As a result of the pandemic, more people nationwide have turned to outdoor recreation. A March 2021 report commissioned by the Outdoor Industry Association found that 53 percent of Americans over the age of six participated in outdoor recreation in 2020 — the highest rate on record. Many destinations managed by the National Park Service also welcomed record numbers of visitors in 2020.
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Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two decades ago, Ms. Moran, 64, has held on to her identity as an avid outdoor enthusiast. A former canoe racer and scuba diver, she uses her chin to drive her power wheelchair on hikes near her home in Portland, Ore. She particularly loves to get off paved trails.
“My adventurous spirit never died because my disability increased,” she said. “I still want to go out and challenge myself as much as possible.”
While she usually brings an able-bodied companion the first time she tries a new hike, she said that going on hikes independently is equally important for her to connect with her spiritual self.
“It’s a way of re-rooting,” she said. Here’s the link:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/travel/disabled-hikers-outdoor-access.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220205&instance_id=52274&nl=the-morning®i_id=93554271&segment_id=81758&te=1&user_id=cd79c84c7266787b3dc1720feb95a86b