Field Notes
See the pictures, read on for the stories.
The latest Instagram pictures rotate through, along with links to their quick stories. But there’s so much more to tell. Some from our own experiences, others that are shared. From young to old, from local to international, the AdvenChair is making the rounds!
“The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and animals and birds, ford the streams and cross the ridges, and tell a good story when we get home.”
—Gary Snyder
And the stories we can tell!
We love to share our news and yours. Have an AdvenChair story to tell?
ROLL BOLDLY Spring/Summer 2024
It’s been almost a year since our last newsletter and not surprisingly, a lot has happened in AdvenChair’s world. Here is a brief rundown to get you up to date.
Robert Kapen (seated in his AdvenChair), his wife Nelly (hugging Robert, center) and other members of Team Kapen, recently enjoyed an active vacation in Yosemite National Park. Much like their trip to Machu Picchu in 2021, AdvenChair allowed them to explore the incredible scenery beyond where the pavement ends.
From World Youth Day to International Film Festivals, AdvenChair keeps the good times rolling.
BY GEOFF BABB
Christina Nguyen was born with Cerebral Palsy. Last summer, she was able to take part in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal in the AdvenChair.
It’s been almost a year since our last newsletter and not surprisingly, a lot has happened in AdvenChair’s world. Here is a brief rundown to get you up to date.
Last summer, we helped a young woman from Renton, Washington fulfill a dream of attending World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal with a group of friends. Her story of exploring the Camino de Fatima and witnessing the Pope address a crowd of 1.5 million in 100-degree heat is nothing short of miraculous.
The Grand AdvenChair journey to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in 2022 inspired a Central Oregon woman to produce her first documentary film, DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair. Marcia Volk, our web designer, spent more than a year working on the project and completed it in November 2023. Since then, she has been busy entering film festivals throughout the country and has already picked up an award for it, and is officially selected for another. Read all about Marcia’s labor of love and where you can see the film later this month here.
Also, during the last 10 months, we have completed two more production runs and now have 20 AdvenChairs out on the trail, serving veterans in Pennsylvania; students in Indiana, California and Oregon; families in Idaho and Tennessee; and a half dozen in use at Outdoor Schools in Oregon.
AdvenTours guided accessibility hikes in the AdvenChair are now available at Smith Rock State Park and other locations in Central Oregon
We are extremely excited to announce that those numbers will be increasing soon thanks to a new partnership with Wanderlust Tours that enabled us to attain a $45,000 grant from Visit Central Oregon. The grant will allow us to introduce AdvenTours, group outings for people with disabilities and their families/friends, led by Wanderlust Tour guides. Read more about this unique collaboration here.
In addition to AdvenTours, we have several other events planned close to home and in the Pacific Northwest. Go directly to our Events Calendar to view the entire summer and beyond. The weather is warming up and the trails are starting to get nice and firm. We’d like to thank all of the volunteers who have helped assemble new AdvenChairs and assisted in so many other ways. We can’t wait to see all of you out in the wild again.
My thanks and gratitude to Cam Davis for writing, Chris Michaelis for the layout and Marcia Volk for making sure the moving parts of this exciting newsletter are all in order.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
AdvenChair goes to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal.
Christina and the AdvenChair were engulfed by the hoards at first to the Pope in Lisbon, Portugal
In its relatively brief period of existence, AdvenChair has made some seemingly impossible physical endeavors quite doable for people with disabilities – reaching Machu Picchu and venturing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to name a couple. But now, thanks to an intrepid youth group from St. Stephens Catholic Church in Renton, Washington, it can add a life-changing spiritual sojourn to its list of accomplishments as well.
Christina Nguyen, a 23-year-old member of the diocese, was born with Cerebral Palsy. Last summer, she wanted to take part in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal with 29 other young adults from her diocese. Centered around an inspiring address by the pope, World Youth Day would draw about 1.5 million young adults from all over the world, an international gathering larger than the Summer Olympics and the World Cup combined.
Read more here.
Looking ahead, in late July/early August, Christine Nguyen will join 30 other young adults from the Seattle area on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Portugal, featuring an extensive trek in an AdvenChair along the Camino de Fatima. Read her story below.
And that’s not all of the exciting things that are happening this summer:
Crusaders for America, a veterans group in Pennsylvania, has also joined the AdvenChair family and will be hitting the trail soon.
The AdvenChair team will be participating in Destination Rehab’s SOAR 2023 at the Bend Pavilion on Saturday, July 8.
On August 25-27, an AdvenChair will be rolling on a part of the Olympic Discovery Trail in Port Angeles, Washington in support of Ian’s Ride, an event to help raise awareness for accessible trails.
Young or old, anyone can now roll boldly to places once thought inaccessible knowing they are riding on the most advanced, most versatile and most durable all-terrain chair on the market.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
“DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair”
Coming soon to a theater or film festival near you.
They say no person is an island. That’s especially true when that person needs something that doesn’t exist yet to make his or her life better, and then invents something that not only fulfills the need, but benefits those immediately around him, and countless other people in similar circumstances in different parts of the planet.
Clearly that’s the case with Geoff Babb and his AdvenChair invention that had a ripple effect on dozens of people who journeyed with him to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back two years ago. And recently, the story of that journey inspired another woman so much, it moved her to create a 48-minute documentary film called DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair.
Marcia Volk and her husband Mike live across the street from Smith Rock State Park, and run SmithRock.com, the primary website for users of the park. Marcia became intimately familiar with Geoff and the AdvenChair team while developing the AdvenChair website. Marcia has held many jobs throughout her long career, but it took a story like the Grand AdvenChair to finally get her to fulfill her first love, which was film-making.
"Geoff’s incredible and infectious will to dream boldly made me want to do the same," said Marcia. "It was always my dream to create a documentary, and now we’ve both realized huge dreams.”
Marcia wrote and directed the documentary, and shared editing duties with Mike, who also assisted with motion graphics and audio engineering. The couple also shared Executive Producer credits with Geoff and Yvonne Babb. The project took approximately a year to finish, but the work of having it seen by the public at various film festivals and streaming online is just beginning.
The film was a Winner of Merit at The Impact Docs Awards this year, got officially selected for the LA Inderpendent Women in Film Awards, and is currently being considered for awards in eight other film competitions, including Cannes, France. Residents of Central Oregon have two opportunities to see this inspiring film in the near future. It will show Thursday, May 23 at the Belfry in Sisters and on Tuesday, May 28 at the Open Space Studios in Bend.
Both events will start at 5:30 pm, with doors open at 5:00 pm, and feature a panel discussion and Q&A with Marcia, Geoff and other members of the Grand AdvenChair team until 7:30 pm. Tickets are free with a $10 suggested donation and reservations are highly recommended.
AdvenChair teams up with Wanderlust Tours for AdvenTours. And sharing a healthy grant.
What do you get when you combine AdvenChair, the leader in all-terrain wheelchairs, with Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s leader in guided all-terrain adventures? You get AdvenTours, outings that allow people with disabilities to explore Central Oregon’s most iconic places with expert guidance.
You also get a team that worked together to secure a $45,000 grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, a program that supports local tourism projects benefiting both visitors and residents. The team was one of 15 recipients who shared a portion of $450,000 in grant money. The funds will allow AdvenChair to order two more brand new chairs and make them available for Wanderlust clients, many of whom have been asking for an all-terrain chair so that a disabled family member or even a wobbly grandparent could come along for the outing.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Geoff and the AdvenChair team to facilitate accessible tours in the Bend area,” said Courtney Braun, Owner of Wanderlust Tours. “For more than 30 years, it’s been our goal to get folks into the great outdoors and let Mother Nature do her work, inspiring and invigorating everyone who visits her trails. And now, those with mobility challenges can join us for adventures in these beautiful areas, and come away with great stories to tell.”
Read more here.
Wheel the World / Visit Central Oregon highlights
photos Cody Roux and Amy Kazmier
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
AdvenChair goes to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal
In its relatively brief period of existence, AdvenChair has made some seemingly impossible physical endeavors quite doable for people with disabilities – reaching Machu Picchu and venturing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to name a couple. But now, thanks to an intrepid youth group from St. Stephens Catholic Church in Renton, Washington, it can add a life-changing spiritual sojourn to its list of accomplishments as well.
Christina Nguyen on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal in the AdvenChair. Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva.
In its relatively brief period of existence, AdvenChair has made some seemingly impossible physical endeavors quite doable for people with disabilities – reaching Machu Picchu and venturing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to name a couple. But now, thanks to an intrepid youth group from St. Stephens Catholic Church in Renton, Washington, it can add a life-changing spiritual sojourn to its list of accomplishments as well.
Christina Nguyen, a 23-year-old member of the diocese, was born with Cerebral Palsy. Last summer, she wanted to take part in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal with 29 other young adults from her diocese. Centered around an inspiring address by the pope, World Youth Day would draw about 1.5 million young adults from all over the world, an international gathering larger than the Summer Olympics and the World Cup combined.
Since the group also had plans to take an additional week-long venture on the Camino de Fatima, a rambling unpaved path similar to the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Christina knew she wouldn’t be able to handle all the walking and standing with her usual crutches.
“I originally thought I could 'MacGyver' an old wheelchair to help Christina get around,” said Beth Nieva, the Parish’s Young Adults Group Leader. “But after discovering the AdvenChair online, I decided it would be a much safer (and cooler-looking) alternative.”
After contacting AdvenChairman Geoff Babb and arranging to rent an AdvenChair for the trip, Beth found it to be a Godsend in more ways than she could’ve imagined.
“Portugal is known for its cobblestone streets that are beautiful to look at, but horrible to travel on,” said Beth. “The streets we were on were like 1,000 years old and the edges of the cobblestones were so worn away, there was sometimes a 1.5” gap between the stones. So a crutch or even a traditional wheelchair getting caught in one of those gaps could’ve easily thrown her [Christina] for a header. With the AdvenChair, we were able to float right over the gaps – with and without the front wheel.”
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva.
Five days before World Youth Day (WYD), the group arrived in the village of Fatima, where they had planned to follow the Camino to Lisbon. However, after finding that there were no places along the route that could accommodate 30 people all together, they decided to stay in Fatima and make a series of day trips in various directions. These excursions not only gave the team a good understanding of Portuguese culture and history, they helped everyone get familiar with operating the AdvenChair before dealing with the crowds of Lisbon.
“World Youth Day in Lisbon is where the real adventure started,” said Beth. “I have never experienced crowds that intense. But the AdvenChair was great! We had to constantly get on metros into the city, where the chair barely fit within the width of the train. There were thousands of people taking up every inch of space on these trains. Then, when everyone got off, there would be a swell of humanity all shoulder-to-shoulder, moving in the same direction. You would grab on to the backpack of the person in front of you and hold on for dear life.”
To make things even more challenging, the train stations did not have working elevators or ramps for wheelchairs. Thankfully, the gripping points on the AdvenChair made it easy for a few strong team members to grab each corner and carry Christina up and down flights of stairs in order to change trains numerous times a day.
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva.
Lisbon is known as the City of Seven Hills, but it’s not famous for its wheelchair ramps and accessibility for the disabled throughout the rest of the city either.
“Steps and stairs were everywhere,” said Beth. “And although Christina offered to use her crutches that were stored in the back of the AdvenChair, it was much quicker for us to just lift and carry her, not to mention much safer for her to stay in the chair.”
When it came to dealing with the crowds and other difficulties of World Youth Day, AdvenChair rose to the occasion again and again.
“There were 150 countries and dozens of different languages represented at WYD,” said Beth. “But we quickly found out that ‘wheelchair’ is a universal word, and it became my battle cry. They started to call me Moses, because every time I yelled, ‘Wheelchair!’ I was able to part the Red Sea of people and roll right through.”
Naturally, the bright orange AdvenChair caused a few double takes, which opened up a lot of friendly conversations.
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva
“It was cool to see how many people from different countries would come up and offer to push the chair for us or ask if we needed help. It became the focal point for an international fellowship that was awesome to see.”
While the AdvenChair can easily be handled by one person on level and rolling terrain, it really shines when it brings people together as a team. The St. Stephens group practiced together a few times before going over to Portugal, but when they got to Lisbon, they found that Christina kept getting hit in the head by backpacks because her head was right at that level.
“I was really impressed with how our team worked together,” said Beth. “We learned to put a person on each side of the front wheel, two people on either side of Christina to protect her, and one person behind the wheel (usually me), who had the easiest job, because we weren’t moving too fast among the crowds.”
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva
And if dealing with the massive mobs wasn’t hard enough, toward the end of the event, temperatures rose to more than 100 degrees and there was no water available anywhere.
“We had to collect enough water for 30 people before we left the inn each day,” said Beth. ”It just happens that there’s an adjustable footrest near the front of the chair. We found we could load it up with our water and we could carry even more in the back. Because of the intense heat, we ended up using Ubers to get around, rather than suffer on the trains. With the removable wheel, my team was able to break down the chair and put it in the back so fast, we would be on our way in no time.”
All in all, the group couldn’t be more grateful for being able to rent an AdvenChair for their pilgrimage.
“I can’t thank the people at AdvenChair and the entire group at St. Stephens enough for giving me the opportunity to attend World Youth Day,” said Christina. “Hearing the pope speak and meeting many young people from around the world was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Yet it was just as uplifting to watch my teammates make it all possible for me.”
“After searching all over for an all-terrain wheelchair, finding the AdvenChair was truly a blessing,” said Beth. “I don’t know if I’ll ever organize and lead a trip with a disabled person like that again. But if I do, I won’t go without the AdvenChair.”
“DREAM BOLDLY” – Coming soon to a theater or film festival near you.
They say no person is an island. That’s especially true when that person needs something that doesn’t exist yet to make his or her life better, and then invents something that not only fulfills the need, but benefits those immediately around him, and countless other people in similar circumstances in different parts of the planet. Clearly that’s the case with Geoff Babb and his AdvenChair invention that had a ripple effect on dozens of people who journeyed with him to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back two years ago. And recently, the story of that journey inspired another couple so much, it moved them to create a 48-minute documentary film called DREAM BOLDLY.
The film was a Winner of Merit at The Impact Docs Awards this year and is currently being considered for awards in eight other film competitions, including Cannes, France.
They say no person is an island. That’s especially true when that person needs something that doesn’t exist yet to make his or her life better, and then invents something that not only fulfills the need, but benefits those immediately around him, and countless other people in similar circumstances in different parts of the planet.
Clearly that’s the case with Geoff Babb and his AdvenChair invention that had a ripple effect on dozens of people who journeyed with him to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back two years ago. And recently, the story of that journey inspired another couple so much, it moved them to create a 48-minute documentary film called DREAM BOLDLY.
The AdvenChair takes on the Bright Angel Trail of the Grand Canyon
Marcia Volk and her husband Mike live across the street from Smith Rock State Park, and run SmithRock.com, the primary website for users of the park. Marcia became intimately familiar with Geoff and the AdvenChair team while developing the advenchair.com website. Marcia has held many jobs throughout her long career, but it took a story like the Grand AdvenChair to finally get her to fulfill her first love, which was film-making.
Marcia wrote and directed the documentary, and shared editing duties with Mike, who also assisted with motion graphics and audio engineering. The couple also shared Executive Producer credits with Geoff and Yvonne Babb. The project took approximately a year to finish, but the work of having it seen by the public at various film festivals and streaming online is just beginning.
“Geoff’s incredible and infectious will to dream boldly made me want to do the same. It was always my dream to create a documentary, and now we’ve both realized huge dreams.”
The film was a Winner of Merit at The Impact Docs Awards this year, got officially selected for the LA Independent Women in Film Awards, and is currently being considered for awards in eight other film competitions, including Cannes, France. Residents of Central Oregon have two opportunities to see this inspiring film in the near future. It will show Thursday, May 23 at the Belfry in Sisters and on Tuesday, May 28 at the Open Space Studios in Bend.
Both events will start at 5:30 pm, with doors open at 5:00 pm, and feature a panel discussion and Q&A with Marcia, Geoff, and other members of the Grand AdvenChair team until 7:30 pm. Tickets are free with a $10 suggested donation and reservations are highly recommended.
AdvenChair teams up with Wanderlust Tours for AdvenTours. And sharing a healthy grant.
What do you get when you combine AdvenChair, the leader in all-terrain wheelchairs, with Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s leader in guided all-terrain adventures? You get AdvenTours, outings that allow people with disabilities to explore Central Oregon’s most iconic places with expert guidance.
Bald Eagle nest watching at Smith Rock State Park in the AdvenChair.
What do you get when you combine AdvenChair, the leader in all-terrain wheelchairs, with Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s leader in guided all-terrain adventures? You get AdvenTours, outings that allow people with disabilities to explore Central Oregon’s most iconic places with expert guidance.
You also get a team that worked together to secure a $45,000 grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, a program that supports local tourism projects benefiting both visitors and residents. The team was one of 15 recipients who shared a portion of $450,000 in grant money. The funds will allow AdvenChair to order two more brand new chairs and make them available for Wanderlust clients, many of whom have been asking for an all-terrain chair so that a disabled family member or even a wobbly grandparent could come along for the outing.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Geoff and the AdvenChair team to facilitate accessible tours in the Bend area.”
“For more than 30 years, it’s been our goal to get folks into the great outdoors and let Mother Nature do her work, inspiring and invigorating everyone who visits her trails. And now, those with mobility challenges can join us for adventures in these beautiful areas, and come away with great stories to tell, continued Courtney.”
Wanderlust will offer its first AdvenTour on the morning of Saturday, July 13 at Smith Rock State Park. Adventurers will have plenty of time to take in views from the rim of the canyon, as well as explore trails along the Crooked River, where you can get close-up glimpses at climbers challenging the limestone walls.
On Saturday, August 3, the AdvenTour will combine a dive into Central Oregon’s unique volcanic geology with a healthy dose of astronomy. Lava Lands Visitor Center offers the perfect venue for both with a twilight trek among a 10-square mile lava field, followed by a summer evening of stargazing far away from city lights.
On the morning of Sunday, September 8, it’s time to take in the breathtaking spectacle of Benham Falls. The AdvenChair makes several dramatic viewpoints of this powerful cataract easily accessible, as well as some of the Upper Deschutes’ most serene settings.
Finally, on Sunday, October 20, the AdvenTour will venture to Shevlin Park for a morning jaunt along Tumalo Creek. We will take a close look at this ecosystem filled with spectacular flora and fauna and revel in some of Central Oregon’s most dramatic fall colors.
AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours also welcome you to customize your own accessible tour as weather and schedules allow. How about climbing to take in the stunning panoramic views from the top of Tumalo Mountain? Maybe you’ve never been to the Badlands Wilderness, one of the area’s newer trail systems that is rife with aged, stoic juniper trees, colorful rock outcrops and plenty of solitude. Or perhaps you’d like a taste of the incredible Newberry Caldera where Paulina Creek meanders through stunningly pristine scenery. If the mobility challenges don’t impact the ability to paddle, Wanderlust can even set you up with a guided canoe or kayak tour that may or may not involve an AdvenChair. In short, whatever tour you can dream up, we can probably make it work for you.
ROLL BOLDLY Summer 2023
We are still glowing a year after the epic Grand AdvenChair 2 on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park (20 miles down and up). And our roll on Cannon Beach on a bluebird day in February (above) during a break in Snowmagedon '23 was nothing short of phenomenal. But what’s driving us the most since our last newsletter is the many other lives that AdvenChair has touched in various parts of the world.
AdvenChair is Rolling Boldly,
to the Benefit of Young, Old, and Veterans, too.
BY GEOFF BABB
We are still glowing a year after the epic Grand AdvenChair 2 on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park (20 miles down and up). And our roll on Cannon Beach on a bluebird day in February (above) during a break in Snowmagedon '23 was nothing short of phenomenal. But what’s driving us the most since our last newsletter is the many other lives that AdvenChair has touched in various parts of the world.
Thanks to AdvenChair, 5th and 6th-grade students are enjoying the full Outdoor School experience at three large programs in Oregon. And this fall, they will be joined by kids at outdoor schools in California and Indiana. Read more in the story below.
A mobility-challenged grandmother enjoys the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair
Elsewhere, mobility-challenged grandmothers were able to enjoy multi-generational trips to wild places to celebrate important family events in AdvenChairs, while families in California, Idaho, and Tennessee can now share their love of the outdoors with their children who have disabilities long after the kids have outgrown their strollers.
Also, Team Kapen in Torrance, California once again helped the AdvenChair family grow by sharing the chair that took them to Machu Picchu in 2021. After enabling a family to celebrate a new trail honoring their patriarch last year, they recently helped brain tumor survivor Christine participate in the National Brain Tumor Society walk-a-thon in Los Angeles.
Brain tumor survivor Christine participates with an AdvenChair hiking wheelchair in the National Brain Tumor Society walk-a-thon in Los Angeles
Additionally, three students from OSU-Cascades Outdoor Products Program, Chandler Brookins, Will Lamar and Tyler Paulson, completed their Capstone Project by designing and testing a significant improvement to a critical moving part on the AdvenChair.
This upgrade will reduce friction and metal fatigue and has been integrated into Version 3.2. We can’t thank them enough for their efforts!
OSU-Cascades Outdoor Products Program, Chandler Brookins, Will Lamar and Tyler Paulson, completed their Capstone Project by designing and testing a significant improvement to a critical moving part on the AdvenChair
Looking ahead, in late July/early August, Christine Nguyen will join 30 other young adults from the Seattle area on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Portugal, featuring an extensive trek in an AdvenChair along the Camino de Fatima. Read her story below.
And that’s not all of the exciting things that are happening this summer:
Crusaders for America, a veterans group in Pennsylvania, has also joined the AdvenChair family and will be hitting the trail soon.
The AdvenChair team will be participating in Destination Rehab’s SOAR 2023 at the Bend Pavilion on Saturday, July 8.
On August 25-27, an AdvenChair will be rolling on a part of the Olympic Discovery Trail in Port Angeles, Washington in support of Ian’s Ride, an event to help raise awareness for accessible trails.
Young or old, anyone can now roll boldly to places once thought inaccessible knowing they are riding on the most advanced, most versatile and most durable all-terrain chair on the market.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
AdvenChair announces new upgrades and prices for Version 3.2
When a product is built by a team of visionaries and perfectionists, it’s likely to get tinkered with and improved upon rather frequently. Such is the case with AdvenChair as we begin taking orders for our next version.
After passing its toughest yet – the Grand AdvenChair 2 to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back – the AdvenChair team realized that some elements of the chair could be made even better and began implementing several significant upgrades. On the next version, you can expect:
A new and improved fiberglass seating system from Enabling Technologies, a well-known adaptive sports innovator and manufacturer.
A lowered center of gravity (1.25") to prevent tip-overs on the side slopes.
A new forward beam design that replaces the front suspension with a fatter tire that can use lower air pressure for better traction.
New soft-shackle, open-loop towing points from Metolius Climbing replace the heavy and expensive stainless steel eye bolts.
New plastic bearings on the footrest and caster legs to provide stronger and smoother movement.
We also eliminated two redundant seat mounting tubes that were welded to the frame and replaced them with bolted-in seat tubes. Combined with the other changes mentioned above, we have managed to reduced the overall weight by 5 lbs., while improving both safety and comfort.
With some adjustments for inflation, the new AdvenChair 3.2 is ready to roll for a lifetime of adventure for a very reasonable cost of $11,950.
AdvenChair’s Portuguese Pilgrimage – Tackling the Camino de Fatima with an entourage of young adults.
By most accounts, a stroll around the park constitutes an active summer afternoon for a wheelchair. But for AdvenChair – the only all-terrain wheelchair to travel to both Machu Picchu and the Grand Canyon – a significantly more challenging venture is on the docket next month. Christine Nguyen, a 22-year-old resident of Renton, Washington, born with Cerebral Palsy, is about to embark on a pilgrimage with 30 other young adults along the Camino de Fatima in Portugal.
The group from St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Renton will be attending World Youth Day in Lisbon along with 1.5 million other young adults from all over the world. Part of the pilgrimage will include an extensive trek of about 10 miles a day over rugged and hilly terrain, as well as ancient cobblestone streets.
Ancient cobblestone streets in Portugal will be one of the surfaces for the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair along the Camino de Fatima
The Camino de Fatima in Portugal is the next challenging venture for the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair
“We are excited to rent an AdvenChair,” said Beth Nieva, the Parish’s Young Adults Group Leader. “This pilgrimage is not a vacation, but rather an opportunity to pack light (we are backpacking) and realize what is essential. I originally thought I could 'MacGyver' an old wheelchair, but the AdvenChair will be a much safer (and cooler- looking) alternative.”
All of Christina’s fellow travelers will have a chance to push and pull the chair up and over the unpredictable terrain and overcome difficulties on the fly.
“We will be visiting the Castle at Tomar, parts of the Camino from Lisbon to Fatima, and traveling all over Lisbon,” said Nieva.
Though she is able to stand and get around through the use of arm crutches, the opportunity to ride an AdvenChair is an absolute game-changer for Christine.
“The AdvenChair will provide accessibility, opportunity and safety in particularly challenging outdoor environments,” she said. “In a city that is known to be incredibly hilly (Lisbon is known for its seven hills), the AdvenChair will help me access and safely maneuver through rough terrain with greater ease and confidence.”
Christine recognizes that the AdvenChair not only breaks down physical barriers that often limit those with physical disabilities, it enables individuals to engage in new opportunities and situations that were previously considered inaccessible.
“I am excited to use the AdvenChair to explore new places, build new relationships, and connect with friends on this fun adventure!” she said.
If you are interested in helping the church cover the rental cost of the chair, please visit their website: https://ststephenslife.com/wyd-fundraising Donations will be greatly appreciated.
AdvenChair Levels the Playing Field for Outdoor School Students.
For more than 60 years, Oregon’s outdoor schools have offered life-changing educational experiences, allowing 5th and 6th graders to immerse themselves in hands-on science projects in the wild. For children with disabilities, however, trails and rugged terrain have always made participation an uphill battle, if not utterly impossible.
But thanks to AdvenChair, the pathways to outdoor learning are now wide open for every student at the Northwest Outdoor Science School (NWOSS).
“We are so grateful for our partnership with AdvenChair,” said Akari Jensen, Principal of NWOSS. “We have been able to provide access for at least ten different students this school year for reasons spanning from a physical disability to injury-related mobility issues.
"Having the AdvenChair on hand not only allowed all of these students to participate in the hiking, games, and field-based science activities, but to build connections and camaraderie with fellow students and staff members." The AdvenChair team was instrumental in helping the school make the most of the chair.
“The AdvenChair team made our entire staff feel more prepared to meet our students’ needs, as well as to be advocates for disability justice in our own lives. They led trainings with our staff and are always available to help us when we have questions about the AdvenChair. Outdoor School would not be as accessible without them!”
Shannon Copeland, an Instructional Assistant with Camp Cedar Ridge NW Regional ESD, echoed those sentiments wholeheartedly:
"Outdoor School was such a success for Graham [one of their students], and it would not have been possible without the AdvenChair,” said Copeland. “Up and down the hills, around the grassy field, that chair was invaluable. Without it, he would not have been able to participate in everything that he wanted to do."
Graham, an Outdoor School student, participates in everything he wants to do thanks to the AdvenChair hiking chair
Principal Jensen also reports that AdvenChair is very easy for staff members to use, adjust and maneuver. And Geoff is there every step of the way when they have questions.
“Not only that,” Jensen says, “Geoff occasionally came up to the Portland area from Bend to meet directly with students who would need to be fitted for the chair in advance of their week at Outdoor School. The impact of this was palpable. I watched these students see themselves in Geoff and realize that their disability is not a barrier to doing amazing things.”
More scenes from a bluebird day at Cannon Beach
photos by Don Hogeland
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
ROLL BOLDLY Winter 2022
As we close out 2022, we have so much gratitude for all the support and encouragement we have received from our team, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and people that we have met along the way. Every year of our journey has been significant. This year in particular has been influenced by COVID-19 (again), wildfire smoke, heat domes, and the economy. Nevertheless, it has still been a very successful one for us.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
BY GEOFF BABB
As we close out 2022, we have so much gratitude for all the support and encouragement we have received from our team, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and people that we have met along the way. Every year of our journey has been significant. This year in particular has been influenced by COVID-19 (again), wildfire smoke, heat domes, and the economy. Nevertheless, it has still been a very successful one for us.
Our top accomplishments in 2022 include:
AdvenChair brought smiles to young and old as two multi-generational families were able to celebrate significant milestones; allowed students to enjoy the full outdoor school experience, including touching the Pacific Ocean; and helped a Veteran physically and emotionally on his own journey.
Several first wheelchair ascents, including Burma Road, Gray Butte, and the Green Lakes in the Three Sisters Wilderness.
Completing the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park – the four-day, 20- mile trip was the ultimate validation of the AdvenChair durability and versatility.
Registration of our "convertible wheelchair" patent.
The sale of an AdvenChair to Multnomah Education Service District for their Outdoor School programs, plus four week-long rentals for other camps throughout Oregon.
Collaboration with Oregon State University-Cascades campus including a Capstone project for students in the Outdoor Products program and presentations to Doctor of Physical Therapy and Tourism, Recreation and Adventure Leadership (TRAL) students.
AdvenChair top accomplishments in 2022
On top of all that, we recently took an AdvenChair to the Midwest to visit both of our sons – a trip that involved five airports, four plane flights, and hundreds of road miles. The AdvenChair easily handled all the bumps and ruts of Cory’s Firelight Farm in Arkansas and explored park trails in Illinois and river trails in Missouri. The chair breezed through the airports and fit into the rental minivan without needing to be disassembled.
In winter/spring of 2023, we will be building and shipping the next batch of AdvenChairs. There are still a couple left unclaimed, so now is your chance to secure yours and be ready for spring and summer hiking. Each batch is limited in number, so don’t wait!
If you are interested in purchasing an AdvenChair at this time, please complete the order form and we will contact you regarding payment and delivery options. If you need financial assistance, check out Possible Funding Opportunities on our website. Schools and outdoor school providers in Oregon are encouraged to contact the OSU Extension Outdoor School Office for support.
The Babb family
We wish you and yours the best of holidays and look forward to seeing what lies ahead on the trail in 2023. Watch for the Spring edition of Rolling Boldly! And, as always, check our website, Facebook page and Instagram for the latest news and adventures. Thanks for your continued support.
Roll boldly!
Geoff Babb
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
ROLL BOLDLY Summer/Fall 2022
It's been almost four months and I'm still basking in the glow of the Grand Advenchair 2 – our incredibly challenging, yet transformative and magical journey with an AdvenChair on the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. And then we received two pieces of great news.
BY GEOFF BABB
It's been almost four months and I'm still basking in the glow of the Grand Advenchair 2 – our incredibly challenging, yet transformative and magical journey with an AdvenChair on the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. Scroll down for Cam Davis' story about the trip.
On the two-and-a-half-day trip from Bend, OR to Grand Canyon National Park, we received two pieces of great news. First came confirmation that we had sold our last chair of Production Run #1 to Multnomah Education Service District (MESD). This is both symbolic – in that MESD hired me 40 years ago for my first job in environmental education and has been my inspiration to make Outdoor School accessible to all – and significant in that it is a model ODS program in Oregon. Read below for the story about MESD.
The second piece of good news came when we received word that our patent application for a "convertible" wheelchair had been approved by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office! Read about it below.
Once we were back home I was able to help the Jacobs family in Southern California achieve an important family celebration. Read the story below. While the trip on the Bright Angel Trail was epic, the lives brightened by AdvenChair are priceless. I hope that you will enjoy these stories and look forward to seeing you out on the trails.
With Production Run #1 completely sold out, we are now taking pre-orders for PR 2. Get yours in soon.
AdvenChair's grandest achievement yet: Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park.
AdvenChair hiking wheelchair on Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park
In 1869, when John Wesley Powell led the first crew of explorers down the Colorado River into what is now known as the Grand Canyon, he had no idea what kind of destructive forces lay ahead. In fact, shortly after beginning the journey, one of their wooden boats overturned in a rock-filled cataract and almost instantly split apart into kindling, destroying a full third of the group’s provisions. It only got worse from there.
Similarly, when Geoff Babb took a team of adventurers down the Bright Angel Trail in 2016, attempting to reach the Colorado River in a modified human-powered wheelchair, he was not prepared for the destructive forces that lay ahead either. In his case, it was the virtually endless assortment of water bars – large logs or rocks that stick up across the trail to divert rain and snow melt. After going up and over several hundred of them within the first two miles, the axle on his chair gave way and Babb’s journey was over.
However, just like Powell a century-and-a-half before, Babb and his team were not to be deterred. And, having learned from the first experience, they vowed to return with equipment much better suited for the challenge. Did they ever?
Less than six years after his breakdown, Babb went back to “the Big Ditch” in late April with a totally new chair – AdvenChair 3.0 – which he and his team helped create. And succeeded.
“Breaking down on our Grand AdvenChair in 2016 is the best thing that could’ve happened to the first chair,” said Babb, whose mobility remains severely limited following two brain stem strokes. “It made us take a step back and look at strengthening every aspect of the chair and the team.”
Babb brought in design engineer Jack Arnold, who became instrumental in developing an all-terrain wheelchair using mountain bike parts for durability, versatility and easy maintenance. He also added multiple contact points to allow the crew to steer, pull, brake and lift.
With shock-absorbing mountain bike tires, adjustable handlebars and hand brakes, an adjustable seat and harness, a team of one to six people can navigate AdvenChair 3.0 over all types of rugged terrain, mud, sand and snow, allowing people with mobility challenges to experience the serenity and grandeur of wild places with family and friends.
The prototype AdvenChair 2.0 debuted in December of 2019 with a dazzling orange powder-coat finish and went through extensive testing and a few modifications in 2020.
“What’s unique about AdvenChair is that it’s as versatile as it is durable,” said Arnold. “The seat can adjust to handle young children as well as large adults. And since it easily converts into a normal-size wheelchair, it can go indoors and be transported on planes, trains and buses, not to mention the trunk of a car.”
Despite the inevitable complications due to the COVID 19 pandemic, Babb began taking orders and received his first shipment of upgraded AdvenChair 3.0 chairs in June of 2021. Already, the chairs have found their way into some pretty incredible places, including the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru, an outdoor school near Eugene, and the televisions of countless Oregonians on Oregon Field Guide.
In training for the Grand AdvenChair 2 over the past three months, the team made first ascents of Burma Road at Smith Rock State Park and Grey Butte, which requires a climb of more than 2,600 feet.
The Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail presented a vertical drop of more than 4,800 feet over 10 miles, complicated by more than 3,000 water bars with protruding rebar, as well as countless natural rock obstacles, plus stretches of mud and sand. The return trip brought the same challenges in reverse with temperatures hovering well over 90 degrees.
“We knew the Bright Angel Trail would be difficult,” said Babb. “There’s simply no way to prepare for the relentless water bars, some of them more than a foot tall and at awkward angles. It really gives you no break for the entire 10 miles to Phantom Ranch.”
AdvenChair hiking wheelchair guided down a rocky section of Bright Angel Trail
Human "mules" guide the offroad hiking chair AdvenChair over water bars at the Grand Canyon
A group of 10 men and women, (affectionately known as “mules”) took shifts pushing, pulling, lifting and braking Babb down and back up the 10-mile Bright Angel Trail over the course of four days. Another 14 volunteers provided support at a campground on the canyon rim.
“I just can’t say enough about this chair and my incredible team of mules,” said Babb. They all performed well beyond my expectations. We couldn’t possibly replicate the difficulty of this trail in our training ventures. But through our selfless teamwork and collective problem-solving skills, we were able to handle everything the trail could dish out. ”
Not only that, the team managed to keep Babb stretched out, well fed, relatively sunburn free and even cooled his feet in a frog-filled creek.
“I’m also extremely grateful for the additional support of local companies like Food for the Sole, Picky Bars, Laird Superfood, Smith Rock Coffee Roasters and Hydaway who helped us all stay nourished and hydrated every step of the way,” added Babb.
As an avid hiker, mountain biker and backpacker in his younger days, Babb sees AdvenChair as the conduit for a lifelong passion to be active outdoors. He also envisions the chair fulfilling his firm belief that people with limited mobility can still experience the splendor and uplifting serenity of wild places beyond where the pavement ends.
“Exploring the Grand Canyon has been a dream of mine, especially since our initial failure,” said Babb. “I got to experience the grandeur of the canyon rocks, the prickly pear cactus hanging from its walls and the princess plume flower that reaches its yellow blooms to the sky. Completing this trip validates that we have created a chair that can take dreamers like me to amazing depths – and heights – with a little help from our friends.”
Our thanks to the River and Rim teams that got Geoff down to the Colorado River, and, most importantly, back to the Rim!
River Team
Yvonne Babb, Dennis Fiore*, Dave Green, Adam Peterson, Patty Caballero, Dave Zimmerman, David Taylor, Lucas Eschelbach*, Kirk Metzger, Cam Davis, Matt Nugent, Jinny Reed, Ethan Mentzer and Geoff Babb. *Dennis and Lucas were with us in spirit as last-minute medical issues kept them at home.
Rim Team
Jack Arnold, Amy Kazmier, John Hunsaker, Mark McGraw, Sandy Gebhard, Clover Earl, Tom Zell, Tracy Ayers, Uriel Fox, Julie Hunsaker, Phil Henderson, Mike Turner, Shelly Arnold, Glen Corbett (and Paxey), Jodi Gregston, Valerie Reed and Nancy McGraw.
And for the support of our Sponsors and Donors.
AdvenChair's Grand Adventure sponsors
FOR OUTDOOR SCHOOLS
AdvenChair proves to be a game-changer for kids at Outdoor Schools.
Albert Einstein once said, “Keep sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow – perhaps it all will.”
When Geoff Babb got his first job in environmental education with the Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) in 1982, he had no idea that it would bear fruit when he launched his AdvenChair hiking wheelchair business almost 40 years later. But that’s exactly what happened when MESD purchased the tenth and final chair of AdvenChair’s first-ever production run earlier this year.
MESD’s program serves all 6th-grade students throughout the Multnomah County area and has a number of wheelchairs to accommodate various student needs. Not surprisingly, most of these wheelchairs were either donated or purchased many years ago and have limited abilities for off-road use. So when Jennifer Basham, the district’s Senior Outdoor School Program Administrator, discovered AdvenChair through the Outdoor School network, seeds of change immediately took root.
Jennifer met AdvenChairman Geoff Babb at a conference where he shared the benefits of the chair for students attending Outdoor School. Through newsletters and videos on the web, she also learned that other Outdoor School programs, like CampFire Wilani in Springfield, Oregon, were using the chair with great success. As CampFire Wilani CEO, Elissa Kobrin describes it:
“When a school calls me and says, ‘We have a student with limited mobility who’s in a wheelchair,’ it’s really great to have the AdvenChair on hand and be able to say, ‘Yes, you can come!’
It was so exciting this year to bring Scarlett down our steep steps all the way down to the canoe area. And to see her laughing and smiling and being in a canoe because of the AdvenChair was so amazing. To be able to see every child have access here, it just changes your life.”
For MESD, many of their chairs had outdated functionality, as well as components that aren’t easily fixed or replaced. The deciding factor for Jennifer in purchasing the AdvenChair was that most of the components are mountain bike parts, which gives us the ability to easily service and maintain the chair.
“Knowing that we are able to keep the chair in top working condition for the number of students who will use it is invaluable!” she exclaimed.
MESD also chose AdvenChair for its versatility both as a regular wheelchair and as an easy-to-use hiking vehicle for kids of all shapes and sizes.
“The team at AdvenChair is phenomenal!” exclaimed Jennifer. “I was in awe with the tutorial on how to utilize the chair and the incredible adaptability. From the locking mechanisms to the adjustable head and foot rests that can be positioned comfortably to support any body shape, they have truly thought of everything."
“In addition to the tutorial on how to adjust the AdvenChair, we were able to take it for a trial ride to test it out. This gave us the perfect opportunity to understand and see it in action before taking it out with a student.”
Ultimately, the real value of getting an AdvenChair became apparent after the purchase, when students participated in guiding companions with disabilities over rugged terrain and up steep hills.
“One of the most amazing aspects of this chair is the ability for all of our students to participate in all aspects of the Outdoor School program and become fully immersed in nature,” said Jennifer. “Having an AdvenChair on-site provides a sense of belonging during the experience that cannot be measured.
“Not only will this chair support students who come to our program in a wheelchair, but it will also help to build a stronger connection and relationships between students who are steering or pulling the chair up or down various terrain.”
Team building and bonding is an outcome Geoff Babb has come to expect whenever friends join him for an AdvenChair outing. He is thrilled to see it take place on a daily basis with MESD.
“Since we invented AdvenChair, it has been my inspiration to make Outdoor School accessible to all,” said Geoff. “With my roots at MESD, it’s even more gratifying to see it come to fruition.”
The Oregon State University Extension Outdoor School Office also supports and guides outdoor schools in Oregon. Its staff is dedicated to supporting the needs of schools and providers to ensure that all students have access to equipment to help students fully participate in outdoor school activities. If an AdvenChair or any other piece of equipment will help do that, please reach out to the OSU Extension Outdoor School Office https://outdoorschool.oregonstate.edu/.
“Every day at Outdoor School is spectacular when you can enjoy it with your classmates,” added Jennifer. “And that experience will last long after students return home.”
Albert Einstein probably couldn’t agree more.
Demo Day
Corvallis, September 24
Want to check out AdvenChair in the Willamette Valley?
Join us for Demo Day in Corvallis, September 24
We are excited to be working with the OSU Research Forests to organize an AdvenChair Demo Day at the Peavy Arboretum at NW Peavy Arboretum Rd, Corvallis, on Saturday, September 24 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Go here for more information and/or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
If you are interested, even just partly, interested in attending, please drop us a note at info@advenchair.com so that we can plan accordingly.
AdvenChair is available for rent
By the day or week.
(Including Outdoor School)
Click here to get started.
AdvenChair hits the Patent Jackpot.
A funny thing happened on the way to the Grand Canyon. Well, maybe not ha-ha funny. But on the eve of our recent Grand AdvenChair expedition, the AdvenChair team received some news that left us positively giddy.
About 2-1/2 years ago, AdvenChair filed a claim to patent a number of significant innovations – 17 to be exact. In a nutshell, these claims included:
The system that converts from wheelchair mode to all-terrain mode.
The frame design (including the wheel cage handholds).
The forward beam (front wheel).
The tensioning line attachment points (for the straps).
The trailing link suspension on the front wheel.
The rotatable caster wheels.
The adjustable footrest.
The adjustable seating system.
The adjustable steering column.
And the entire three-wheeled all-terrain wheelchair.
Just before arriving at the Grand Canyon, we were informed that we had received a patent covering all of those specific claims.
What does that mean exactly? Quite simply, it guarantees that no other all-terrain wheelchair can copy our design without infringing on our granted patent claims. And that’s huge in terms of potential licensing agreements or the outright sale of the AdvenChair intellectual property.
Now that’s a chair that’s really going places!
AdvenChair extended family helps California clan fulfill an important dream.
Jacobs clan with the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair in Ojai, California
AdvenChair is making amazing things happen in new and unexpected places.
Allan Jacobs was a well-respected attorney in his hometown of Ojai, California, where he served his community in estate planning, trusts, wills and conservatorships. Allan’s love for the Ojai Valley and preserving open space for current and future generations led him to become an active board member of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC), a Southern California non-profit land protection organization that works to retain and restore open space, wildlife habitat, and watersheds. Through his work and dedication to land preservation in the Ojai Valley, Allan helped in the acquisition of countless acres of land, and raised significant amounts of money for the OVLC to secure and protect open land space and public access.
Until he passed away in October of 2017 at age 77, Allan could often be found hiking in the Ventura River Preserve and the nearby Los Padres National Forest. In fact, for his birthday every year, he encouraged family and friends to make the strenuous 12-mile climb with him to the top of Nordhoff Peak, an ascent of more than 3,000 feet.
To commemorate Allan’s contributions and dedication to the Ojai community, the OVLC established a 1.4-mile trail in his honor, fittingly named the Allan Jacobs Trail, or the “AJT” for short. Allan’s family, including his children and grandchildren helped build the AJT along with many volunteers and OVLC staff. At the halfway point of the trail, the OVLC put in a beautiful redwood bench where hikers can rest and enjoy spectacular views of the valley. The bench features a plaque dedicated to Allan and his surviving wife Janet.
When the trail was finished , Allan’s children, Anzac, Sarah, and Jesse set their mind to celebrate Allan’s birthday by taking a group hike on the trail with their extended families and friends. But there was one considerable problem: How to get 81-year-old Janet from the trailhead to the bench.
“The goal was for all of us to be together with Dad in spirit on the trail and at the bench,” said Anzac. “And since this year would’ve been their 50th wedding anniversary, it wouldn’t have been the same if Mom had to stay at home. She still gets around the house well, but she’s not fit for a hike on a rugged trail.”
The trail wasn’t wide enough for a quad ATV and riding a horse at Janet’s age was out of the question. So, Anzac began exploring off-road wheelchairs as a way to maneuver her along the trail and soon discovered AdvenChair on the Internet.
“AdvenChair was the first one I found made in the United States,” said Anzac. “It looked like it could do the job, so I contacted (AdvenChairman) Geoff Babb.”
Geoff responded right away and eventually connected Anzac with Robert and Nelly Kapan, the couple that took their AdvenChair to Machu Picchu last year.
“Since Anzac was only looking to do one outing, it made sense to have him borrow a chair,” said Geoff. “Luckily, Robert and Nelly live relatively close and were more than happy to offer a short-term rental of their AdvenChair and serve as ambassadors.”
Anzac received a thorough demonstration of the chair from the Kapans and after a few test runs on trails around the neighborhood, they were ready to go.
“I am not too mechanically inclined,” said Anzac. “But I had no trouble loading the AdvenChair into the car and getting the third wheel set up for the trail.
The trek was planned for Memorial Day and more than 40 family members, friends and kids of all ages met at the trailhead for the three-hour loop on a picture-perfect day.
Janet Jacob in the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair
“Mom felt very comfortable and safe in the AdvenChair and loved being the center of attention,” said Anzac. “The Land Conservancy set us up with a shortcut to my dad’s trail and there were about three or four of us pushing and pulling my mom. It was pretty intense, but the chair performed beautifully and we got her there!”
In addition to being a devoted wife and busy mom, Janet was a school teacher and potter. Hiking is not her passion, but she greatly appreciates the majestic beauty of Ojai’s open spaces, and the efforts of Allan and the OVLC to protect the land for all to enjoy.
“At Mom’s age, it’s easy to think that an outing like this would not be possible,” said Anzac. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without Geoff’s chair. It created such a priceless memory for myself and my family. I can’t thank you guys enough.”
Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
AdvenChair.com
AdvenChair team readies for the Grand AdvenChair 2 with successful first ascent of Gray Butte.
There may be no way to truly replicate the arduous 4,000-foot elevation change in tackling the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River and back. But some of the training missions the AdvenChair team has taken on over the past few weeks come pretty close.
The AdvenChair team on the first wheelchair ascent of Gray Butte
There may be no way to truly replicate the arduous 4,000-foot elevation change in tackling the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River and back. But some of the training missions the AdvenChair team has taken on over the past few weeks come pretty close.
After managing the first successful wheelchair ascents of Horse Butte and Burma Road at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon (read here), Geoff Babb and his merry band of “mules” concluded their training for this spring’s venture to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by becoming the first wheelchair team to summit Gray Butte, just east of Smith Rock.
From April 25-28, a team of a dozen hearty men and women will accompany Geoff on the “Grand AdvenChair 2,” his second attempt to reach the Colorado River via the Bright Angel Trail. Another 15 folks from as far away as Wisconsin and Florida will be providing support on the Canyon Rim. This time Geoff will be riding in his amazing AdvenChair 3.0, an all-terrain wheelchair that is nimble and durable enough to handle the 3,000+ water bars that turn the demanding trail into a 10-mile obstacle course.
Climbing Gray Butte on April 9 was the perfect warmup for the Grand Canyon and further proof that AdvenChair is the ultimate vehicle for exploring wild places. From the Skull Hollow trailhead, the elevation gain over the four-mile route to the summit of Gray Butte is 3,108 ft. By comparison, the last push up the Bright Angel Trail climbs 3,080 ft in five miles.
“After our climb of Gray Butte, the AdvenChair team is confident that we are ready for the Bright Angel Trail,” said Geoff. “The mules are doing a great job of communicating, problem-solving, and making the most of the equipment.”
AdvenChair would like to thank everyone, including our sponsors, who have helped us get this far. We hope everyone will follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on this historic and epic trek. Onward!
Getting Outdoors When You’re Disabled
People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are a few practical tips that will apply to everyone. Yet a few key things can improve your experience. Here are a few featured in this great article from Outside Online.
Image courtesy of Outdoor Online
People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are few practical tips that will apply to everyone. Yet a few key things can improve your experience.
In 2015, I developed multiple tickborne illnesses after a day hike on Minnesota’s north shore. I remember pulling a tick from my sleeve, marveling that it was, quite literally, the size of a poppy seed. Two weeks later, I had a fever of 104. My body has never quite been the same since; more than that, my mind, my understanding of life, has changed. How can anything in the world be predictable when your own body isn’t? In the months and years it took to return to anything resembling my previous health, any period of time without symptoms felt like a winning streak at a casino—destined, with each good day, to come to a more crashing end.
It may not be easy to get outdoors when you’re working with new—or long-term—limitations, but it can still be meaningful. When Mike Passo, Executive Director of American Trails, was 20, he broke his back while mountain biking. “The thing that occurred to me in the hospital,” he told me, “was that I wasn’t bummed because I couldn’t walk anymore, or that I needed to go to the bathroom differently. I was bummed because I couldn’t mountain bike anymore.” The epiphany he had—that people define themselves by recreation; that it is, in fact, an act of self-creation—has shaped the course of his career as a trails advocate. “I think maybe people don’t realize how important that recreation is.”
When I was sickest, I sat outside. That alone was hard. The sky was too bright; the air too cold, or else too hot. And though at other times in my life I’d had grand outdoor adventures–a thru-hike, arctic expeditions–it was some of those simple moments, teeth chattering on the porch in 65 degrees, that felt both hardest and most important. It’s one of the reasons I care so much now about breaking down conceptions of outdoor achievement, that false, hierarchical value system that says climbing mountains is more important, more admirable than enjoying the warm sunlight, or watching a caterpillar in the grass. Because even when I felt my worst, I could still get a little bit outside myself by, well, getting outside. My thoughts and worries were human, and nature was where I could go to escape them.
People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are few practical tips that will apply to everyone. But some things can help: breaking down preconceptions, being gentle with yourself, and keeping your expectations fluid. It’s about finding the place of overlap between what your body and your spirit both need.
Try Just Being
If hiking or moving through nature isn’t in the cards for you right now, try going outside and just being. Bring things that will keep you comfortable—snacks, water, blankets—and go to a place where you’ll be undisturbed, or ask a friend to drop you off and pick you up again a bit later. While you’re there, you can journal, make art, watch birds, meditate, read, play on your phone—whatever you’re drawn to do. There’s a lot of research to show that just being in nature has psychological benefits, but in this case, you’re doing your own research: figuring out what feels right for you.
Get Information
The fact that every disabled person’s needs are different means there’s no universal standard for what makes a trail or outdoor space “accessible.” Instead, activists for accessible outdoors often focus on information. “Instead of saying a trail is accessible,” Passo explains, “you say, well, this trail has 30 percent grades for 60 feet, and it gets narrow, down to 28 inches wide for 20 feet… So you can decide for yourself if you can navigate that steep grade or that narrow section.”
Last year, he and other activists testified before congress about adding in-depth trail descriptions to recreation.gov, a federal website that lists access points on public land. A project is underway to update the site with more information. Until then, there are other ways to look up info about where you’re going—although they’re still too limited. Naturefortheblind.com offers a directory of international braille trails, including context about trail distance, surface, guide ropes, and whether they’re wheelchair accessible. And regional resources, like Wisconsin’s Open Outdoors, might help you to learn more about possibilities in your area.
Explore a Water Trail
Passo loves water trails: routes through nature (often gentle rivers) that you can canoe or kayak instead of traveling on land, if that works better for you. You can search for local options through the National Water Trails System.
Be Open to Changing Plans
Try to build in a few options for what you’ll do on a given day outside. For instance, you might choose a trail that has shortcuts back, or different loops, so you can decide at multiple points whether you want to keep going or not. Or you might choose an activity, like fishing, stargazing, or foraging in a small area, that gives you flexibility to leave—or stay—at any time. If you have the idea that “success” means going a certain distance or reaching a certain point, try to reframe that mindset; a successful outing isn’t one that looks a certain way on paper, but one that leaves you happier for having done it.
Find a Community
You may find that the outdoors community you resonate with most is largely able-bodied—maybe a group of local mycologists, for instance, if you love identifying mushrooms. But the internet can help you connect with a disabled outdoors community, too—people who cheer each other on, share resources, and organize for change. Check out Syren Nagakyrie’s Disabled Hikers on Instagram; their first book, The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon, will be available in summer 2022 (and is available for pre-order now). Other inclusive outdoors groups, like Jenny Bruso’s Unlikely Hikers, can offer inspiration, encouragement, and support.
Figure Out What the Outdoors Means to You
If you’ll allow me a tangent: when people take hunter safety classes, at some point—in between learning about game laws, field dressing, and wildlife identification—they learn the five stages of hunter development. These start with the Shooting Stage, when fledgling hunters just want to shoot things, and progress to the Trophy Stage—which seems like it might be the peak. But no, there’s a twist: after that, the hunting itself becomes less important. Stage four is about technique. And the highest level, stage five—the “Sportsman’s Stage”—is about simply being there for the experience. Whatever your feelings on hunting (perhaps your level is vegetarian), the wisdom in this hierarchy runs deep. The highest level of “achievement” isn’t the one with the greatest deliverables. The real triumph is about having the perspective to be present, to let go of expectations and encounter something as it really is.
ROLL BOLDLY Happy New Year 2022
I know that Fall Roll Boldly newsletter was just two short holiday months ago but I wanted to share a few things that have happened since then.
BY GEOFF BABB
I know that Fall Roll Boldly newsletter was just two short holiday months ago but I wanted to share a few things that have happened since then:
We had a white Christmas in Bend and a peaceful walk with friends along the Deschutes River.
Geoff and Yvonne Babb enjoy a White Christmas in the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon.
Elizabeth Ruiz of Scripps News Service produced a very nice follow-up video to one that she had done a year ago. I particularly like this one because it includes Patrik Nabulek and Anne Trehue as they share their experiences and visions with their AdvenChair. Thank you for telling our story Elizabeth!
Patrik Nabulek in the AdvenChair adventure wheelchair with his mother, Anne Trehue
Jule Gilfillen of Oregon Public Broadcasting told the story of the Advenchair on Oregon Field Guide. Marcia Volk of Smithrock.com provided the background on the filming of the Adventure Wheelchair at Smith Rock State Park.
The really neat backstory is that Jule and I discovered early on that her dad, Warren “Mr. Gil” Gilfillen, interviewed me for my first position with Multnomah County, Oregon, (Portland) Outdoor School 40 years ago. This job was not only the impetus for wanting to use the AdvenChair to give kids with disabilities the opportunity to fully participate in outdoor school, but it also allowed me to meet my wife of now 36 years!
Adventure Wheelchair filming for Oregon Field Guide for Oregon Public Broadcasting
I am grateful that we were able to help Robert and Nelly Kapen to knock Machu Picchu off their bucket list. Travel to Peru with this compilation by Cam Davis and blog and videos by “Team Kapen”.
Robert Kapen going along the treacherous steep path up Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair.
Team Kapen the AdvenChair adventure wheelchair in Machu Picchu
I am thankful for the financial support of Mark Meyers and his family toward an update to the AdvenChair brochure.
I am ever so grateful for the incredible work of the AdvenChair Leadership Team consisting of Jack Arnold, Dave Green, Brian Leininger, John Hunsaker, Amy Kazmier, and Brian Tandy, and office support of Lizzie Schneider.
And finally, many thanks to the Backcountry Information Center staff at Grand Canyon National Park for our permit to camp on the Bright Angel Trail for Grand AdvenChair 2 in April 2022.
Thanks to so many for so much!
Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
AdvenChair.com
AdvenChair knocks Machu Picchu off the bucket list.
So much for starting slowly and gradually picking up speed. Less than three months off the assembly line, one of the first ten AdvenChairs ever made has already explored one of the eight wonders of the world.
Team Kapen at Machu Picchu with the AdvenChair
So much for starting slowly and gradually picking up speed. Less than three months off the assembly line, one of the first ten AdvenChairs ever made has already explored one of the eight wonders of the world.
“We wanted to make an all-terrain chair that would enable people with disabilities and physical challenges to roll boldly into wild places and achieve important milestones with the help of family and friends,” said Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman and Founder of AdvenChair. “Team Kapen wasted no time in doing just that.”
“Team Kapen” is spearheaded by 33-year-old Robert Kapen, who survived a brain stem stroke at the early age of 23, and his wife Nelly, who was born and raised in Peru. Their venture to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu in August was a dream come true for both of them. Nelly finally got to see her country’s most famous landmark. And Robert finally found a vehicle that could quench his burning desire to explore off the beaten path with minimal limitations.
After struggling to engage with the wilderness in his regular wheelchair, the couple from southern California discovered AdvenChair with its durable and nimble mountain-bike inspired design. With their proposed family trip to Machu Picchu just a few weeks away, they took a side trip to Bend on a visit to the Northwest and did an extensive test drive of the AdvenChair and got well acquainted with Geoff and Yvonne Babb.
Robert Kapen going along the treacherous steep path up Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair.
As a fellow brain stem stroke survivor and outdoor lover, Robert Kapen found a kindred spirit in Geoff Babb, and was immediately drawn to AdvenChair’s mountain bike components and safety features, like brakes, wheels and tires, and handlebars.
“When my other chair needed to be lifted over obstacles, people would jump in and start accidentally ripping off parts,” said Robert. “They’d say, ‘Oops, hope you don’t need that.’ But on our first excursions with AdvenChair, if we needed help, they immediately knew where to grab. I felt much safer in this chair with all the belts, shocks and handlebars.”
With the help of Team Kapen’s fundraising efforts, purchasing an AdvenChair and taking it almost directly to Peru was a no-brainer.
“Having just this one chair was so convenient in terms of space, durability, and safety,” said Nelly. “The AdvenChair held up to everything we threw at it, from taking it apart and putting it together, transferring in and out of vehicles. But most importantly, climbing the trail at extreme altitude couldn’t have been easier. "
The ancient Incans obviously didn’t design the trails to the remote Andes city with AdvenChair in mind. Nor did the modern trains and taxis in Cuzco for that matter. But with a little ingenuity and perseverance, Nelly and her family were able to maneuver Robert through airports, on to shuttle buses and trains in its wheelchair mode. Then after making the easy switch to all-terrain mode on the big day, the team was able to use the slightly wider and safer return path to reach Machu Picchu.
“We couldn’t have done this trip without AdvenChair,” said Robert. “I feel so blessed, grateful, and loved that the people I call my community stepped up and faithfully gave money. The only way I know to truly thank them and God for the awesome providence they bestowed on me is to use the chair continually and spread God’s message of love, peace, and grace everywhere I travel.”
You can’t ask for a better testimonial than that. To see Team Kapen’s photo-packed account of their Machu Picchu expedition check out their Instagram reels below and then visit the blogpost on our website.
ROLL BOLDLY Fall 2021
Just when we all thought it was safe to take our masks off and venture outside again...Along came the second half of 2021, which was especially challenging for the AdvenChair team and me personally.
Oregon Field Guide films the AdvenChair at Smith Rock State Park for its “Adventure Wheelchair’ on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
BY GEOFF BABB
Just when we all thought it was safe to take our masks off and venture outside again...Along came the second half of 2021, which was especially challenging for the AdvenChair team and me personally.
Not only did the world get hit with a COVID variant that was nastier than the original:
AdvenChair’s Demo Days were all but wiped out by wildfire smoke and poor air quality.
The Portland Parkinson's Cycling Fair was canceled by heat dome (a new extreme weather event) and Destination Rehab’s SOAR Day did not go as planned.
I ended up spending two stints in the hospital to untwist my colon.
But the past six months have been far from tragedy and disappointment. We had numerous rewarding demo and orientation hikes. We delivered almost all of our first production run of 10 AdvenChairs and watched them go off to Machu Picchu in Peru (see below), an outdoor school in Oregon, and other amazing places. And we had a trifecta of videographers tell our story in three unique ways for KTVZ News, Central Oregon Daily, and OPB’s Oregon Field Guide (see our press library)
Yes, these are turbulent, yet exciting, times to be sure. But we're making steady progress and learning a ton along the way. And most importantly, we are now accepting orders for Production Run #2 in 2022. So we begin the next exciting stage of our journey.
But first, it’s the perfect time of year to say how grateful I am for all of the team and family members, doctors and nurses, firefighters and frontline COVID-fighters, and all people who love the outdoors for their dedication, perseverance and support.
Onward! (Or as our Peruvian amigos say, Adelante!)
—Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman
AdvenChair knocks Machu Picchu off the bucket list.
Team Kapen at Machu Picchu with the AdvenChair
So much for starting slowly and gradually picking up speed. Less than three months off the assembly line, one of the first ten AdvenChairs ever made has already explored one of the eight wonders of the world.
“We wanted to make an all-terrain chair that would enable people with disabilities and physical challenges to roll boldly into wild places and achieve important milestones with the help of family and friends,” said Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman and Founder of AdvenChair. “Team Kapen wasted no time in doing just that.”
“Team Kapen” is spearheaded by 33-year-old Robert Kapen, who survived a brain stem stroke at the early age of 23, and his wife Nelly, who was born and raised in Peru. Their venture to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu in August was a dream come true for both of them. Nelly finally got to see her country’s most famous landmark. And Robert finally found a vehicle that could quench his burning desire to explore off the beaten path with minimal limitations.
After struggling to engage with the wilderness in his regular wheelchair, the couple from southern California discovered AdvenChair with its durable and nimble mountain-bike inspired design. With their proposed family trip to Machu Picchu just a few weeks away, they took a side trip to Bend on a visit to the Northwest and did an extensive test drive of the AdvenChair and got well acquainted with Geoff and Yvonne Babb.
Robert Kapen going along the treacherous steep path up Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair.
As a fellow brain stem stroke survivor and outdoor lover, Robert Kapen found a kindred spirit in Geoff Babb, and was immediately drawn to AdvenChair’s mountain bike components and safety features, like brakes, wheels and tires, and handlebars.
“When my other chair needed to be lifted over obstacles, people would jump in and start accidentally ripping off parts,” said Robert. “They’d say, ‘Oops, hope you don’t need that.’ But on our first excursions with AdvenChair, if we needed help, they immediately knew where to grab. I felt much safer in this chair with all the belts, shocks and handlebars.”
With the help of Team Kapen’s fundraising efforts, purchasing an AdvenChair and taking it almost directly to Peru was a no-brainer.
“Having just this one chair was so convenient in terms of space, durability, and safety,” said Nelly. “The AdvenChair held up to everything we threw at it, from taking it apart and putting it together, transferring in and out of vehicles. But most importantly, climbing the trail at extreme altitude couldn’t have been easier. "
The ancient Incans obviously didn’t design the trails to the remote Andes city with AdvenChair in mind. Nor did the modern trains and taxis in Cuzco for that matter. But with a little ingenuity and perseverance, Nelly and her family were able to maneuver Robert through airports, on to shuttle buses and trains in its wheelchair mode. Then after making the easy switch to all-terrain mode on the big day, the team was able to use the slightly wider and safer return path to reach Machu Picchu.
“We couldn’t have done this trip without AdvenChair,” said Robert. “I feel so blessed, grateful, and loved that the people I call my community stepped up and faithfully gave money. The only way I know to truly thank them and God for the awesome providence they bestowed on me is to use the chair continually and spread God’s message of love, peace, and grace everywhere I travel.”
You can’t ask for a better testimonial than that. To see Team Kapen’s photo-packed account of their Machu Picchu expedition check out their Instagram reels below and then visit the blogpost on our website.
Lights. Camera. AdvenChair!
Geoff Babb from Central Oregon Daily News Shevlin Park video
A busy summer on the trails has thrust AdvenChair into the spotlight in the past few weeks. Not one. Not two. But three different news and lifestyle programs have done feature stories about AdvenChair recently.
In August, KTVZ’s Leslie Cano reported on how the mountain bike circuit course surrounding The Loge in Bend is the perfect place for people to check out the AdvenChair and take free demo rides into the nearby wilderness. The scheduled Demo Days got off to a bit of a rocky start with smoky skies coming earlier than usual last summer. But you can bet the AdvenChair team will be out offering more rides as soon as the trails clear next spring. Check out the video here.
On a brisk morning in September, storyteller Eric Lindstrom of Central Oregon Daily News met the AdvenChair and Oregon Adaptive Sports crews for a hike through Shevlin Park. With the enthusiastic Kim O’Kelley-Leigh along for the ride, Lindstrom shared about the healing and rejuvenating power of being outdoors, and how AdvenChair is an absolute game changer for people with mobility challenges, offering them a better quality of life. View the Central Oregon Daily News video here.
Also this summer, AdvenChair’s unique and uplifting story caught the attention of Jule Gilfillan, a producer with Oregon Public Broadcasting’s long-running Oregon Field Guide program. A crew from OPB joined Geoff and Bend college student Isaac Shannon for a spirited trek through Smith Rock State Park in August and the seven-minute video segment premiered on Thursday, November 11 at 8:30 pm. Check out the short teaser video here, then click below for the full episode.
As a side note, Geoff and Jule made an important connection right away: Jule’s dad, Warren Gilfillen (aka Mr. Gil), had interviewed Geoff for his first job with Multnomah Outdoor School in 1981. This was not only the beginning of his connection to outdoor education but was where he met his future wife Yvonne.)
“Getting featured on Oregon Field Guide, as well as locally on Central Oregon Daily and KTVZ News recently is very rewarding for us,” said Geoff. “People are starting to take notice and frequently know who we are when they see us in Central Oregon. Hopefully, it will be the same way when we venture into other parts of the Northwest next year.”
Rolling into production 2022. Order your AdvenChair now.
Like most popular hikes in the Cascades or any other mountain range, 2021 has had its share of ups and downs. But as we approach the summit, we definitely like the view from where we are and can’t wait to see what lies ahead in 2022. We already know that AdvenChairs from our first production run will be exploring trails from Canada to New Zealand; and plans are in the works to take on the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
The question is, where will you take your AdvenChair when the next fleet arrives next summer? We are now taking orders for our second production run and suggest you place your order soon. We know the holidays are approaching and budgets are tight. But this is a great time of year for fundraising. And flexible payment plans are available. To order an Advenchair for yourself, your loved one or your organization, visit advenchair.com/products. Please contact us directly if you have any questions at info@advenchair.com.
Until next time, keep on rolling boldly.
ROLL BOLDLY Summer 2021
As I watched the assembly of the first production run of AdvenChairs – about 12 months and a brutal pandemic later than initially anticipated – I am so thankful for all the incredible help and support that we have received so far to bring the project to this point. When I started this letter, we had sold five chairs, but just today a check came in for chair number six and the first installment for number seven is in the mail. Yet, for all of our accomplishments over the past tumultuous year, I think that Scarlett’s smile in the photo above shows why we’ve worked so hard to get where we are today.
AdvenChairman of The Onward Project, LLC and the visionary of the AdvenChair, Geoff Babb.
BY GEOFF BABB
As I watched the assembly of the first production run of AdvenChairs – about 12 months and a brutal pandemic later than initially anticipated – I am so thankful for all the incredible help and support that we have received so far to bring the project to this point.
We were in the HeliLadder shop, generously donated by owners Dale and Susie Neubauer. Over the course of a week, the team of 20 volunteers was led by design engineer Jack Arnold and included a highly skilled group of production and mechanical engineers, as well as bike, auto and motorcycle mechanics, and a computer programmer. In other words, people who pay attention to detail.
When I started this letter, we had sold five chairs, but just today a check came in for chair number six and the first installment for number seven is in the mail. Now the buyer of chair number eight is committed to a point where we can put a “sold” tag on it. We now have two chairs left to sell! Order yours now to buy at the original introductory price of $9,950.
We're excited that an AdvenChair was rented by an outdoor school operated by Campfire, meeting our goals of reaching the rental, environmental education, and youth camp audiences.
And we are honored to have our story told by Oregon Field Guide, during the upcoming season of this long-running program on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
We have a busy summer of events ahead, including opportunities to demo and rent AdvenChair (read on for details) and we hope to see many of you out there soon.
Yet, for all of our accomplishments over the past tumultuous year, I think that Scarlett’s smile in the photo above shows why we’ve worked so hard to get where we are today. Thank you all for your support.
Onward!
AdvenChair Makes Happier Campers
Scarlett is a happy camper in the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair
Songs and skits around the campfire. Laughing with friends in the cabins. Wearing wood-cookie name tags with our camp name. We all have our favorite memories from outdoor school. But for Scarlett, a 5th grader from an elementary school near Eugene, Oregon, just being able to experience outdoor school with her classmates was a special memory in and of itself. And it’s all thanks to AdvenChair.
Scarlett’s standard wheelchair would not have negotiated the trails at Camp Wilani Outdoor School near Veneta, Oregon. So her school rented an AdvenChair for the week. Executive Director, Elissa Kobrin, took advantage of Measure 99 funding through the Oregon State University Extension Service Outdoor School Program to pay for it. Measure 99 is funded by the Oregon Lottery and provides $22 million annually to support Outdoor Schools in the state.
“What an amazing opportunity AdvenChair gave this 5th grader!” said Gina Huckins, Scarlett’s teacher. “Scarlett was able to access so many new experiences and learning opportunities that wouldn't have been available to her with her regular wheelchair. Thank you, AdvenChair, for allowing her to have the experience of a lifetime!”
Campfire Wilani Council, which provides the facility and staff for the school, was so impressed with the AdvenChair that it applied for, and received, additional Measure 99 funding to purchase a chair to use in their year-round youth programs.
Said Kobrin: “We are so grateful to receive the funding from OSU Extension so that we will be able to offer an AdvenChair to those needing help for years to come.”
For more information about the OSU Extension Service Outdoor School Program, contact outdoorschool@oregonstate.edu. The AdvenChair will be available for weekly rental by outdoor schools in the fall of 2021. Contact info@advenchair.com for more information.
Wild Places Here We Come!
Have you seen the reports on social media? Hikers in the forests of Oregon have been catching fleeting glimpses of a mysterious fast-moving object. It leaves very distinct tracks on the dirt trails. But rather than being dark, lumbering and apelike, it’s bright orange, streamlined and extremely agile.
It’s called the AdvenChair, of course. It’s the missing link that allows people with mobility challenges to explore the wilderness off the beaten path. And now it can be revealed that there is not just one AdvenChair roaming the terrain, but a whole fleet of them! And soon, they will frequently be seen on trails in the Pacific Northwest and well beyond.
The first ten AdvenChairs have been meticulously assembled by our team of 20 volunteers, led by Design Engineer Jack Arnold; and eight of them are being delivered to their proud new owners.
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The privilege of purchasing the very first AdvenChair goes to Jason deVries of Portland, Oregon. You may remember, Jason originally planned to use his AdvenChair to take his dad, Vern, who has Parkinson’s Disease, on hikes into the Cascades, including his favorite outing to Marion Lakes. Unfortunately, Vern’s health took a turn for the worse over the past year and he may not be able to venture far from the Veteran’s Home in Lebanon, Oregon, where he lives. So Jason plans to offer the AdvenChair to everyone at the Veteran’s Home. He is working closely with the director of activities to make sure the staff is trained to use it, so other veterans can enjoy it as well.
Here’s what Jason had to say about purchasing the first AdvenChair:
“It’s really an honor, knowing the great person Geoff [Babb] is, his passion for adventure, and his vision to help assist people in getting outdoors. It’s even more of an honor after having had the opportunity to meet some of the team working on getting these out into the world when I picked up my dad’s AdvenChair.”
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Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida is a public garden that has 250,000 visitors annually. Their purchase of an AdvenChair comes at an important time as the garden is ramping up its mobility efforts for visitors. It will also give AdvenChair great exposure on the East Coast.
“We have just purchased more electric carts and wheelchairs, and the AdvenChair will provide great access off the pathed paths on to mulched and gravel trails,” said David Price, Executive Director of the Gardens.
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The Trehu-Nabelek family from Corvallis, Oregon was able to test drive an AdvenChair before placing their order. Patrik has muscular dystrophy and uses a power chair for his daily activities, which include teaching mathematics at Oregon State University. He has big plans for his AdvenChair – a cross-country trip to Maine and a Christmas-time visit to New Zealand. We can't wait to see pictures from those trips!
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And speaking of international travel, Floyd McGregor's pilgrimage in an AdvenChair on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, delayed by the pandemic, is now back on the calendar for June 2022. Floyd suffers from myositis and his journey is meant to raise awareness of this muscle-wasting disease. Once he completes the trip he will donate the AdvenChair to another would-be Camino pilgrim. Floyd's need to change his body position frequently when in the AdvenChair inspired the design of the upper footrest option.
"Sometimes our goals are broadsided by no fault of our own, but the goal never dies,“ said Floyd. “A pandemic may delay us, yet our determination will keep us going.“
If you would like to help Floyd reach his goal, he has started a GoFundMe campaign to fund his chair: https://gofund.me. We wish him "buen Camino!"
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April Katz, Executive Director of The AIROW Project (Accessible Inclusive Recreation of Whatcom) in Bellingham, Washington is raising money to purchase an AdvenChair for her program. If you are interested in helping this young adaptive recreation program continue to grow contact https://airowproject.com/support-us.
It’s exciting to think that the AdvenChair will be used by young and old from Bellingham to Florida, and internationally in Spain and New Zealand!
AdvenChair Takes a Hike with Oregon Field Guide
After being featured on OPB Radio and NPR, AdvenChair is in the midst of completing the trifecta – a full seven-minute segment on the upcoming season of Oregon Field Guide.
Earlier this month, OPB Executive Producer Jule Gilfillan and videographer Stephani Gordon visited the HeliLadder headquarters to film the assembly of our new fleet of AdvenChairs. They also conducted extensive interviews with Geoff and Yvonne Babb, AdvenChair user Isaac Shannon, and Design Engineer Jack Arnold. When the recent scorching temperatures drop back to normal, OFG will return to film the AdvenChair team on a hike at Smith Rock State Park.
“We couldn’t be more honored or excited to get some attention from such a wonderful Oregon institution,” said AdvenChairman Geoff Babb. “I can’t wait until October or November to see how it turns out.”
Come See How We Roll
After a long COVID winter that seemed to last a whole year, summer is finally here and the trails are calling. To get you out there, we’re offering several opportunities to check out AdvenChair in Central Oregon this summer.
In collaboration with Cog Wild and LOGE Camp Bend, we will host three Demo Days where the AdvenChair team will explain and demonstrate how to use the chair on the LOGE Camp skills course and on the adjacent Rimrock trail system.
“The skills course loops and meander around the entire LOGE Camp property,” notes David Green, a frequent AdvenChair “mule”. “The variety of rock gardens, tight turns, and ramps provide the ideal proving ground for new AdvenChair riders and family members. And a short hike on the Rimrock trail offers a satisfying real-world experience.”
Demo Days take place Saturdays, July 10, August 7, and September 11. And if that whets your appetite for a longer hike along the Rimrock and Deschutes River trails, AdvenChairs will be available for half-day (4-hour) rentals, also at Cog Wild, on each of the following Sundays – July 11, August 8, and September 12,
To reserve your place for a free Demo Day ride, register at advenchair.com/demo-days. To rent an AdvenChair for $75/four hours, register at advenchair.com/rental-days.
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Also this summer, Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) will be offering free Community Hiking Days with AdvenChairs on four different Tuesdays (July 13 & 27, and August 10 & 24). OAS staff members will lead groups along some of Central Oregon’s favorite trails, including the Deschutes River Trail and Shevlin Park, from approximately 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. For more information, visit oregonadaptivesports.org/events/.
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And last but not least, you can check out AdvenChair at SOAR 2021, Destination Rehab’s special all-day event at the Bend Pavilion, Saturday, July 31 starting at 9:00 am. It’s designed to benefit individuals who have conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson's disease.
“SOAR is an exciting day of wellness, sport, and outdoor activities specifically created for people with physical challenges and disabilities,” said Taylor Kopecky of Destination Rehab. “We encourage everyone to bring their family and friends for a free lunch and all kinds of activities”
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All of these events are subject to weather and healthy outdoor conditions. Extreme heat, thunderstorms, or smoke may cause cancellations on short notice. For up-to-date information, email info@advenchair.com.
Just Say "Yes" to Life
Just Say “Yes” to Life, a new book for stroke survivors and their families and caregivers, will be published in summer 2021 by Stroke Awareness Oregon in Bend. The book features stories of 23 stroke survivors from all over the U.S., ranging in ages from 17 to 71. Written to give solace to current survivors, the stories in Just Say “Yes” to Life detail how each person coped physically, emotionally, and psychologically in the aftermath of stroke.
The book will be available on Amazon in print (ISBN: 978-1-7372450-0-1), digital, and audio forms. https://strokeawarenessoregon.org/
Kerry Chaput tells Geoff Babb's story in “Rolling Boldly”.
Rolling Boldly—Geoff Babb
by Kerry Chaput
Geoff Babb will tell you that he didn’t suffer a stroke. He will tell you he survived one.
In 2005 Geoff was active in his career as a Bureau of Land Management fire ecologist, and an avid outdoorsman. He scaled rocks and hiked mountain peaks. His world revolved around connecting with nature and people, whether it be fighting wildfires or adventuring with his family through the Pacific Northwest’s stunning landscapes. He was an active father of twin boys, Cory and Emory, and a devoted husband to his wife, Yvonne.
On November 10, 2005, he had a headache and vomiting that lasted hours. Thinking it was simply dehydration, he monitored his symptoms and didn’t think too much of it. But twelve hours later the headache still persisted, and his speech started slurring. They knew it was time for a trip to the hospital.
“Things started to go downhill,” he said. “At one point I couldn’t hold my breath for more than a few seconds. They prepared to put me under to give me a breathing tube. I was getting pretty scared by then.” He was nervous about leaving his family, or not being what they needed. By 10pm he couldn’t move his left side, and by noon the next day, he was on a respirator.
When Yvonne visited him in the ICU the next day, the only thing he could do was blink his eyes. She kept her support positive, but he was fighting a lung infection, so she had to face the fear that he might not make it. Geoff could move his eyebrows and make minimal motions of his head, and so they began to learn new ways to communicate with each other. He started visualizing climbing Sisters mountain near his home in central Oregon, dreaming of the progress he hoped to make. Yvonne liked to think of his stroke as “just one more mountain to climb.”
Days were measured in centimeters of movement, tubes, surgeries, and needles. They learned right away to rejoice in every ounce of improvement, a twitch of a smile, a raise of an eyebrow. His circle of friends and family held the family up, showering them with support. Less than two weeks into his recovery, his firefighter friends hosted a barbeque in the hospital parking lot. The nurses were able to get him in a chair and wheel him to the window, where fifty people below cheered for him. Yvonne propped up his elbow so he could wave back. People continued to show up for their family in so many ways, and it gave them both the strength to keep fighting.
He was convinced that he needed to get out of the hospital. Even the rehabilitation facility didn’t feel right. “I wanted to be home. I felt that my progress would be better there.” While at rehab, he opted out of the power wheelchair, choosing instead to stay in a manual wheelchair, against the advice from some healthcare professionals. It was more work, and painstaking at times. But Geoff needed to feel the movement in his body. He soon discovered another benefit of the manual chair. “I found that moving slower, I was able to connect with people in the hospital. Those brief but deep connections with people were meaningful. I wouldn’t have had those moments if I used the power chair like the therapists wanted me to.”
Geoff returned home, and he and Yvonne faced new challenges. The progress Geoff was hoping for at home didn’t come. “A new body required a new response,” he said. Yvonne remembered that Geoff was so motivated that he wanted to exercise all the time, and over time that eventually began to wear on her. “I was the morning, afternoon, and night shift,” she said. “He once said, ‘if you could stretch me more,’ and I cut him off and said, ‘no, I can’t do more.’” She took baby steps towards a more balanced life for herself by leaning on her support group, and making time for walks with friends, and occasionally biking to work. She learned how to let family and friends assist Geoff with his two-hour nighttime routine so she could get a night off. Geoff was thankful, and his gratitude and patience helped her move forward.
His family faced another mountain to climb once he came home. “You become aware of all the barriers in the world when you are in a wheelchair,” Yvonne said. They were all on a new journey and learned as they went. One day Yvonne had a heart to heart with one of their sons, Cory, who was thirteen at the time. “I wanted to explain to him that things were going to be different. He said to me, ‘How? My dad is still my dad.’ That gave me strength.” Moreover, his sons lifted Geoff when he would fall and jumped at any opportunity to help their dad.
***
As soon as he could, Geoff turned to the place that always restored him. Nature. Even sitting in his yard and taking in the fresh air and the views reset his frame of mind. The breeze, the clear air, and the quiet sounds of nature helped settle his worries and refocus him. He decided that nothing was going to stop him from returning to work and getting connected again with nature.
To his delight, his colleagues at the fire camp, whom he calls his summer family, approached him and asked how they could help get him back out in the field the next fire season. They set to work building a yurt with a ramp and access to a special ADA bathroom. The next season, he was out in the field again, creating plans to fight local wildfires. “These men would work sixteen-hour days and then help Geoff with his clothes and bathing,” Yvonne said. “ It brought me to tears.”
***
Along the rushing Deschutes River in central Oregon lies a trail that Geoff has traversed many times. It’s a special place where pine trees gather, and black lava rock splits the river. Views of waterfalls and the meandering water create a hiker’s paradise. Geoff wasn’t about to let a stroke stop him from experiencing that again. He knew he needed a wheelchair that could get him into the outdoors. A dream was born. To create a wheelchair that would take him anywhere he desired.
Geoff enlisted the help of his friend Dale, a helicopter mechanic, to modify his regular wheelchair with more rugged tires, a detachable front wheel, handbrakes, and a harness. He called it the “Advenchair 1.0.” With help from friends and family, he hit the trail in his new wheelchair.
Unable to maneuver AdvenChair 1.0 over a difficult patch of rocks, his hiking partners lowered him to the ground, where he experienced the sensation that he remembered from rock climbing. “We had some great adventures in my original ‘AdvenChair,’” said Geoff, “all of which prepared us for a trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in 2016 … more or less.” After a broken axle on the Bright Angel Trail less than two miles down into the Grand Canyon, nature showed Geoff once again not what he couldn’t do, but what he could work towards. The wheelchairs available were not going to cut it, but Geoff wasn’t about to give up. It was back to the drawing board. “Each setback is a gift,” Geoff said. It provides another opportunity for improvement.
It was time to get creative. Pulling from the creativity he never realized was inside of him, he began to work on the design of an all-terrain wheelchair. He needed something sturdy that could stand up to the rugged terrain of his favorite hiking trails. He knew that his biggest obstacle was not his stroke, but the equipment available to him. He worked with a CAD designer and Yvonne and Dale to create the next version of the AdvenChair, one that could take him back out to the therapeutic power of nature. He believed that with the right chair, nothing was off limits.
***
On November 10, 2017, it all came to a grinding halt when he experienced another stroke, on the other side of his brainstem. Twelve years to the day of his initial incident, he was back in the hospital, fighting through another stroke. Yvonne remembered the doctors shocking his heart to stabilize his atrial fibrillation. “As they’re shocking him with the paddles, I was cheering him from behind the curtain in between sobs.”
He had to relearn how to swallow, how to speak, and use his right hand. Severe muscle spasms required a pump implanted in his stomach. His body once again fought infection after infection through months in the hospital. People like to joke with him, telling him to avoid November 10 like it’s jinxed. He says it’s the opposite. “I say it’s a day to celebrate. Celebrate the things I’ve overcome and the gift of discovering what I’m capable of.”
Because of his physical limitations, Geoff had to retire. Leaving a decades long career meant having to redefine his identity. He had to say goodbye to his summer family. Instead of focusing on what he’d lost, he put all his energy into his new dream of improving the AdvenChair.
With his newly-regained entrepreneurial spirit, he went back to work on the chair with the CAD designer and Yvonne and Dale. The new chair, the AdvenChair 2.0, was revised and improved, tested and improved again. The team finally created a prototype that passed all the tests. It’s an all-terrain wheelchair with an adjustable sit-ski seat, adjustable handlebars, 27.5-inch mountain bike wheels, and fitted with high-grade aluminum mountain bike components throughout, scheduled for rollout in summer 2021. It will be the first of its kind in the world.
Geoff knew that the AdvenChair 2.0 could take him over rocks and along streams, through the Grand Canyon and camping in the forests. What he began to realize, is that it could give others that gift, too. He connected with people on hospice and families with terminally-ill children, all longing for the gift of family time in nature. When he could, he also joined the boards of Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center and Oregon Adaptive Sports, both in Bend. When the second stroke took away his career, it gave him the gift of purpose, one that now belonged to helping others.
It’s been fifteen years of rolling boldly for Geoff Babb, and he has no plans to slow down. Beyond the Grand Canyon, Geoff and Yvonne plan to climb the Great Wall of China and hike the Camino de Santiago, a five-hundred-mile trek through Spain’s fifteen regions.
“Retiring was an end, but it was also a beginning. It was a chance to focus on a new adventure. I never imagined myself creating something like this, but I soon discovered how much I wanted to make a difference.” Geoff committed to his new purpose, and now he loves connecting with others who want to enjoy nature with their families. He likes to quote J. K. Rowling, who wrote: “Fate shoved you through an unexpected door, and you lit the way for others.”
***
What helped Geoff and his family through?
On the day Geoff went to the hospital after his first stroke, a community began to form around him, Yvonne, and the boys. Friends near and far sent messages and gifts and words of encouragement. Over time, they organized themselves into teams, some of which helped at home, and others which helped get Geoff back outside. “Our lives have become so rich because of the people around us,” Geoff said. “I realized that not only did we need help, but people needed to help us. People have gifts to offer, and our whole journey has been about accepting those gifts.” The community of people supporting Geoff and Yvonne and their sons only grows larger with time.
Geoff’s strokes challenged him and his family in ways they never thought possible. But it also brightened their lives in unexpected ways. “It’s brought us closer as a family.”
Geoff’s AdvenChair is taking him on physical journeys to all corners of the world, but it has also taken him on a spiritual journey. Through his stroke recovery he not only discovered a motivation to share his gifts with others, but that our physical bodies are no match for the amazing capability of our minds.
Snow Trial on the Canal Trail
The scouting report called for plowed, packed snow on the service road that serves as the Canal Trail along the Deschutes River. The fresh snow from the night before should give good traction, a good “joggable” surface, similar conditions to a trip a few years ago.
The AdvenChair team tests the two-foot snow dump on the Canal Trail with their all-terrain wheelchair.
BY GEOFF BABB
The scouting report called for plowed, packed snow on the service road that serves as the Canal Trail along the Deschutes River. The fresh snow from the night before should give good traction, a good “joggable” surface, similar conditions to a trip a few years ago. The forecast was for 28 degrees with partly cloudy skies; good conditions considering that we had just survived “Snowmageddon” where a record 2-3 feet of snow had fallen the week before (we ended up with a bright, sunny 35-degree day).
With Brian pulling and John driving we set out from the parking lot and immediately encountered a 2 ft high berm of packed snow at the curb cut and 300 ft of un-shoveled sidewalk before getting to the trail itself. The sidewalk was rough, uneven, and covered with 8 to 12-inch chunks of hard snow. After a lot of pulling and pushing, we made it to the trail itself.
Checking out the front wheel of the off-road AdvenChair wheelchair
We soon realized a problem with the scouting report – it only mentioned the plowed, packed road and we were still a quarter-mile from it. The trail had a well packed 18-inch-wide path with 8 inches of soft powder on either side. The packed snow was plenty solid but not wide enough for the wheels of the AdvenChair. The front wheel would slide off the path, causing the chair to tilt to the left, then right. The road was too far away, and it didn’t take long for us to agree that this wasn’t very much fun. So we turned around and headed back to the parking lot.
In our AAR – after AdvenChair review – in the parking lot we agreed that the trail was too rough today. Had we made it to the road, we would have had smooth rolling. We did learn that the fiberglass towing polls are too rigid to maneuver around obstacles like frozen chunks of snow, but that pulling with nylon straps is easier. The front wheel didn’t track well, but the ground clearance of the foot plate was excellent, easily clearing the chunks. A walk through the neighborhood on partially bare roads sounded like a much better option. It was a rough slog on the trail and we learned a lot. We finished the day with a nice walk through a new neighborhood.
AdvenChairing is a Team Sport
My wife, Yvonne often refers to the AdvenChair as the “community chair” because so many people are involved with it, whether designing it, telling the story, or on the trail, where it takes a team to push, pull, and/or maneuver the chair. This was the case last week on a hike at Smith Rock State Park.
The team heads out to test the AdvenChair off-road wheelchair at Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
BY GEOFF BABB
PHOTOS BY MICHELLE SIMMONS, The SUITCASE STUDIO
My wife, Yvonne often refers to the AdvenChair as the “community chair” because so many people are involved with it, whether designing it, telling the story, or on the trail, where it takes a team to push, pull, and/or maneuver the chair. This was the case last week on a hike at Smith Rock State Park.
Our timing was perfect as we set a date a week in advance for a photoshoot of the newly powder coated AdvenChair to have high quality pictures to use on the website. With temps in the 50’s and blue skies, matched with stunning rock formations, conditions couldn’t have been much better.
Checking out the front wheel of the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair
Photographer Michelle Simmons had a list of shots in mind – moving on the trail, people talking, close ups of the chair, and various group shots, and designer Jack Arnold wanted to watch how the chair performed, particularly the front wheel.
In the parking lot several people helped me transfer out of the van and into the AdvenChair while others readied the straps, poles, and shoulder harness needed for pulling.
Soon we were headed down the steep trail into the Crooked River Canyon. Amy Kazmier used the disc brakes to easily control my speed, but just in case, Dave Green and Kirk Metzger followed with nylon straps attached to the chair should she need help.
Amy Kazmier is on the disc brakes to safely descend into the park, with Dave Green and Kirk Metzger as backup on nylon straps and Brian Tandy on lead.
With her two-year-old daughter Addison on her back Danielle Cochran pushed me across the footbridge at the Crooked River. This was Danielle’s first outing with us, but she was already a valued team member after she and her husband Joe had donated coffee through their business Smith Rock Coffee Roasters to the Indiegogo fundraising campaign.
As Brian Tandy pulled me with two fiberglass poles attached to a shoulder/waist harness, the team easily moved me through rocky spots and across smooth boardwalks before really testing the system. Michelle asked for a photo near the water, so the team guided me about 50 feet down a log and earth staircase to a small beach. With a combination of teamwork, strength, and finesse I was quickly back up the stairs and onto the trail.
Moving through rocky spaces.
Heading across the boardwalk to the beach.
Heading down the stairs to the beach.
Hanging out on the beach.
Headed up the hill out of the canyon
At Smith Rock descending into the canyon from the parking lot is optional. From the bottom though, the climb out is mandatory; but three pullers and a pusher (with some rest breaks thrown in) quickly pulled me the 200 yards to the top.
Around a picnic table we debriefed with an AAR – an “After Action Review” in military and firefighting parlance, but in this case, I’ll coin the term “After AdvenChair Review” – to discuss the day.
Everyone was impressed with how easily the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair rolls and how well the weight is balanced. Jack shared his ideas on upgrades to strengthen the front wheel and to improve the footrest and steering tubes. Through the test, AAR, refine cycle we’ll continue to improve the AdvenChair.
With teamwork Michelle was able to get some good shots for the website, Jack got important feedback on the design, new people were able to experience the AdvenChair, and we all enjoyed a stellar January day.
At the “After AdvenChair Review”
And a fine day was had by all!
It's Hard to Have a Bad Day in an Incredible Place
As we drove home from the Grand Canyon, through the Great Basin desert, I had plenty of time to reflect on the past year, particularly the last four months, and how my crazy idea of the Grand Advenchair had affected not only me and my family, but a much greater circle of people as well.
As we drove home from the Grand Canyon, through the Great Basin desert, I had plenty of time to reflect on the past year, particularly the last four months, and how my crazy idea of the Grand Advenchair had affected not only me and my family, but a much greater circle of people as well. This trip started out as a way to challenge myself and team both physically and mentally in a beautiful, yet demanding place, but clearly was much more. It wasn’t just about me. We all challenged and stretched ourselves.
A group of family and friends rose to the task, training on local trails and upgrading and modifying my wheelchair. The preparations were honestly as rewarding as the trip itself with lots of brain-storming, evaluation, testing, modifications, and re-testing. The time on the trail required team work, cooperation, and communication. We are literally writing the manual on how to build and operate a wheelchair on rugged trails. We’ve not only beefed up the wheelchair and made it more ergonomically efficient to pull, push, and maneuver, but also created a system for working as a team to reach difficult places. We’ve created something akin to mountain biking and mountaineering. Had we not actually gone to the Grand Canyon the six training days and time spent modifying the AdvenChair itself made for a hugely successful summer. Breaking down on the trail exposed a critical weak spot in the chair but at the same time confirmed the strength, resilience, and determination of the team.
Ahead of the trip Chris Biggs from Central Oregon Daily interviewed me on our last training hike. She did an excellent job of telling my story and motivation for this trip. Thank you Chris!
http://zolomedia.com/bend-mans-mission-give-physically-challenged-people-access-nature/
In prior blogs I wrote about the team and greater community that have grown from this idea. The “team” consists of not just those of us who ventured into the Grand Canyon, but also some key individuals who worked on the chair or helped us prepare for the trip. The immediate “community” is those people, businesses, and organizations that supported and encouraged us with donations of money or goods, or shared help and advice. The greater community is perhaps the one we really hadn’t expected. They are the ones that we met in the campground or along the trail. Or the people that told us how inspiring it was to see a wheelchair on the trail. Or the people that carried our packs and the broken wheelchair up the hill. Or the campground neighbors with a disabled son who called us “heroes”. It made us all feel good to know that we had touched others.
No doubt it was really disappointing to have to admit defeat and get help back up the hill. But it really wasn’t defeat because we DID make it 2 miles into the canyon, our contingency plan DID work, the team responded to the challenge incredibly well, no one got hurt, we all learned a lot and had a great time. It’s hard to have a bad day in an incredible place with great people. We all left with very positive memories and a desire to complete the trip.
Dale and Susie Neubauer of Blue Moon Designs couldn’t make the trip but were (are) vital parts of the Onward Project. Dale is a helicopter mechanic with meticulous attention to safety and detail. Building the bomb-proof AdvenChair seemingly has become his mission. Susie has supported us all along, but without her help packing and organizing we wouldn’t have got on the road in time.
Dave Taylor from NuMotion and Gary Crosswhite with Sagebrush Cycles provided important wheelchair and bike parts, tinkering, and advice. Dave Zimmerman designed workouts to prepare me for the canyon, and with Brian Tandy, were regular members of the Pilot Butte training group.
Fourteen of us traveled to Arizona. Recent foot surgery prevented Barb Scott from going into the canyon but she filled the vital role of Base Camp Manager, creating menus and shopping lists and maintaining order in camp. Amy Kazmier used her Helitack firefighting experience as our Load Master, coordinating between the team and the mule wranglers to organize and load the 26 duffels that carried our food and gear down into the canyon and back out. She was also a great traveling companion for our long road trip.
Oregon Adaptive Sports was instrumental by supporting Pat Addabbo and Matt Eitel to be part of the Grand Advenchair. Besides many great pictures, Pat has provided important insight and leadership throughout the whole process. Matt’s strength and mechanical skills were key, but his laugh was huge!
Tom Zell did all of the pre-trip grocery shopping and was a fountain of knowledge about Grand Canyon history and lore. Heicke Williams was always steady and cheerful but it was her Native American wisdom with a German accent that we’ll remember the most. Matt Eschelbach joined us late, adding strength, humor, and the peace of mind that comes with having an emergency room doctor on the team.
Adam Peterson was with me in 2010 when we looked over the rim and agreed that someday we would go down into the canyon. We really appreciated his strength, calmness, and mechanical skills. Patty Caballero packed a lot of enthusiasm and energy into a small package, giving us both physical and emotional boosts when we needed it. Dennis Fiore has been with us on many other AdvenChair trips and he always has great experience and insight to share.
I’m proud of my sons Cory and Emory, especially for their leadership when we broke down and needed to switch our thinking from going down to getting me and the chair back uphill. Cory worked confidently with the other mechanics to devise a creative repair and Emory organized the climbing team and made sure I had a tarp over-head for the impending storm. And I’m most grateful to my wife Yvonne, for without her support and energy I couldn’t even imagine things like the Grand Advenchair.
The trail may have broken the chair but it only strengthened our team and community. Whether from the team, park rangers or hikers on the trail, or folks we met along the way, the comments were all about “next time”. Now that we know the weak point in the system we’ll keep working on the bomb-proof wheel chair and we’ll be back. Onward!
Photo credits: Pat Addabbo, Cory Babb, Emory Babb, Yvonne Babb, Patty Caballero, Matt Eschelbach, Dennis Fiore, Amy Kazmier, Barb Scott, and Heicke Williams.
It Was a Grand AdvenChair Indeed!
Amy, Yvonne, and I arrived back in Bend tonight after 3 days of driving from the Grand Canyon, exhausted but excited (most everyone else flew home Friday). I wanted to write a quick update, and then it’s off to a shower and bed.
Amy, Yvonne, and I arrived back in Bend tonight after 3 days of driving from the Grand Canyon, exhausted but excited (most everyone else flew home Friday). I wanted to write a quick update, and then it’s off to a shower and bed.
Despite our extensive prep and training, the infamous Bright Angel trail water bars may have broken the axle on my wheelchair at around 2 miles into the canyon but it brought out the best of us. I wasn’t hurt, it wasn’t an emergency, and team worked wonderfully to do a field repair and get me back up to the rim. My time on that trail was over but 8 of our 13 team members did make it down to Bright Angel campground and spend a night before climbing back out. Between pulls on the whiskey bottle, the campfire conversation on our last night centered around building the bomb-proof expedition chair and planning our next trip to the Big Ditch.
I’ll share more stories and pictures soon, but in the meantime, thank you for all of your support!
The Grand AdvenChair—A Team Effort
One of my earliest and profound memories from the hospital following my stroke was when I was still in the ICU, dealing with a lot of pain, and not fully aware of what had happened to me and what was next. The nurse came in, tuned my bed toward the window, opened the curtains, and said “you have a lot of friends.”
One of my earliest and profound memories from the hospital following my stroke was when I was still in the ICU, dealing with a lot of pain, and not fully aware of what had happened to me and what was next. The nurse came in, tuned my bed toward the window, opened the curtains, and said “you have a lot of friends.” Gathered in the parking lot on a cold, snowy, late November Central Oregon day were close to 100 friends who had come to a barbeque fund raiser for me. With Yvonne’s help I waved and thought “Wow, there are a lot of people pulling for me. This is really a team effort and I need to do my part and work hard.” (I could only “think” this because I couldn’t talk at the time)
There will be 12 (maybe more) on the team that goes to the Grand Canyon with me but the “team” really is much bigger when the 40 or more people who have donated toward the Grand Advenchair are counted. Thank you all for the response so far! It means a lot to know that so many people are behind us! One donor said it so well “None of us gets down the road by our own steam alone. None of us. We all rely on the kindness of strangers and the generosity of friends.”
We’ve exceed our initial goal of $3,000 but will keep the campaign going through the trip to continue to raise money to support the development of the next prototypes of the Advenchair so that others can get off the road, on to the trail, and into the wild. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/2dg5g9g
The team and I are preparing by working out, and testing and improving the chair. Though we obviously can’t reproduce the “Big Ditch”, we do have some awesome trails in Central Oregon to train on. One key team member (who unfortunately can’t make the trip) is a helicopter mechanic with a high level of detail, and always asks “What can go wrong here?” We’ve picked some rougher, more technical trails to test ourselves and the chair for the “What if?” scenario. We’ve refined our terminology and procedures and practiced things like backing down a too-steep trail, climbing stairs and water bars, and picking our line through rocky stretches. We’re basically writing the manual!
Comments from a friend:
Geoff
You’re f*cking crazy. As always.
So are your friends. What a bad ass plan.
Enjoy the brutal trip. Y'all gonna laugh your asses off and swear at each other. So much fun.
Looking forward to the reports
Enjoy buddy!
Thanks again and stay tuned for more updates.
Onward!
The Grand AdvenChair
When I survived a brain-stem stroke in 2005, I had to completely change how I looked at the world, approached adventures, and accessed wild places. While this has probably been the hardest challenge I have dealt with in my life, it has also been one of the most rewarding because my family and friends have made the outdoors possible for me.
In September I’ll be traveling by wheelchair into the Grand Canyon, an expedition we call the “Grand Advenchair”. I’m hoping that you can help us.
When I survived a brain-stem stroke in 2005, I had to completely change how I looked at the world, approached adventures, and accessed wild places. While this has probably been the hardest challenge I have dealt with in my life, it has also been one of the most rewarding because my family and friends have made the outdoors possible for me.
Using a wheelchair has not dimmed my pursuit of challenges; it’s only made me change the ways that I experience them. This outlook on life led me to begin The Onward Project with the mission to encourage people with physical and life challenges to explore and enjoy wild places, whether in the Grand Canyon or the local park.
The Grand Advenchair team will consist of a hard-core group of family and friends who have been training for this trip. They are wildland firefighters, mountain bikers, backcountry skiers, and outdoor leaders and enthusiasts. Oregon Adaptive Sports will provide critical staff and logistical support and film and produce a video documenting the 3-day expedition.
Early-on it became obvious that a standard, skinny-tired wheelchair was not going to allow me to get to the places I wanted to go. For over 8 years I’ve worked to create and refine a wheelchair that gets me off the road, on the trail, and into the wild. The AdvenChair is now ready: mountain bike tires, a larger front wheel, handlebars and disk brakes that allow control by the “driver”, and a towing system. This is not your grandfather’s wheelchair! My ultimate goal is to design and produce AdvenChairs to allow others with mobility challenges to access their own wild places and nurture their souls.
We will descend into the canyon via the South Kaibab Trail, dropping 5,000 ft over 7 miles to the Colorado River, and after a rest day climb back out on the 10 mile Bright Angel Trail.
Your support will help cover expedition costs within Grand Canyon National Park including food, permits and camping fees, and pack mules to haul gear in and out of the canyon, production of a video and limited travel costs. Any amount we raise beyond our $3,000 goal for trip expenses will go toward developing and promoting the next prototype of the AdvenChair.
Thank you for your support.
Onward!
Please consider making a gift to support the Grand Advenchair at one of these levels:
_____ $500 Condor - help with production costs of a video documenting the Grand Advenchair.
_____ $250 Big Horn Sheep – help defray travel costs of team members
_____ $150 Mule – sponsor one of the pack mules we will use to haul our gear.
_____ $50 Ringtail Cat – cover the costs of camping permits and fees.
_____ $15 Canyon Wren – food for 1 person for a day.
_____ Other
Visit GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/2dg5g9g to contribute.
Moving Ahead Without Fear
The weather for the 2016 Pole Pedal Paddle relay in Bend, Ore. ranked in “the top 5 worst days” in the 40-year-history of the event and still attracted nearly 3,000 racers. Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) fielded 4 teams of racers in the Adaptive division for the 6th straight year. The Can Do Crew, No Boundaries, True Grit, and Onward! all showed up ready to race, rain or shine.
The weather for the 2016 Pole Pedal Paddle relay in Bend, Ore. ranked in “the top 5 worst days” in the 40-year-history of the event and still attracted nearly 3,000 racers. Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) fielded 4 teams of racers in the Adaptive division for the 6th straight year. The Can Do Crew, No Boundaries, True Grit, and Onward! all showed up ready to race, rain or shine. It's only fitting for this inspiring group of challenged athletes that the first team out of the date was Onward! - moving forward - and the last OAS finisher across the line was Greg Dauntless - without fear - racing for True Grit.
The alpine and Nordic skiers found the 3 inches of new snow fast and fun but the bikers had a wet and cold 22 mile ride down into town. Fortunately, it had stopped raining by the time the runners hit the trail along the Deschutes River. The river was calm, but crowded for the paddlers. The weather hardly bothered the sprinters finishing off the race at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. Minutes after the group picture the rain returned but the downpour couldn’t dampen the smiles of the more than 40 racers and support crew. The slide show below says it all.
Final results: 1) No Boundaries, 2) Onward!, 3) Can Do Crew, 4) True Grit.
The racers are grateful for the support of NuMotion, Fratzke Commercial Real Estate, Therapeutic Associates, Knife River, Bend Dental Group, Century Insurance Group, Dana Signs, and New York City Subs for helping make the Pole Pedal Paddle another legendary year.
A big thanks to the OAS staff and volunteers who make this all possible!
Photo credits: Pat Addabbo, Yvonne Babb, Carl Backstrom, Renae Gibbons, Jessica Hamm, C J Johnson, Missy Peterson, Jill Pfankuch, and Kellie Standish.
