swalker
Very helpful member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2014
- Messages
- 1,580
- Reason
- DX MND
- Diagnosis
- 07/2014
- Country
- US
- State
- CO
- City
- Vail
Those of you that have followed the threads of some of my adventures know how much I enjoy being outdoors.
Last year on our trips to Yellowstone we were able to make it to a backcountry campsite in my wheelchair. This is an accessible campsite on Ice Lake between Norris and Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. We did not spend the night there, as we had neither equipment nor reservations. But, the thought of backpacking has stayed with me since then.
I did a bit of investigating and decided to apply for reservations for that campsite this spring. The reservations are first come first serve, and I have not yet heard back as to whether I was able to secure the campsite.
I made the reservations for the first part of June, when the snow and down timber are likely to be problematic.
At this point, I would guess the chances of this working out are about 20%. But, I figured if we did not try our chances would be 0%
The trail to the campsite is only 1/2 mile long and is a bit of an adventure in the wheelchair. I will have to make it onto the ground (easy) and into the tent at night. The next morning I will have to make it out of the tent and back to the wheelchair (a bit more of a problem but something I can still do today).
I am trying to figure out how to reconfigure one of my backpacking backpacks to fit onto my wheelchair. If I can't figure that out, my wife will have to carry most of the gear, probably in multiple trips. I don't know how she ever puts up with me.
So, here's to hoping for a fast melt-off of the snow, early clearing of the trail by the trail crew, and successfully obtaining the reservations!
I attached some pictures from our attempts to reach the campsite last year. The first shows the trail blocked by downed timber in May. The second shows the trail further in during our successful September attempt. The third shows the lake, which is about 100 yards from the campsite, again in September.
Steve
Last year on our trips to Yellowstone we were able to make it to a backcountry campsite in my wheelchair. This is an accessible campsite on Ice Lake between Norris and Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. We did not spend the night there, as we had neither equipment nor reservations. But, the thought of backpacking has stayed with me since then.
I did a bit of investigating and decided to apply for reservations for that campsite this spring. The reservations are first come first serve, and I have not yet heard back as to whether I was able to secure the campsite.
I made the reservations for the first part of June, when the snow and down timber are likely to be problematic.
At this point, I would guess the chances of this working out are about 20%. But, I figured if we did not try our chances would be 0%
The trail to the campsite is only 1/2 mile long and is a bit of an adventure in the wheelchair. I will have to make it onto the ground (easy) and into the tent at night. The next morning I will have to make it out of the tent and back to the wheelchair (a bit more of a problem but something I can still do today).
I am trying to figure out how to reconfigure one of my backpacking backpacks to fit onto my wheelchair. If I can't figure that out, my wife will have to carry most of the gear, probably in multiple trips. I don't know how she ever puts up with me.
So, here's to hoping for a fast melt-off of the snow, early clearing of the trail by the trail crew, and successfully obtaining the reservations!
I attached some pictures from our attempts to reach the campsite last year. The first shows the trail blocked by downed timber in May. The second shows the trail further in during our successful September attempt. The third shows the lake, which is about 100 yards from the campsite, again in September.
Steve