines and charming New England towns—all set against a backdrop of picturesque mountains--was our “experiment to discover the same truth”. While our final odometer reading came in at roughly 400 miles—through a reverse Abbey-style calculation—it seems we had experienced the equivalent of 40,000 miles.

From the Perspective of a Great Leader: Bryan

I cannot properly emphasize with what facility of written English (or lack thereof) that I possess, the magnitude of joy brought by the experience. It is unparalleled by any other to date. Leaders play several roles: as twenty-somethings, in-between juvenile and adulthood, we are given an awesome responsibility and opportunity. I felt a bit paternal (also maternal) at times, protective of my flock, daring to act responsibly and even struggling at times with the implementation of discipline where necessary. But I also became part-kid, and allowed myself to fully enjoy the naivete and sometimes immaturity of childhood, as we discovered the world through that different filter permitted only by this sort of travel. I enjoyed observing the group dynamics, watching "my" kids establish bonds that will last at least in memory for the rest of their lives. It was incredible to witness each of them as they faced new challenges, growing and learning from their experiences. Most of all I loved all the ice cream and the 'potty' humor.

From the Perspective of a Great Leader: Jenn

Even (and especially) as a Teen Treks leader this summer, I found the experience entirely liberating and humbling. In two short weeks, we grew to appreciate the environment we landed in because we worked to get there. We treasured a good meal together, a hidden swimming hole, our afternoon treats, and our frequent stops to discuss something completely random, humorous and/or educational. By being on our bikes and pushing ourselves physically, we grew incredibly observant and appreciative of our midway and, of course, final destination of Mt. Desert Island. Aside from being proud of the trekkers (and myself!), I have never laughed so hard and often with a group of teenagers!

From the Perspective of a Great Leader: Andy

This past summer, I had the opportunity to lead the Maine Coast Trek. Apart from Maine being a bit hillier than expected, this trip was everything that I could have wanted and more. The group of seven teenagers as well as the two leaders bonded with each other amazingly, and the group cohesiveness and comradery was just fantastic. From mini golf to swimming in the ocean, hiking in Bar Harbor and going sea kayaking, we did just about anything we could think of. Of course there was lots of biking and a few wrong turns, but it added to the overall excitement of the trip. Had I of known about Teen Treks when I was younger, I definitely would have hopped on a trip. Besides being great exercise and enjoying the summertime outdoors, this gave me an opportunity to explore a part of America that I had never been before. The coast north of Boston leading up to Maine is absolutely beautiful – and the people we encountered along the way were probably the friendliest people anywhere in this country. Everywhere we went, we were asked our starting point and final destination, and almost everyone was happy to provide suggestions of what to do along the way. There is something about packing 50 pounds of gear, loading it on the back of a road bike and setting out with a group of kids, with only each other to rely on, that makes this trip truly special.

~ Andy Rein, 2009 Leader

From the Perspective of a Great Leader: Dave

About a year ago a friend of mine sent me a link for this organization by the name of Teen Treks with a message attached which said "we should do this". At the time we were both full time summer camp employees which we both loved very much and found hard to leave. This past summer I wanted to take some summer classes and have some free time to travel so I thought it would be the perfect summer to lead a trip for Teen Treks with the left over time. I can look back at the trip and after scuba diving in Florida, climbing in seven states, and a couple road trips, my trip with Teen Treks still stands out as the highlight of my summer, hands down. I had the coolest group of kids, each bringing their own special touch to the trip. We got to see so many different things, and seeing them on bike was such a different and better experience than seeing them with any other form of travel, it provided us the best opportunity to really take it all in. The people we met at hostels, camp grounds, and periodically on the trail were the type of people I wish I ran into everywhere, we always knew "we belonged" where ever we were. The only tough part of the trip was saying goodbye to the kids that I spent the last two weeks getting to know so well, they truly made the trip so much better than if I had been at it with anyone else, not to mention my amazing co-leader, who rocked as well. I am an adventure seeker and somewhat of an adrenaline junky, and this has opened up a whole nother adventure opportunity for me, and I can't wait to do it again! Thank you Teen Trekkers for making my summer a great one!!

~ Dave Burnette, 2009 Leader

CT-RI Shoreline Treks Shots!

NYM J28

MONTREAL, AT LAST!

with over five hundred thirty (written out, it emphasizes the length of our journey, but if you'd rather, 530+) miles clocked on our odometers we rolled into town, wiped out and glistening with ethereal ooze -or maybe that was just sweat?

Mike has volunteered to catch us up:

The day after Mariel's house in New City, we traveled to Fohnstock State Park. We had to bike uphill for 5 miles after doing 38 miles that day. A ranger hooked us up with a sweet cabin that protected us from the terrible rain the next morning. After dealing with more flats in the rain the next morning and waiting for the rain to stop, we eventually left and got to spend the next night at Mariel's old college, Vassar. We slept in a lounge in a dorm and got a tour of the school. The next day we biked 50 miles while food committee biked 66 miles (Noah, David, and Bryan). We slept in a fruit farm (Smith's Farm) surrounded by ripe raspberries and peaches which we picked ourslves. It was nice to get clothes washed and we went out to dinner for Raphi's birthday at a chinese restaraunt across from the comfortable motel.

picking up where mike left off...

the children have been mutineering. apparently 6 meals, 8 snacks, and 14 desserts per day isn't enough to stave off the abyssmal hunger that is the product of these painfully long days of riding. and boy were they painful. but sunshine and friendly cows in vermont helped to subdue the saddle-sores and sun-burns. the group's navigator, who shall remain nameless, has lead us into some sticky situations... one of these being a railroad causeway that shot for miles out into the champlain lake that suddenly reached a disconnect. at their rope's end for not three minutes before some friendly french-canadian boaters boarded those teen-trekkers and ferried them across the water. swimming followed. all that was lost were anna's sunglasses and (don't ask me how) noah's shorts. What turned out to be a false alarm, our 'budget crisis' resulted in tightening our belts and working out the kinks in a flawed system of group food shopping and cooking, and the group pulled together in a new, more efficient way. blah blah blah, you just want to know wether we survived that damn Vermonster or not. The truth is, that ice cream didn't stand a chance against these kids. Mariel and I could barely get our spoons within homing range of that thing for fear of friendly fire. We gardened botanicals and pancaked at the hostel today. Tomorrow brings more adventure, back in new york the following day.

Your kids will be happy to fill you in on the details I've forgotton on this page, including all the times we nearly died. I'm sure they will tell you how horrible this experience has been and how they never want to do this sort of thing again, which is fine with me, because, frankly, I can't stand them anymore.

Love from Bryan, Mariel, Nate, Raphi, Mike, Anna, David, and Noah.

C&O J26 (7/26-8/10, high school)

Hey Everyone!

We finally have internet and cell service! Here are some of the highlights from our trip thus far:
-visiting the famous Frank Loyd Wright Falling Water house
-white water rafting (even a few class 4s!)
-biking, biking, and more biking
-exploring caves
-riding through epic tunnels
-dance parties!

Here's proof...

Greetings from CON-A1

Hi all! Everything is great here! We've been enjoying wonderul warm weather and are now in the state of Rhode Island. Block Island is beautiful. We've spent some time on the bluffs enjoying the amazing views, on the beaches and walking around the small, quaint town. We're thinking of taking in a movie tonight since it's a little rainy right now (first day of rain yet!) and then taking on a Ben and Jerry's "Vermontster". I have no doubt that this group can handle it! I'm also happy to report that we've have zero flat tires and zero major bike issues. It's really been smooth sailing! The first few days we encountered a few hills, but the group took them on like champs! Very proud of them. Mystic Seaport was a lot of fun too. We got to swim in the hotel pool after a long, hot day of biking, visited the Mystic Seaport Museum and had some ice cream by the drawbridge. I can't believe we'll be in Providence in only 2 days. We're super excited! Pictures soon to come.

~ Erin, Joe and the rest of the group :)

Maine Coast J24

PICTURES! A few highlights from the trip so far...

Maine Coast J24

We've made it to Bar Harbor, ME and early too! We spent our last night in tents at the Bar Harbor Campground and are now checked into the Bar Harbor Hostel. The past few days of biking was rigorous, but it's a nice feeling having reached our destination after all of that hard work. We're exploring the town of Bar Harbor this morning which is perfectly situated on the Frenchman Bay. This afternoon we're doing some sea kayaking and the next two days in Bar Harbor will be spent in Acadia Park, hiking Cadillac Mtn. and hopefully exploring the islands off of Mount Desert Island.

Last night we rewarded ourselves with a tasty dinner and tons of ice cream in Bar Harbor. We're excited to have some time on foot and on bikes without gear! Pictures are coming as soon as we can get our hands on a camera cord and some free internet time!

En route to Bar Harbor, we went up to the observatory in the Penobscot River Bridge (one of the few observatory bridges in the world!), found swimming spots (rivers and frigid ocean water), and quaint coffee shops and stores. More to come!

pictures finally

So, change of plans, we arrived in DC a day early. As I am sure you parents know, we rode our bikes 67.09 miles through down pouring rain, and mucky roads, it was a blast (see picture)! It was a unanimous decision to continue pas our planned site in order to avoid a wet and muddy set up and take down. Counselor Bonnie was extremely generous in letting us spend the night at her place since we did not have hotel reservations for that night. while there we were also blessed with the company of her husband Alex and dog Sidney who enjoyed getting up at all hours of the night to lick our faces. So far we have done a few monuments and museums with more fun to come. We are coming close to our closure and are sad to leave, yet anxious to get home and see our families.

C&O J19 (7/19-8/4, 7-9 graders)

Hello All,
We are in Harpers Ferry, it is 8am and we are getting ready to head out for our last night of camping after the trekkers finish a hearty breakfast. We have had a blast so far. Yesterday was a well deserved rest day spent on foot (in an upright position for a change) touring Harpers Ferry, WV. We went for a morning hike to enjoy a scenic overlook, visited local shops, enjoyed a good lunch followed by some delicious ice cream, and then explored the history in and around Harpers Ferry.
Although we encountered some rain the first few days we were all high spirited and blessed to have the rain hold up for the times that we needed it to. Our weather luck did change though, and we took full advantage swimming across the river from MD to WV one day, and jumping from 8ft cliffs/dams in to the refreshing Potomac the next. The kids are all so unique, and each bring something special to the group. It has been a pleasure getting to know them all so very well, we have enjoyed their love for adventure, strong wills, camaraderie, and free spirits!
We will be at our final destination very soon, and we are all super excited to complete our trip, enjoy D.C., and see our families. Wish us luck in our last 60 miles, and we will see you all soon...
-Teen Trekkers

NYM-J21

HELLO ALL!

Oh mang! While in the face of danger...flat tire demons,chain breaking ghouls, and rain soaked ghosts..... we have been having fun and lots of it. Traveling the hills/mountains of Vermont have led most of us to realize that we will not be joining Lance anytime soon at the Tour de France, but at least we are training like him...HEY wait?! He's not carrying 50+lbs of extra weight on his bike....so maybe he should be aspiring to be on our team? Maybe?! Dah! Nevermind!

So we have had to get a new tent in lieu of a leaky broken zipper, but we are back in business and staying dry despite the rain. The campgrounds have been fun and we have been enjoying the facilities...especially the hot showers!

We have recently made it into VT and have been enjoying the biking and the different sights. We cranked out a good 70 mile day and crashed hard at a local Super 8 due to the rain and thunderstorms. Just to let you know, though it rained and we were wet, our spirits were high and dry! Burlington will have to endure the wrath of our group now! Muahhahaha (sinister laugh)


Enjoy some sweet pics of our journey thus far...some are before Albany and some of Vermont! We will be doing our best to keep you up to date once we are in Montreal as well! Cheers! Rich & Sam

OH...And here's a little message the kids wanted you to know...see if you can see what it says....




WE MISS YOU ALL!!!!!

NYM-J28

Hello from New City!

bryan here. i would like to set the record straight by saying that these kids are complete brats. just look at how bratty these kids are. (see photos) clearly not having a lick of fun. they obviously hate biking and can't get along with one another.

seriously though...

It's been an eventful two days since the group first met on Tuesday morning at the New York City hostel. Tuesday morning, we biked along the bike path on the hudson river (west side) up to the Cloisters museum, a romanesque building comprised of salvaged building components from demolished european cathedrals, where we dined (lunched?) feasted upon the culinary creations of Noah and David, who picked out a healthy lunch of hummus and tabouli veggie pitas. By the time we had worked out way back down to central park we were more than ready for ice cream. devoured 2 half gallons and passed out. we rode around central park and had pizza for dinner. the hostel had air conditioning which was a much appreciated last taste of civilization.







or so we thought.

40 miles of biking on wednesday brought us to Nyack, where we had hot chocolate and had our bicycles doctored by the wonderful bike shop there. Nyack beach was for skipping rocks, and eagles were spotted. that's right. eagles. bald ones. Brandon survived a bee-sting, and everybody championed all of the hills that finally brought us to Mariel's house, where her mother had prepared a fantastic 3 course meal for us. amazing.

Maine Coast J24

We've made it to Portland and spent the day here biking the city, taking a ferry to and exploring Peaks Island, visiting the Portland Art Museum and gorging ourselves on Indian food. So far the trip has been awesome. We've had a few long days of biking (one 53 mile day and yesterday was about 49 miles!), but have found beautiful beaches, swimming spots and stumbled upon great shoreside stopping points.

We have discovered a rural and scenic route called the Eastern Trail that occassionally gives us a change of scenery and puts us far away from any vehicles. Yesterday while Annika was plagued by flat tires, much of the group got to swim in a salt marsh right off the Eastern trail.

The group has taken a particular liking to 1/2 gallons of ice cream and donuts/coffee so that has become one of our trip rituals. Other than these few treats, we're eating very well and very often!

Tonight is our last night in a bed until Bar Harbor, so we are taking advantage of the hotel's amenities before our early morning start. We're feeling ready to get out of the city once again and do some continuous biking along the ocean!

NYM-J21

Six days and about 200 miles into the trek, already! Our last post, we have travelled to Bear Mountain State Park and conquered some crazy uphills and flew down the downhills. How exhilarating! Some of us we fortunate enough to visit a really cool lighthouse, those of us who were looking for things to see that is! That night, we stayed at a campground and got a little wet, but were still in good spirits. The next day, we brushed up on some history at the FDR house, and toured his childhood and favorite home, up until his death, in Hyde Park. It was very beautiful there. That night we slept at Norrie Point State Park campground and encountered a nasty thunderstorm. To say the least, our dinner was eaten slightly wetter than usual, and in a men's bathroom for shelter and safety. What an experience that was! The weather for our 50 mile day was beautiful and was perfect to work on our sweet biker's tan. That night we phantom-ed next to the Hudson in a park and experienced, yet again, another soaking thunderstorm. We are currently at a EconoLodge in Albany, NY, enjoying a real shower, air conditioning, laundry facilities and a real bed. Pictures to come! Promise!

European Phantom Trip Takes London By Storm

Biking through London
We have accomplished a lot
This is how we roll

Big Ben, Buckingham
Girls were upset (no male guide)
Churchill War Museum

Deranged pelican
Hyde Park podium speaker
Which was crazier?

Afternoon naptime!
Found unique Thai restaurant
Trip almost over

NYM J-14, We're Here!

As you may be able to tell by the typos, we're here! We decided to consolidate our biking and get here a day early, so now we are at a luxorious hotel just outside of Montreal. They keyboard has all kinds of accent keys and the punctuation marks are not where they should be!

Getting in after the border, we biked along some gorgeous bike paths along lakes and canals-- this place was made for bikers. It's flat, paved, and off the road. We cooked up some penne alla vodka on the lawn in front of our hotel then watched this weekend's display of fireworks that are part of the ongoing international fireworks competition that Montreal hosts.

We've had plenty of adventure in getting here. After leaving New York City we biked towns in New Jersey that did not seem to have grocery stores, then slept among the deer in Nyack Beach State park. Later on we met some friendly folks in Wappinger Falls, NY who let us camp out in their back yard and use their RV to take showers... THANKS DEB! Bear mountain was a beastly climb, but we all felt accomplished making it up, and coasted down then next half mile into a New York state bird sanctuary. We got into our next campsite as it started raining, but manage to keep our tents relatively dry as we set them up. The park ranger warned us about racoons so we wrapped up our food and fit as much as we could into our pot. The rest stayed in tightly wrapped plastic bags next to the pot. The racoons feasted on some butterfingers and nature valley bars (they seem to be excellent at opening wrappers), but the food in the pot was safe and we had a nice warm breakfast before we hit the road again.

We stopped for lunch at a swimming hole just off a creek where we dried out our tents and went for a dip. Along the way we met a fellow bike tourist who had made his way there from San Francisco! We made our way to beautiful Newton (or Nutton) Hook park where we had hoped to phantom. We encountered the park ranger and his family on our way in. The ranger was happy to help and gave us a permit to camp on the beach next door. We were right on the water in one of the most serene settings imaginable. Some nearby campers brought us over some corn on the cobb in the evening and some coffee and breakfast in the morning.

The night at the econo-lodge in Albany was a treat. We managed to do some laundry, hit the State Museum, grab some pizza, cool off in the pool, SLEEP IN BEDS and hit the road refreshed to make it into Vermont.

Our first night in Vermont was a wet one. We ate in the grocery store at Fair Haven as it was just coming down too hard to try to cook outside. So we made our way to the campground where a local pointed us to the next best thing: a picnic pavillion where we could stay dry while setting up our tents. It worked perfectly and we slept soundly next to some boisterous frogs.

The next day was the most challenging day of biking we had on the trip. Over 50 miles of hills hills hills, including closing the day at Mt. Philco State Park-- a campsite up a mountain. The sun had come out and we dried off ourselves and our stuff. Back in New Jersey we had done a little over 20 miles on relatively flat terraine, but and had a few sore muscles at the end; now we were coasting down and pushing up hill after hill with trucks going by and pulling it off like champs. We hit the hay knowing we'd be in Burlington in the morning and have some Ben and Jerry's waiting for us.

And indeed we did. For those of you unfamiliar with The Vermonster, it consists of 20 scoops of ice cream, 4 ladles of hot fudge, whipped cream, 3 cookies and 4 toppings. All nine of us did not even come close to finishing it. But we made a valiant effort and headed to the campsite with a full sugar high.

In the morning we made our way down the Burlington bike path and caught the ferry to Port Kent, and took in the scenic views along the way. After trudging up a steep hill at the beginning of Port Kent we were worried we were in for another challenging day of hills, but that soon proved to be unwarranted as the rest of the day was flat and sunny with Lake Champlain keeping us company on our ride. We ended the day at a campsite between Champlain and Rouses Point, NY. The accents in the area were increasingly French as we were just a few miles from the border.

Which pretty much brings us to where I started. We crossed the border and made our way towards Montreal, stopping to find motel vacancies or any other ideas for places to stay. Again, it was a huge contrast to the first days of the the trip when 15-25 miles was a challenge. We started off almost 60 miles away from the city, but everyone wanted to push on to get there in time for the fireworks. There was a car show this weekend so most of the hotel rooms were booked up. Today we head in to the city, check into the hostel and explore!

J19-C&O Canal

The first C&O canal group has gotten off to a great start! We have a great group of trekkers who have done a wonderful job through all kinds of weather these first five days. After 4 nights of camping, we have splurged for a warm and dry hostel in Meyersvale, PA. White water rafting through the Youghiogheny and touring the Falling Water house were wonderful. Tomorrow we'll set off to complete the Allegheny Rail Trail, putting us in Cumberland, MD, for the start of the C&O canal. We hope to be able to post pictures soon, including great shots of the Frank Lloyd Wright house.

Leaving Holland and onto England

The European Phantom group left Amsterdam last Sunday and biked west to the city of Harlem. There we toured a reconstructed windmill of 1800s vintage with a young physicist guide whom the group really enjoyed. By mid-day we cycled onto Delft to tour a pottery factory producing original Delft blue and colored wares. The next day we cycled into The Haag to see the Maurithuis Museum. (known for many Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Rubens paintings) After a picnic lunch in a nice town square we headed to the beach for a long swim in the English Channel and sun burning. (maybe we stayed too long) By nightfall we boarded the ferry in Hook van Holland to take us overnight to Harwich, UK.

We were all very glad to be back in England and looking forward to take on some long biking days. By 2:00 p.m. we reached our itinerary destination of Sudbury, but the group wanted to go further ending the day with 42 miles. That shortened our next days ride into Cambridge so we did laundry before we got to the hostel. After a grouped cooked dinner in the hostel kitchen we set out to see a disappointing, new Harry Potter movie. It was quite a let-down as several kids were really psyched to see HP in England. Today we toured Kings College of Cambridge U. and went punting on the Cam River. Our night activity - Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing was rained out so it's a quiet night of games and journal writing in the hostel. Tomorrow we're off to London.

EP-J1 Pics!

Greetings from NYM-J14!

Hi all! NYC to montreal J14 here in lovely Burlington passing out from
a food coma after sharing a "vermonster" at the Ben and Jerry's. It's
been an eventful trip so far, including meeting some hospitable
locals, fellow campers, and park rangers in upstate NY, a soggy night
in lower VT, some good swimming spots and an ongoing cook-off. More to
be posted soon with pictures.

-Molly and Joe

Maine Coast - J10 Part Deux

So good news everyone, we have succesfully made it to Bar Harbor, Maine! Since leaving Portland over a week ago we have encountered many more hills, some beautiful countryside and the picturesque Maine coast. We hit the 200 mile mark just before arriving in Freeport, where we stayed in an absolutely awesome campsite right along the water.



After traversing inland where it became increasingly mountain-esque, the heat (90 degrees plus) got the best of us and forced us to stop and cool off in a river near Richmond. Luckily the cool water and late afternoon breeze allowed us to roll into Chewonki Campground near Wiscasset just before a massive thunderstorm did. However we stayed quite dry, as Pam, the nicest campground owner ever, allowed us to sleep in the rec hall.



With the sun semi-shining (well a misty rain really) the next morning, we continued along Route 1 North, stopping for ice cream and postcards (which you parents should have receievd by now). That evening we pulled into a High School parking lot and athletic field for dinner, which was quite nice and relaxing, and then proceeded to "Phantom Camp". Basically a thick fog rolled in, we set up our tents in the eery darkness, and were out of there early the next morning before anyone knew we were there. Quite the experience!

After our early start, we had some spare time to explore Rockland and play some Mini Golf in Camden (I think we'll stick with our non-golfing future professions).





We also hit the 300 mile mark!



Camden State Park was another beautiful campgorund on the ocean, and the free showers didn't hurt at all!

Making out way even further north along Route 1 the next day, we stopped for a morning dip in the ocean around Lincolnville that was most refreshing.



And just before passing into Orland, we came upon a massive bridge that was quite unexpected.



Fianlly arriving at Balsam Cove campground, which was situated along a spectacular lake a bit inland from the ocean, we had a great late-afternoon swim and a delicious steak dinner for our last night of camping.

With only 30 miles to go before reaching Bar Harbor, we all slept in a bit and took a much needed nap at lunch. But we made it, just in time to have the promised Lobster dinner!





Today our bikes stayed put behind the hostel, and we hiked Acadia National Park. Our wonderful pancake breakfast fueled us to play along the cliffs near Thunder Rock and relax on Sand Beach.





Tomorrow morning we shall be up early again, and have a much anticipated sea kayaking adventure tour! We will explore the Carriage Trails, and then hang out in the hostel for our last evening in Bar Harbor. Then Friday monring, back on the bikes for a quick (and hopefully painless) 45 miles to Bangor for our last night. Then its a return to Boston by Saturday evening and the end of our amazing, spectacular, superb and totally bodacious bike trip along the Maine Coast.

We've had a great time leading the trip, and will be sad to see everyone go on their seperate ways, but we know how much fun everyone has had and we will (maybe) see you next summer!

~Andy and Seval