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2008 disability-friendly camping
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Whoops, you missed it this time.
The city of Berkeley's "Very Special Family Camp" is held
every year at the city's Tuolumne
Family Camp on the weekend after Memorial Day. In spite of the dreadful
name, it is good clean fun, especially if you have children, with or
without disabilities. The cost is a lot less than the regular fee at
Tuolumne camp, which is only fair since the camp is not officially open
yet at this time of year, and there are a few organized activities.
But there are usually only about 40 people there in a facility that
accommodates several hundred, so it's peaceful and friendly. The food
is plain but good, served cafeteria-style.
Accommodations are tent cabins with cots but no bedding;
the restrooms are a few yards away, and accessible. There is a roll-in
shower. The camp is on the side of a hill, so you need a power chair,
strong arms or willing assistants.
- Adults: $50
- Youth (7-14 yr): $42
- Child (3-6 yr): $30
- Infant (under 3): free
This year's camp was May 30-June 1
If you have questions about access at Tuolumne camp, please
contact me (Ann, 510-655-8863) -- I was a regular there for many years.
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This one's full also -- in fact
they've expanded it to two weekends, and are planning on packing us
six to a cabin. Are we having fun yet? I can hardly wait: Echo
Lake 50 + Camp This is also run by the city of Berkeley, scheduled
August 15-18, and including bus transportation to the city's camp near
Lake Tahoe. Not oriented towards people with disabilities, except to
the extent that they expect the old folks to be pretty creaky. At Echo
Lake, accommodations are similar to Tuolumne, above, but they have a
swimming pool with a lift, and a hot tub (no lift). The altitude is
higher, which translates into colder nights, probably. Meaning the little
walk from your cabin to the toilet might be daunting, and a good sleeping
bag is in order. Or, if you're me, and just count on warm quilts, socks,
and woolly hat for camping, add one or two layers. It's amazing how
much warmer you feel with a scarf wrapped round your neck.
The price is right: $120 for three days, dinner Friday
through lunch Monday, and the bus ride. I am planning to go, but no
one seems to be certain whether the bus accommodates wheelchairs. If
I can't ride the bus I hope they'll reduce our fee, and we can use the
money to help put gas in our minivan for the trip. Call 510-981-5140
for information or to sign up.
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Memories
of Muir in an Accessible Sierra
This was originally sponsored by the Sierra Club, at a much higher
price. The information below is the text of the flyer about it. I am
interested in going, if I can find someone (or two or three) to carpool
with me. Please call if this appeals to you, 510-655-8863.
This trip is designed for
the able-bodied nature and Muir enthusiast as well as for people needing
an alternate mode of transportation to access the wilderness. Trip
members are invited to hike or ride (or a little of both) in the incomparable
Sierra National Forest just south of Yosemite National Park. Friends
and relatives of mixed abilities can experience the wilderness together.
Learn Muir family history firsthand from a Muir descendant.
We will use a uniquely designed horsedrawn wagon featuring a solar
powered, battery operated wheelchair lift. Powered by a team of gentle
draft horses, our group of adventurers with varying abilities will
camp, hike and ride our wagon into the beautiful Sierras overlooking
the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wildernesses.
Itinerary:
The trip begins the morning of September 7th at our campsite in the
Soquel Basin area of Sierra National Forest, northeast of the town
of Oakhurst and just south of Yosemite National Park. We'll spend
the morning settling in before we gather together for lunch and an
orientation. The afternoon will be spent getting acquainted with our
team of horses and learning more about our wagon transportation. We
will take a short ride and hike before dinner. Days two and three
will be full days of exploring the area with visits to places such
as the Shadow of the Giants interpretive trail and Nelder Creek. On
day four we will drive along the Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway
to our second camp in the high country bordering the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
We will make several stops along the way and take time to enjoy the
dramatic change of scenery from the lower forest area to the high
Sierra granite. Days five and six will again be full days of hiking
and riding through serene forests and granite overlooks. The trip
will conclude with breakfast on day seven at our high Sierra campsite.
Trip Difficulty:
This trip is designed to accommodate trip members with varying abilities,
including people with disabilities. Those trip members using the wagon
transportation should expect to be in the wagon up to six hours a
day with frequent breaks. Hikers can expect to walk up to 10 miles
in a day over varying terrain with grades of five to seven percent.
Participants can alternate between hiking and riding throughout the
day.
Everyone will participate in camp chores. Weather and other wilderness
conditions can make a trip more physically demanding. While the days
may be sunny and moderately warm, nighttime temperatures in the Sierra
this time of year can dip into the 30's. Trip members should be in
reasonably good physical condition and be able to function independently.
To ensure your enjoyment and success as well as the safety of the
group, it is essential that you provide the leaders with complete
information on health concerns and disability issues prior to your
reservation confirmation.
Your Guides:
Our wagon will be driven by horseman Michael Muir, 54, who has lived
with multiple sclerosis since he was 15 years old. Despite the challenges
of MS, he has maintained an extraordinarily active and adventuresome
life. Using wheelchair accessible horsedrawn vehicles, Muir promotes
open space and wilderness access for people with disabilities. In
2001, he led an international team of people with disabilities driving
wheelchair accessible horse drawn carriages on a 3,000 mile, ten-month
Journey Across America. Two years later, Michael reenacted John Muir's
walk to the Gulf using his horsedrawn carriage.
Trip leader, Jan Lockie
has been an outdoor guide for over 15 years, leading paddling, backpacking
and wilderness trips in her home state of California, as well as Alaska,
Canada and other outdoor destinations. She has a master's degree in
Recreation, is a certified Recreation Therapist and a Wilderness First
Responder. She has led wilderness trips with Wilderness Inquiry and
Environmental Traveling Companions and the Sierra Club.
Trip price of $450 includes
on trip wagon transportation, all meals, camping and group equipment.
Reserve your space with a check made out to Access Adventure/SLT sent
to Access Adventure, c/o Jan Lockie, 221 Danielle Drive, San Rafael,
CA 94903.
For more information, contact:
Jan Lockie: janlockie@hotmail.com, 415.717.6830 or
Michael Muir: info@access-adventure.org
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