PORTLAND, Ore. — Ospreys flew overhead as the sun beat down gently on the open wetland of Mary S. Young park on a recent Monday afternoon. Heidi Austin looked hesitantly down the slope of the trail leading to the water’s edge. Her other hiking companions had managed their way down, more or less, with ease.
But her motorized wheelchair was fitted with a custom seat, making it front-heavy. She said she’s had a few painful spills as a result and didn’t want to repeat them. After assessing the uneven dirt path between the trees, she spun around and made a call.
“I’m going to try going backwards,” Austin told the rest of the group.
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She tactfully guided the chair down in reverse, parking safely at the bottom. It’s just one of the many complicated calculations Austin, who has cerebral palsy and has been in a wheelchair all her life, has to make while trekking outdoors.
Then again, at one time she didn’t think hiking was on the table at all, she said.
Neither did many of the people joining her, all of whom were out for a weekly adventure with Oregon Wheelchair Hiking. The group launched in 2020 and now unites wheelchair users and others from across the Portland metro area to tackle accessible trails. Franklin Ouchida, president of the Social Advocacy Network of Disability and a docent at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, leads the outings.
“I’ve done a lot that I didn’t know I could do since joining Franklin’s group,” Austin said. “I love being out here.”
The hiking group started as four friends wanting to hit the trail, Ouchida said, but it’s since swelled into a massive network of over 600 people on Facebook. Ouchida chooses and vets the hikes himself, and when the weather turns in the winter, the group meets at shopping malls and indoor spaces instead.
“It all started with just four guys going out and deciding, ‘Hey, we can go on a trip together,’” Ouchida said. “And then from then on, we just have been inviting everybody.”
Ouchida is a longtime disability rights advocate who said he has worked with several local governments and parks to ensure nature trails are accessible. Wheelchair accessible paths are often limited, and small details could mean a trail is off limits for those with disabilities. A single curb or curve could mark a dead end for those using a wheelchair or mobility device, Ouchida said.
And even the safest trails can have dangers. Wheelchairs can get stuck on soft or muddy ground, run out of batteries or tip over — something that’s happened before, Ouchida said. The group takes precautions and tackles the trail together, watching out for one another along the way. Ouchida also keeps a tug rope on hand.
“For me, it was really scary to go out the first time,” said Ouchida, who has used a wheelchair for 15 years following a vaccination complication that triggered an autoimmune disorder. “But I noticed when other people with disabilities go out, it’s not so scary because you know somebody else on the trail.”
On the recent hike, the crew included six hikers with motorized wheelchairs and one on foot, along with canine companions Lillie and Cutie. Ouchida said the weekly hikes are open to anyone who wants to join, and he encouraged people who are curious about the group to reach out and tag along. Events are posted to the Oregon Wheelchair Hikers Facebook page, including details on the trail and what to expect.
“That’s the whole idea, to get out in nature and do these hikes,” Ouchida said. “But the real crux of it is to build a community of people with disabilities or non apparent disabilities or no disabilities — just a community of people who can go out in nature.”
Vanessa Rice said she was diagnosed with late-onset Tay-Sachs, a rare genetic condition that slowly damages the brain and spinal cord, and has used a wheelchair since she was 18. Now 29, she said she’s glad to have a group of supportive friends to explore Oregon’s natural areas with. She said she didn’t think hiking was a possibility before meeting Ouchida.
“This group is very important, and it’s become part of something I do on a weekly basis,” Rice said.
Rice has been with the group since 2023 and was testing a new wheelchair at the Wilsonville park. Equipped with more robust wheels and stronger batteries, she was able to navigate the trail more easily than before, she said. Its teal color was a bonus.
Each wheelchair is unique, and hikers said there are attachments that can make day-to-day life a little more convenient. Josiah Morrow’s rig stood out. He equipped beefy off-road tires to a more traditional wheelchair, but he also has a motorized single-wheel attachment that locks into the front of the chair.
While more convenient in many ways than other chairs, Morrow didn’t have as much climbing power. Each time the group came to a hill, he had to build momentum and make a dash for the top. It’s just one of the many approaches he’s picked up during his nearly 14 years using a wheelchair.
“We still get out, we still find a way,” Morrow said.
Morrow was one of the original four members of the hiking troop, and said he regularly attends the weekly hikes and other weekend events. It’s been a space to safely get outdoors, meet new people and forge lasting friendships, he said.
“That’s what I like about this group, they’re great people and I’ve made great friends,” Morrow said. “It’s very important for us to get out and still be able to enjoy these things.”
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