When I was young, I ran faster than my parents (or so I thought), walked more quickly than my grandmother, climbed trees and left my aunt on the ground, and was oblivious to anyone with a cane, walker or wheelchair.
Decades of hiking, kayaking, canoeing, bicycling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing followed. Eventually physical changes became more than annoying. It’s unlikely I’ll don a backpack for a 37-mile trip to Blue Glacier in Olympic National Park.
I don’t need a cane, walker or wheelchair, but I am more aware of those who do. But using those aids only works for relatively short distances.
A wheelchair works best on boardwalks, paved paths and some hard-packed level trails. But if the rider and the pusher are dealing with lots of gear , it is more challenging and less enjoyable. In most cases, the wheelchair limits the distance.
That’s the challenge that Maggie Savage (rider) and I (pusher) faced: how to go farther outdoors. We wanted to go to the Leavenworth Spring Bird Festival. But would there be enough opportunities for Maggie, who can’t walk far, to enjoy the trip?
We decided to experiment with a three-wheel mobility scooter, one that was heavier and more stable than the lightweight turns-on-a-dime scooter seen in TV ads. We rented one (surprisingly inexpensive), and learned how to dismantle and rebuild it. It was pretty simple.
“I was thrilled and eager for the opportunity. I had given up going places as my health deteriorated and I had given up thinking about trying,” Maggie said. “Looking over the festival program, I saw several outings I could be on and not feel like a burden to others, and have a chance to learn something or see something I might otherwise miss.”
The birding talks and some trips were wheelchair-accessible.
“Once I got the hang of the mobility scooter, I was on a roll. I found that if I was patient I could wheel myself to the front of the group and hear what the presenter was sharing, scoot around with the group, and from a seated position, see more ground movement among the birds,” Maggie said.
Still, there were challenges. The Birding by Ear for Beginners was listed as wheelchair-accessible. The path was mostly packed but much easier to navigate with a scooter.
But in one area, the river had eaten away at part of the path. Maggie had to take a different route to meet us at another point. Still, we heard dozens of different birds, including a yellow warbler, Nashville and yellow-rumped warblers, red-breasted nuthatch, and warbling vireo.
Then there was the technical difficulty. A lever kept popping out of position; the scooter came to a halt and could not be pushed. Thankfully, three strangers volunteered to deal with the lever and push Maggie back to Bird Fest Central. Kudos to Stephanie Astell, Carla Cavani and Julie Miller, who persevered, even up a switchback!
Maggie was on her own for the Sleeping Lady Bird Walk.
“Best of all, I really felt like I was a bonafide member of the group, could interact with others and they with me. My world had increased immensely.”
Next week: A selection of wheelchair-accessible walks that are a breeze with a scooter.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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