Maine Man Proves Hiking Is No Obstacle For Him And His Wheelchair
It's easy to complain
Some years ago, I had a fairly serious leg injury where I tore away part of my calf muscle. Thankfully, it didn't require surgery, but it's never been quite the same since. But, it's not extremely bothersome. But if I hike in the woods for more than a couple of miles, I will barely be able to walk for a couple of days afterward.
Again, nothing serious, it's just inconvenient. In the days following a hike, my leg will be insanely stiff, and drumming is right out of the picture for 3-4 days. So ultimately, I kind of end up missing out on some kinds of outdoor fun. But then sometimes you read about someone that makes you feel like kind of a wimp.
Meet Enock Glidden, the 'disabled adventurer'.
Enock is a volunteer for Maine Trail Finder, and he's traveling all over Maine looking for spots that folks in wheelchairs can get outdoors and have a quality hiking experience. Born with spina bifida, Glidden has been in a wheelchair his whole life but has not let it slow him down for a second.
He's done things most of us can't even conceive of. Like scaling El Capitan. Here I am complaining about my bum leg, and Enock is scaling one of the most difficult rock faces in the entire world. so he's putting that ambition to good use, looking for trails where other-abled folks can go enjoy the great outdoors, according to WMTW.
When I access a trail, I will look for either roots, rocks, how hard the surface is... I go out and I check trails to see how hard they are for someone who uses a manual wheelchair and, I'm hoping that by giving people that information, they can answer the question of how can I do these trails.
But how about a new trail rating system to go with it?
After being amazed by how many places there were to go out in the Maine woods, Glidden really only has one complaint: There's no trail rating system for disabled folks. Trails are currently rated for difficulty, but only for those on foot. He'd like to see a system in place for other needs.
But other than that, it seems to be all about determination. Enock goes out in the woods because he can, without ever considering that he can't. He just pivots and adapts. There's a lesson to be learned for all of us here... Perseverance is maybe the most admirable trait in all of us. Just don't be afraid to do it.