swalker
Very helpful member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2014
- Messages
- 1,576
- Reason
- DX MND
- Diagnosis
- 07/2014
- Country
- US
- State
- CO
- City
- Vail
In July my wife, my two sisters, and I took a two week trip. We spent a week in Yellowstone, an afternoon at Bryce Canyon, and four days at the Grand Canyon. It was a wonderful trip.
In Yellowstone, we saw grizzly bears, black bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, elk, pronghorn (antelope), eagles, osprey, and lots of other wildlife. We also saw many geysers. We went on many hikes and spent endless hours on the boardwalks around the thermal features. We camped out, which was a bit of a challenge. The folks at the campground were GREAT! about helping us to get the wheelchair charged each night.
We only spent a few hours at Bryce Canyon, but I wish we had more time there. The sandstone formations are amazing.
The Grand Canyon was amazing as always. I love the accessible buses they have there. The rim trail is wonderful in the wheelchair. We spent many hours on it. It is also great that they let handicap vehicles on the rim road, so I could pick up the rim trail wherever I wanted to. We camped there as well, and the folks at the laundromat were fantastic in letting us charge the wheelchair there overnight.
One of the great adventures was the fairy falls trail in Yellowstone. We found a van accessible parking spot at the trailhead and unloaded the wheelchair. My wife and sisters moved a log blocking access to the trail. We managed to get the wheelchair over another log blocking access (that was an adventure in itself). We then went on a hiking trail for about 2.25 miles. Spectacular! I did not get to make it the final 1/4 mile to the falls because there was a big rock in the middle of the trail. I waited there while the others went to the falls (I had seem them years ago on a hike with my wife). While there, a family with 2 young girls returning from the falls rounded a bend in the trail and came upon me. The youngest girl (about 6) was in the lead. She stopped dead in her tracks and asked "Why are you sitting there?". It was precious. Her parents were mortified, but I thought it was a perfectly logical question to ask. We talked for about 10 minutes and I told her why I was sitting there. It was great. We all made it back to the car successfully. I only needed a push in the wheelchair in a couple of places. What a great hike.
I took quite a few pictures on the trip, as did my wife and sisters. I have attached a few my wife took to show you what it was like.
After adding all the pictures, I realized there are none of my wife. I will add some in subsequent messages of this thread.
It was a great trip, and I am looking forward to heading back out to Yellowstone again in September.
Steve
In Yellowstone, we saw grizzly bears, black bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, elk, pronghorn (antelope), eagles, osprey, and lots of other wildlife. We also saw many geysers. We went on many hikes and spent endless hours on the boardwalks around the thermal features. We camped out, which was a bit of a challenge. The folks at the campground were GREAT! about helping us to get the wheelchair charged each night.
We only spent a few hours at Bryce Canyon, but I wish we had more time there. The sandstone formations are amazing.
The Grand Canyon was amazing as always. I love the accessible buses they have there. The rim trail is wonderful in the wheelchair. We spent many hours on it. It is also great that they let handicap vehicles on the rim road, so I could pick up the rim trail wherever I wanted to. We camped there as well, and the folks at the laundromat were fantastic in letting us charge the wheelchair there overnight.
One of the great adventures was the fairy falls trail in Yellowstone. We found a van accessible parking spot at the trailhead and unloaded the wheelchair. My wife and sisters moved a log blocking access to the trail. We managed to get the wheelchair over another log blocking access (that was an adventure in itself). We then went on a hiking trail for about 2.25 miles. Spectacular! I did not get to make it the final 1/4 mile to the falls because there was a big rock in the middle of the trail. I waited there while the others went to the falls (I had seem them years ago on a hike with my wife). While there, a family with 2 young girls returning from the falls rounded a bend in the trail and came upon me. The youngest girl (about 6) was in the lead. She stopped dead in her tracks and asked "Why are you sitting there?". It was precious. Her parents were mortified, but I thought it was a perfectly logical question to ask. We talked for about 10 minutes and I told her why I was sitting there. It was great. We all made it back to the car successfully. I only needed a push in the wheelchair in a couple of places. What a great hike.
I took quite a few pictures on the trip, as did my wife and sisters. I have attached a few my wife took to show you what it was like.
- We set up a spotting scope to view an Osprey nest. This was on a short trail along the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. That is me in the foreground with my older sister Fran to the right.
- We spent many hours on the boardwalks around the upper geyser basin in Yellowstone. From left to right are my little sister Ginger, me, and Fran.
- On the hike to Fairy Falls, you pass Grand Prismatic Spring. Here are Fran, me, and Ginger (left to right) on the trail looking toward the spring.
- The trail to Fairy Falls is blocked by a log. My wife and sisters moved the log to allow me to get through. I could not have done it alone.
- Ginger, me, and Fran at Bryce canyon.
- Me in front of some of the wonderful sandstone formations of Bryce Canyon.
- Me along the Rim Trail at the edge of the Grand Canyon.
- Another picture from the Rim Trail.
- Me on one of the buses at the Grand Canyon.
- Me on the Rim Trail again.
After adding all the pictures, I realized there are none of my wife. I will add some in subsequent messages of this thread.
It was a great trip, and I am looking forward to heading back out to Yellowstone again in September.
Steve