Disaboom Off-Road News Articles

Best Places to Offroad in the Northeast

Pam Gaulin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:34:00 GMT

While the Northeast is not very organized in terms of official offroading trails and promoting offroading as major recreation for people with disabilities, there are places to go offroading in the area. Perfect if you're looking to enjoy the spring, summer and fall will find wooded and natural landscapes in the Northeast.

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Best Places to Offroad in the Northeast
Offroading in New Hampshire - New Hampshire is opening up more trails and land for offroading, which is good news for recreation opportunities. Currently there are 700 miles of ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) trails in the state of New Hampshire, which are open during the summer months.

ATVs may be rented for offroading at Eagle Rider in Manchester, at Jericho Motorsports in Berlin, or at L.L. Cote Sports Center in Errol.

Jericho Mountain State Park, N.H. - Enjoy all-terrain offroading as a fun form of recreation here. While offroading in Jericho Mountain State Park, it is up to offroaders to yield to any horseback riders. Rent ATVs at a local outfitter, including Jericho Motorsports.

Heritage Farm, N.H. - Heritage Farm is located in Sanbornton and offers another form of recreation opportunity for a person with disabilities.

An ATV tour can be a gentle introduction to offroading. Heritage Farm can take a person with a disability on the Whispering Pine Trail, the Nightriders tour or another of their tours.

Offroading in Massachusetts
Beartown State Forest, Mass. - Beartown State Forest is merely one place for offroading in the rural Berkshires. Beartown offers a person with disabilities offroading on a multi-use trail near Benedict Pond. Beartown State Forest is located in Monterey, Mass.

October Mountain State Forest, Mass. - Enjoy wooded ATV offroading at October Mountain State Forest in Lee, Mass. Offroading is seasonal and is allowed between May and November during the day only.

Offroading in Pennsylvania
Allegheny National Forest, Penn. - A person with disabilities will find a fun maze of offroading trails at Allegheny National Forest. A permit is required to ride off-highway vehicles, and liability insurance as well as vehicle registration are also necessary. Top trails include the Timberline ATV Trail, the Willow Creek ATV trails and the Rocky Gap Trail. Allegheny National Forest is located in Warren, Penn.

Paragon Adventure Park, Penn. - Paragon Adventure Park is expanding its trails, making for a better offroading experience for a person with disabilities. Paragon Adventure Park, located in Hazleton, Penn., offers self-guided trails and guided trails for recreation on ATVs. Group ride reservations are also available at this top offroading park in the Northeast. Invite others to experience the thrill of this activity, which is even more fun with friends.

Offroading in New Jersey
New Jersey Off Road Vehicle Park, N.J. - The New Jersey Off Road Vehicle Park in Chatsworth offers a person with disabilities the opportunity to experience sand buggies or ATVs or 4x4s on beginner trails. They also offer safety training courses.

Offroading Clubs in the Northeast - For more information about offroading in the Northeast or joining an offroad club in the area, locate a club at the Northeast Association of 4WD Clubs or the Offroaders directory.

Sources:
Allegheny National Forest, http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny/recreation/atv_trails
Beartown State Forest, http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/bear.htm
Eagle Rider, NH,www.eagleridernh.com
Heritage Farm, New Hampshire, http://www.heritagefarm.net/
Jericho Mountain State Park, http://www.nhtrails.org/trail-uses/atvs/jericho.aspx
Jericho Motorsports, NH, http://www.jerichomotorsports.comwww.jerichomotorsports.com/
http://www.llcote.com/
New Hampshire Trails Bureau, http://www.nhtrails.org/
New Jersey Off Road Vehicle Park,
Northeast Association of 4WD Clubs http://www.nea4wd.org/
Paragon Adventure Park, http://www.paragonap.com/

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Best Places to Offroad in the Southeast

Pam Gaulin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:23:00 GMT

The Southeast United States is a welcoming region for offroaders who have a disability. The climate is moderate and allows for offroading most times of the year. This makes offroading in the Southeast an ideal recreation for locals or for long weekends and vacationing. You can explore the varied landscapes of the Southeast while offroading, experiencing the moist air of Florida in Big Cypress or the clean mountain air in the Smoky Mountains of South Carolina.

Best Places to Offroad in the Southeast
Local outfitters will rent vehicles and related safety accessories. You may also want to bring along water, a small snack, a digital camera and leave a change of clothes in your own vehicle.

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Hatfield-McCoy Trails, West Virginia
Explore of the biggest trail systems for offroading in the world, while enjoying the lush foliage of the mountains. The Hatfield-McCoy Trails are considered one of the best systems on the east coast. There are six different trail systems comprising the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, offering a variety of experiences for a person who is disabled.

For offroading in the Hatfield-McCoy Trails of West Virginia, allow five to seven business days to obtain a permit. Pick your rental location, ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) tour company or go for a whole package and rent a cabin.

West Virginia ATV Tours offers rentals and tours. The best lodging options will either be renting or driving your own RV, or staying in one of the larger hotels in the area, including Best Western in Chapmanville, W. Va., near the Dingess Rum trail system.

Cherokee National Forest, Cleveland, Tenn.
Cherokee National Forest is located in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park region of Tennessee. A person with a disability can go offroading on the Buffalo Mountain trail, which is more than 12 miles long.

Wilborn's ATV Trails, Alabama
With 3,000 acres and 100 trails from muddy to mild, Wilborn's ATV trails offers a great day of offroading for a person with disabilities. The best way to enjoy this offroad park is to bring your own RV, because RV hookups are available.

Callalantee Trail, Mountain City, Tenn.
Offroading on the Callalantee Trail in Mountain City, Tennesse is best for anyone who already owns their own ATVs or 4x4 vehicles. Nearby there are campsites at Callantee ATV & Campground as well as hotels in Mountain City.

Gray Rock ORV Park, Alabama
Also consider Gray Rock OVR whenever they have an event. Gray Rock OVR is not open year round.

Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida
Big Cypress is a swampy area that is home to alligators, panthers, bears and offroaders. One of the ways for a person with a disability to explore this wild land is by offroading. A permit is required to offroad in Big Cypress. Bring plenty of bug spray and a pair of dry socks for this through the humid preserve.

Another way to enjoy Florida is to head to Everglades National Park, which maintains paved boardwalk trails that are highly accessible.

Sources:
Ashland Resort, West Virginia, http://www.ashlandatvcenter.com/
Big Cypress, http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/orv-use.htm
Cherokee, http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/cherokee/faq/
Hatfield-McCoy Trails, http://www.trailsheaven.com/
West Virginia ATV Tours, http://www.wvatvtours.com/
West Virginia Tourism, http://www.wvtourism.com/grouptours/mvlist.htm
Blairsville Chamber, http://www.blairsvillechamber.com/
Southern Four Wheel Drive, http://www.sfwda.org/
Tread Lightly, http://www.treadlightly.org/
NPS, http://www.nps.gov/archive/liri/Rules/Atv/Atv.htm

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Best Places to Offroad in the Midwest

Pam Gaulin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:48:00 GMT

The Midwest is one area of the United States that makes it easy for vacationers with disabilities to experience the joys of offroading. The area has some of the top trails, which offer convenient opportunities for renting offroading equipment.

Best Places to Offroad in the Midwest
Chequamegon National Forest, WI - Chequamegon National Forest invites people with disabilities to go offroading on one of the three separate trail systems located in the Lake Superior region of Wisconsin. Offroading is allowed on more than 200 maintained trails throughout forests and rolling terrain.

The variety of scenery is enough to please anyone seeking a disabled recreation adventure. From open meadows to wetlands rich with wildlife, the Chequamegon National Forest is one of the top offroading trails in the Midwest. Those interested in recreation in Wisconsin may rent ATVs at Wisconsin Northland Outdoors.

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Iron Range, MN - Another of the top places to offroad in the Midwest is Iron Range in Gilbert, Minn. With 36 wooded trails, the Iron Range invites multiple visits, because its trails accommodate all skill levels of offroaders. The terrain is varied, offering an exciting ride through mud and over hills and rock.

Iron Range is also a welcoming offroad vehicle park for a person with disabilities and beginners, because they offer offroad driving classes. Those with disabilities may rent offroad equipment at All Terrain Monsters, in Gilbert, Minn. or at The Lodge at Giants Ridge in Biwabik.

For more accessible recreation opportunities in Minnesota, head to the longest paved "rails to trails" path, according to the National Parks Service. You will enjoy the fully accessible Paul Bunyan Trail

Brainerd-Baxter, MN - Paul Bunyan Trail, the longest paved "Rails to Trails" in the nation, winds from its source in Brainerd-Baxter, Minn., north to Lake Bemidji State Park. The trail is fully accessible for persons with disabilities, and this site includes maps, trail history and events

Kentucky Black Mountain Recreational Park - Black Mountain Recreational Park, in the Kentucky Black Mountain Recreational Park, has recreation for both 4x4s and ATVs. There are 200 miles of outdoor trails, all clearly marked with levels of difficulty, making it easier to choose the right trail. The 200 miles of trails are spread out over 6,000 acres. The landscape is mountainous.

For conveniently located accommodations, the Harlan County Campground & RV Park is located outside the park. The Harlan County Campground & RV Park has a wheelchair accessible shower house for both men and women. For more offroading opportunities visit Harland County Trails.

Attica, IN - Badlands Off Road Park, in the Indiana Badlands Off Road Park, is one-stop shop for recreation. The offroad park offers both a place to offroad and rent, all on the same site. The convenience of renting and riding in one spot only adds to the enjoyment you will discover while offroading through sand dunes and woods. Badlands Off Road Park is located in Attica, in western Indiana.

Sources:
Badlands Off Road Park
Black Mountain Recreational Park
Chequamegon National Forest
Harlan County Campground & RV Park
Harland County Trails
Iron Range
Paul Bunyan Trail

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Ricky James

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:58:00 GMT

Ricky James always wanted to be a professional motocross racer. Racing was his life. It kept him focused, provided him with a reason for living and filled his dreams. Unfortunately, at the tender age of 16 and on the verge of crossing over to the professional racing circuit, Ricky James sustained a serious spinal cord injury which made him a T-6/7 paraplegic. While this type of injury would discourage many other men twice his age and cause them to hang up their goggles, racing boots and helmets permanently, Ricky James refused to give up his dream, and within eight months he was racing again.

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Ricky James - Background
Ricky James was born wanting to race. However, his parents made him wait until he was 11 to start racing. At 11, Ricky James started racing in his local Grand Prix Series. By the time he was 13, he had worked his way up in the ranks and entered his first motocross race. He finished second behind another Motocross legend, Mike Alessi. Ricky raced every weekend, honing his craft and developing his racing skills.

At the age of 15, he had already worked his way up to 125 Intermediate level in motocross racing and was close to crossing over into the professional circuit. In 2004 Ricky's dream of becoming a professional motocross racer was within reach, however, this dream would be shattered less than a year later. On March 10, 2005 Ricky James was doing what he does best at the Amateur Motocross National when he had an accident that would change his life.

Dealing with SCI
While most people with a SCI, would call it quits, Ricky James refused to give up motocross. Within eight months of sustaining his injuries he was back in the saddles again. His first post accident race was the Lake Elsinor Grand Prix. Because he was paralyzed from the chest down, he raced on a quad that had a special shifter installed and duct taped himself to the rig for stability. After completing this race in the upper portion of the pack, Ricky knew his racing career was not over.

New Challenges
Ricky James is an inspirational young man. He not only is taking on new athletic challenges by participating in and completing the 1/2 Ironman in Kona, Hawaii, and racing quads and modified motorcycles, but he is also starting his own company to spread SCI awareness. His advice to other people with SCIs is to enjoy every minute of your life and to take on challenges regardless of what disability you have.

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Clay Egan: Writing His Own Story

Cherl Petso, Disaboom — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:29:00 GMT

Clay Egan isn’t a big fan of patience, holding still, doing things the way others would do them, or gravity. He is a fan of his daughter, his grandson, Ted Nugent, hunting, racing, and anything extreme and potentially life-threatening.

Thirteen years ago, Clay was a 22-year-old up for anything. One night, while riding his cousin’s dirt bike, a horse on the loose ran in front of Clay’s bike, causing an accident that resulted in a broken neck for Clay.

Now, Clay is a 36-year old quad up for anything. He says his accident is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. And don’t tell him that he’s full of crap.

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DB: How was the transition of acceptance to your disability?
CE: There was never really any transition for me. I was kind of like a freak in the hospital. I was so sick in the beginning that I never really cared if I ever walked again; I just wanted to feel better. I just wanted to be able to drink something because I was fed through tubes for the first month. It was hell. Once I got those tubes out of me and started to feel better, I just took the bull by the horns and ran with it. That’s how it was from the beginning. So I never experienced any depression or weird feeling about being paralyzed.

DB: Talk about the time between when you had your accident and leaving the hospital.
CE: I was life-flighted from where I had my accident was up here in the mountains. I ran into a horse. They life-flighted me to the University of Utah Medical Center, and I spent about 12 weeks up there. The first month that I was there, I had tubes up my nose, I was just really sick. They had me packed in ice half the time because I had such high temperatures. I just felt like crap for about that first month. Once I started to heal, I pretty much worked out really hard while I was in there with my therapist—trying to get strong and trying to get to where I could be independent. Every day I pushed things as hard as I could. I was never a slacker when it came to that. Some days I pushed too far, I made myself sick and I had to take a day off because I did so much, but that’s how I am and how I’ve always been. So, it was a good experience while I was in there. It taught me a lot about myself that I guess you wouldn’t know unless you went through something like that.

DB: Was there anyone who helped you through this time?
CE: I had a lot of support from friends and family. They were up there the whole time and I had great therapists that were very encouraging. Because of my attitude, it helped them. It worked back and forth—you know when you have someone who’s negative and uncooperative and doesn’t want to work and do anything, that kind of affects your therapist and makes them not want to be around you or push you the way they could. I had a lot of support from them too. I was really fortunate that way.

DB: What do you love about rock crawling?
CE: Growing up I was always into the extreme sports. I was into BMX, skateboarding, and going on the half-pipe. As I got a little older, I got into motocross and started racing. About the time that I had my accident, I switched over and I was racing quads. So motor sports and extreme sports have always been in my blood and what I’ve done, and I just kind of fell into this sport by accident.

My life was going along great when I started competing, but I never thought I’d ever be competing in motor sports when it happened. So for me to be back doing that, and for me to be able to be the only quadriplegic in the world to compete against all other able-bodied drivers on a professional level—that’s the biggest rush for me. I’ve made a name for myself in this sport, I’ve been in two dozen magazines over the years, on different TV shows, had a boatload of media coverage because of it. We finished seventh in the nation last year and it’s opened a whole new world of opportunities for me.

DB: When you were in your accident, were you competing?
CE: No. When I had my accident, I was just cruising along, and some horses had escaped from a rancher’s stables, and I just ran into one. It was just one of those freak things. I never saw it coming.

DB: Have you faced any obstacles in achieving your goals? You seem pretty much like a ‘nothing can stop me’ guy.
CE: The only obstacles that I face are not physical. The sport is extremely expensive. So we’re constantly battling trying to afford it, trying to get more sponsors, trying to keep our sponsors happy, just trying to build our business and keeping it going from month to month, year to year, and to stay competitive.

DB: Do you feel that society has changed in its perception and outlook toward disabled people?
CE: I’ve been in my chair thirteen-plus years now. As time goes on, people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities are out there getting more exposure and doing things. I think with ADA and the codes changing to benefit people with disabilities so they can get in and out of buildings, things are a lot more accessible now. I think it’s a lot better than it was thirteen years ago.

DB: What gives you the greatest satisfaction in your life?
CE: Well, my friends and my family. That’s most important to me over anything I’ve ever done. My daughter, I’m a grandpa—my grandson, my siblings, and my friends. I’ve been through a lot in my life, and not just since my accident. I mean, my accident really has been the easy part of my life considering I grew up with a dad who was mentally disabled and has some major mental issues; a lot of bad stuff went on in my home when I was a kid.

When I speak to youth groups or businesses, I talk about how my life was so much worse when I was a kid compared to what it’s like being in a chair. My chair has been the easy part. I wouldn’t go back to the way things were at home with my dad when I was a kid for anything. I’d have my accident 10 times over again before I’d go back and do that again. So I think that has a lot to do with why my wheelchair has never been that big of a deal for me because I’ve experienced so much worse when I was young.

DB: What gives you the most frustration in your life?
CE: Not achieving my goals. Not getting what I want right now. I’m pretty impatient and I have pretty high expectations and I’m pretty anal about stuff. When I’m trying to get something done or accomplish something, it pisses me off when I don’t get it done or things get in the way of succeeding or achieving the goals that I have. I, myself, am probably my biggest frustration. There’s nothing out there that really gets in my way other than myself.

DB: Who are your heroes?
CE: Well, my daughter is my number one hero. Guys like Walker Evans, Stacy Peralta, Tony Hawke, Robbie Gordon, Ted Nugent, guys like that who I idolized as a kid. Robby Gordon is a big time Baja 1000 racer. Walker Evans and I have become really good friends since I’ve been competing. Guys like Tony Hawke I idolized when I was a kid because I was so into skateboarding, but more so what he’d done, not just for being the greatest skateboarder that ever lived, but for the business that he built around his name and for what he’s taken skateboarding to as a business.

Stacy Peralta, the same thing. He was a big skateboarder in the 70s and he started a skateboarding business and he turned his passion into a very successful career that you just don’t see in those kinds of sports very often. Those are the guys I look up to. Ted Nugent is one of my heroes because I’ve always been a huge rocker and a music fan and I’ve always really been into hunting and he does both. He’s a famous rock star and probably the biggest hunter in the world. That’s kind of what I’ve always been into and strived to be.

DB: You obviously seem to be very active. Do you think it’s important to stay active as a disabled person?
CE: Oh absolutely. I mean, for one, it’s extremely important from an emotional and mental standpoint. Sitting around and not doing anything allows too much negativity to creep into your mind. Being idle is anyone’s worst enemy. From a physical standpoint, it’s important to be out and be active for health reasons. It’s important to me to be active because I set an example for other people with disabilities to not give up on life and to go out and find what their passion is. To find and realize that there are so many great opportunities out there for everybody that there’s nothing that any of us can’t do.

DB: How has your accident changed your perspective on life?
CE: Being that close to death has made me appreciate my life a lot more. It’s made me – I want to say respect it, but with what I do, a lot of people look at me and say I don’t respect life because I’m always pushing things so far that I could die at any time. I really feel like I’ve been blessed with having the accident that I’ve had and there’s a reason why I’m in my chair and maybe that reason is I’m here to set an example for everyone I come in contact with whether with disabilities or without, but I really feel deep down that that is my purpose in life. I’m here doing what I’m doing for a reason.

DB: So this happened when you were 22, just getting started with your life. What would you say to somebody who had just gotten in an accident? What advice would you give to them?
CE: Basically that life isn’t over. I go to the University of Utah Medical Center where I rehabbed a couple times a month and try to meet new spinal cord injuries. I always take them a copy of my book. I take them my DVD. I tell them: “this could either be the worst nightmare of your life and it’s going to be over, or it’s going to be the biggest blessing and the biggest adventure you’ve ever had,” and that it can be the most amazing thing. I truly believe that. I met a guy today, you could just see, he was so angry and so unhappy and negative, and it just really doesn’t need to be that way.

We all handle things differently. Life’s curves affect us all differently. But there are so many good things that can come out of this kind of situation if people will allow it and look for the good in it. I try to teach them a little bit about that and try to show them what I’ve done and what I’ve accomplished and the happiness that I have in my life. I’m not just full of crap telling them that life is great when I don’t believe that it is. I believe deep down in my soul that this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and that I really wouldn’t trade it for anything. Most people look at me like I’m nuts, but unless you’ve gone through it, been through what I’ve been through, seen what I’ve seen, you don’t know.

DB: Another part to that question: after your accident, what do you wish someone would have said to you?
CE: Don’t get married. Laughs. I couldn’t resist. I got married right after I had my accident and it wasn’t the best idea for me. I probably should’ve waited and not rushed into things and that was a mistake on my part.

As far as life in general, there’s not anything anybody could’ve said. I’ve always written my own story, done my own thing. I’ve made mistakes and not learned the hard way, but I do what I do and go where I want to go.

DB: Do you have anything else you want to add?
CE: I’ve got a lot of really cool stuff in the works right now. I’ve got some folks out here that are working on a script about making my life’s story into a feature film. I speak and I just love doing that and going and talking to kids. That’s really the icing on the cake of the whole thing.

Extreme Sitting: How A Teenager Combined Skateboarding and a Wheelchair

Dan Lawton — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:50:00 GMT

Ever heard of extreme sitting? No, it doesn't involve a new, gimmicky exercise routine or a contest to see who can spend the longest on the couch. Extreme sitting is a new sport in which participants perform skateboard-like tricks in their wheelchair. It's a relatively new phenomenon, which might explain why its founder, Aaron Fotheringham, is only 16.

Born with spina bifida, Aaron has been in a wheelchair since he was three, but he hasn't let his disability stop him from participating in extreme sports. When Aaron was younger, he used to watch his older brother Brian ride BMX. Then, at the age of eight, he decided to give the skatepark a whirl himself.

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"I used to go to the park and watch my brother do BMX tricks. One day he said I should try dropping in. I was scared but tried, and from then on I was hooked," he said.

Before long, Aaron was a skatepark regular, spending over 30 hours a week practicing. He also got a new wheelchair made by Colours Inc. that was lightweight and featured a four-wheel suspension. As Aaron began to perfect tricks, he started to get more and more ambitious. Soon, he began practicing a back flip-first attempting the trick in a pool of foam cushions. After fifty or sixty warm ups, he was ready to attempt the stunt on concrete.

On July 13, 2006, after approximately fifteen unsuccessful attempts, Aaron became the first person ever to perform a back flip in a wheelchair.

"After I actually did it, it took me a minute to realize I'd really landed it," Aaron said. "It wasn't easy getting there. I kept going for it and landing on my back, or landing in the foam pit and almost suffocating because I was stuck upside down and couldn't unhook my buckle on my seat."

Aaron's accomplishment garnered him widespread attention in the field of extreme sports, and a video of him performing the trick has been downloaded over 446,000 times on YouTube. After completing the stunt, Aaron started participating in events alongside BMX Bikers. In 2006, he garnered multiple top 3 finishes.

Just like any other extreme sports competitor, Aaron has suffered his share of injuries in the skatepark. He's broken his elbow before, and during early attempts at the back flip he was knocked unconscious on numerous occasions. However, he believes the bumps and bruises are well worth the look on peoples' faces when they see a kid in a wheelchair doing a back flip or a midair 180 degree turn.

"Sometimes, if someone hasn't seen me before, they'll be watching and their jaws drop and their eyes get all wide. It's really fun to watch," he says.

A Mountain Bike for People with SCI

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:56:00 GMT

Mother Nature has been wise enough to create two laws of physics that, when used properly, can make life for those of us with limited mobility feel less restricted—even liberated. Those concepts are buoyancy, as in swimming, scuba diving, or snorkeling, and gravity, as in skydiving, skiing, bungee jumping, or mountain biking downhill.

It was gravity that motivated Dr. Jeff Rosenbluth, director of spinal cord injury and director of the TRAILS (Therapeutic Recreation and Independent Lifestyles) program at the Rehabilitation Center at University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics to begin collaboration with the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

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The reason for the collaboration: the development of an off-road “mountain chair” that would enable people with high-level (C6) spinal cord injuries to experience the thrill and freedom of true downhill mountain biking—safely. The revolutionary machine, still in the prototype stage, will make it possible for spinal cord injury survivors with minimal shoulder, tricep and wrist movement to steer and brake, while high-profile wheels enhance side-to-side stability, preventing it from tipping over.

It features rack and pinion steering, with “tank-like” levers that steer either wheel, on a 1:3 ratio. It means a high-level quadriplegic (C-6) with some tricep and shoulder motion can safely negotiate a downhill mountain trail or road. It also has a Recaro type seat with shoulder harness and a roll bar/cage to protect the rider.

The brakes are designed to use simple wrist extension while minimizing muscle fatigue. In its current stage, propulsion is either provided by someone pushing it uphill, or gravity pulling it downhill.

Future enhancements will deal with weight reduction, ergonomics, and continued integration of controls, propulsion, and reproducibility.

“The ultimate goal of the mountain chair is to allow spinal cord injury patients to be able to get out and enjoy the outdoors with family and friends,’ says Dr. Rosenbluth. It fits nicely with the stated mission of TRAILS, which is to “promote healthy and active lifestyles for individuals with spinal cord injury or disease through the educational, social, and psychological components of recreation.”

While you may not see a “mountain chair” on the trail this year, you will in the not too distant future. It’s just one example of what can happen when vision meets ingenuity and technology. It means that more people with severe spinal cord injuries will be able to take advantage of the law of gravity, as enacted by Mother Nature.

For more information about the Mountain Chair, contact Melissa Zahl, 801-581-8910, or Dr. Jeff Rosenbluth at 801-581-2334. For more information about TRAILS, please contact Tanja Kari at 801-581-2526.