Five to nine miles a day. Mountain trails, waterfalls, wildlife, and everything from the peaks of Colorado to the geothermal pools of Yellowstone.
For 13-year-old Megan and her family, a recent adventure through Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota was filled with experiences they once weren’t sure would be possible to share together.
Megan experienced a hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) brain injury as an infant. Today, she requires around-the-clock support with daily living, recreation, and adaptive skills. She also has bilateral hip dysplasia and a visual impairment. While Megan previously walked with assistance from a walker, a recent growth spurt and changes in her gait have made walking more difficult.
But Megan has always loved being outdoors.
As she grew, finding ways to continue exploring together became more challenging for her family. A stroller worked when she was younger, as did an adaptive backpack. But at 13 years old, 80 pounds, and 4 feet 6 inches tall, those were no longer safe or practical options.
Her wheelchair could take the family many places, but not everywhere they wanted to go.
“I wanted to take her to places and see things that she normally would not be able to see if we did not have something to help make it accessible,” Megan’s mom, Katrina, shared.
Finding a New Way to Explore
While researching adaptive hiking backpacks and carts, Katrina discovered the Huckleberry Cascade Hiking Cart. With the help of a Variety KC grant, Megan received one of her own.
It didn’t take long for the cart to change what “accessible” could look like for their family.
On a recent family trip, Megan’s new cart traveled with them through some of the country’s most incredible outdoor destinations. They began in Colorado Springs, exploring Garden of the Gods, riding the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and visiting Seven Falls.
From there, they headed to Rocky Mountain National Park, where they hiked trails to see lakes, wildlife, and mountain views. Their adventure continued on to Yellowstone National Park to experience waterfalls and geothermal pools, followed by Grand Teton National Park, where the family hiked between five and nine miles each day.
They finished their journey in South Dakota with stops at Custer State Park and Badlands National Park.
Without Megan’s adaptive hiking cart, Katrina says much of the trip simply wouldn’t have been possible.
“The trip was the first time we finally got to go places all together,” she said.
Experiencing the Trail Together
For Megan, the adventure wasn’t just about reaching the destination.
She loved the movement and vestibular input she experienced while riding in the cart. She listened to waterfalls and streams, laughed as they traveled over roots and up steps, and enjoyed meeting people along the trails who stopped to learn more about her and her cart.
For Katrina, those moments are what she’ll remember most.
“I will always remember going along the trails, stopping and meeting people, and being together as a family without barriers,” she said.
And their adventures aren’t ending there.
The cart can navigate terrain a traditional wheelchair can’t handle, from trails and snow to sand. This fall, the family is already planning their next adventure: traveling along the Oregon coast and visiting California’s redwood forests.
“This cart changes the way we plan vacations,” Katrina said. “Anything is possible as long as I can physically manage it.”
More Than a Piece of Equipment
At Variety KC, we often talk about how the right piece of adaptive equipment can create greater access, independence, and opportunities for children and their families. Sometimes, that looks like an adaptive bike that lets a child ride alongside their siblings. Sometimes, it’s a communication device that gives a child another way to express themselves.
And sometimes, it’s a hiking cart that can travel miles down a mountain trail.
For families who may have never considered adaptive outdoor equipment, or aren’t sure whether an adventure like Megan’s could be possible for them, Katrina hopes their experience offers a little inspiration.
“This has changed our life in so many ways and made most terrain and trails possible depending on the comfort level of the sherpa,” she shared. “I am not in the best physical shape and managed to hike between five and nine miles a day with the cart.”
Most importantly, it has given Megan and her family more ways to experience the world together.
“This cart has brought our family together with experiences that I never thought would be possible,” Katrina said.
And with Oregon and the redwoods next on their list, there are plenty more trails ahead.
