New Paths in the Wilderness
An Essay
Erik Schultz
One of the great myths perpetuated by opponents of wilderness preservation is that protecting such areas discriminates against elderly and disabled persons. As a disabled (paraplegic) wilderness user, I believe that the primary limitations to experiencing wilderness exist in our own minds. There are more creative ways for disabled users to experience wilderness areas than ever before, and such uses are specifically authorized by federal law.
The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) reconciled itself with the Wilderness Act of 1964 by stating that those who use wheelchairs for everyday indoor mobility shall not be barred from enjoying wilderness—but the law also says that agencies managing wilderness are not required to make special accommodations for the disabled.
In 1992, as required by the ADA, the National Council on Disability submitted a report to Congress examining the use of wilderness by disabled persons. The report suggested that managing agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service, develop guidelines for special permits for persons with disabilities that are consistent with the Wilderness Act. In response, the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center published Wilderness Access Decision Tool, which provides examples of how this could be done.
I want to make it clear that even without accommodations, disabled people can enjoy wilderness in several ways, with varying levels of assistance. I speak from seven years of experience.
Some of the easiest involve rafting. Floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho’s Frank Church / River of No Return Wilderness last year gave me an incredible opportunity to visit the heart of the biggest wilderness unit in the Lower 48. I also have enjoyed kayaking and canoeing in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Alaska’s Porcupine River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and Utah’s Green River in Canyonlands National Park.
On land, there are also various ways to experience wilderness. Horseback riding can give certain mobility-impaired individuals trail access to the heart of some of our wildest country. I’ve enjoyed riding in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness and New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness. During the winter, options include sit-ski and dogsled. Nordic sit-skiing has provided me with some of the most liberating and independent experiences away from my wheelchair, in places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Idaho’s Sawtooth National Recreation Area. I would love to try dogsled or sit-ski routes on the frozen lakes of the Boundary Waters.
Despite the array of wilderness experiences I’ve been fortunate to enjoy while disabled, a truly independent experience on a simple hiking trail remains elusive. While certain high-use trails can provide limited-distance wheelchair access from the trailhead, they are few and far between. My dream is to be able to roll my wheelchair down a trail alone, perhaps cast a fly into a lake or river, and experience the quiet and solitude of wilderness in the same way that an able-bodied person can. Not on every trail, mind you—but in select and appropriate areas where minor trail upgrades could make primitive-access, non-paved trails a reality.
A bill pending in Congress, protecting wilderness in Idaho’s Boulder-White Cloud Mountains (H.R. 3603), would authorize and fund primitive-access trail upgrades for wheelchair use on two trails, one within and one adjacent to the proposed wilderness.
But, as I indicated earlier, the Wilderness Act gave federal agencies the power to create such trails. As the number of people with disabilities increases—and as more and more of us seek to take part in challenging activities—it is high time that the agencies exercise their authority. These trails should have negligible impact on the environment and be consistent with the guidelines for wilderness access.
Establishment of primitive-access trails would give elderly and disabled users the taste of a true independent wilderness experience and thereby convince more of us to actively support wilderness preservation. In addition, trail upgrades would make it more difficult for industry opponents and motorized vehicle users to co-opt our community with bogus claims that wilderness is only for athletic elitists. I believe that creating more accessible trails is a winning strategy for the wilderness movement and should broaden the public and political appeal of wilderness preservation.
Erik Schultz is director of the ABS Foundation, based in Alta, Wyoming, which supports wildlands conservation and outdoor recreational opportunities for the disabled.
