Advice: Guiding a Visually Impaired Backpacker
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:51 am
Howdy. A good friend of mine who is legally blind wants to expand her backpacking experience into the Sierra. She's very strong and fit and an avid runner and does triathlon, so I'm not worried about her fitness level. I am her guide on many training runs and during races so I know she can physically handle the Sierra. We've also done some 2-3 day treks in the Ventana Wilderness (in our backyard) without issue, but that is hiking along smooth dirt trails, many of which are wilderness freeways (Poison Oak and ticks are our biggest issue in Ventana - she can't see them to avoid them).
That said, she is blind and I don't want her walking off a cliff or falling during a gnarly creek crossing. I can't hold her hand the entire trek. We'll have her guide dog with us on the lead (trails aren't ever wide enough for the dog to truly guide, so she's on a lead). The dog has a lot of experience guiding on trails.
What I'm trying to find is a 3 night route in mid-June with 5-9 miles per day that doesn't have any scrambling, slick rock, or significant rock-hopping across streams (she can make her way across a creek if it is more like a Japanese garden style stepping-stone arrangement). We have waded hip-deep across slow creeks before so we can get 'er done in some cases. I just sherpa the gear across in multiple trips and guide her gear-free.
I've backpacked countless times in both SeKi and the East Sierra but tend toward trails that are much more technical and not blind-friendly. The trails I've done all have sections that are manageable for this, but then have sections that would be a bit dangerous for this situation. I'm tending toward SeKi, simply because it is closer to home, but certainly open to options.
I know it is a wide parameter... I'm hoping somebody has intel on a friendly loop, lolli, or in-out that we could manage. Selfishly, I'm wanting a bit of solitude and beauty along the way (aka not along the ugly PCT parts). I also want to avoid PCT... if possible. And mosquitoes... if there is any way to avoid in June, I'm all ears.
Thanks for helping us think of something... :-)
That said, she is blind and I don't want her walking off a cliff or falling during a gnarly creek crossing. I can't hold her hand the entire trek. We'll have her guide dog with us on the lead (trails aren't ever wide enough for the dog to truly guide, so she's on a lead). The dog has a lot of experience guiding on trails.
What I'm trying to find is a 3 night route in mid-June with 5-9 miles per day that doesn't have any scrambling, slick rock, or significant rock-hopping across streams (she can make her way across a creek if it is more like a Japanese garden style stepping-stone arrangement). We have waded hip-deep across slow creeks before so we can get 'er done in some cases. I just sherpa the gear across in multiple trips and guide her gear-free.
I've backpacked countless times in both SeKi and the East Sierra but tend toward trails that are much more technical and not blind-friendly. The trails I've done all have sections that are manageable for this, but then have sections that would be a bit dangerous for this situation. I'm tending toward SeKi, simply because it is closer to home, but certainly open to options.
I know it is a wide parameter... I'm hoping somebody has intel on a friendly loop, lolli, or in-out that we could manage. Selfishly, I'm wanting a bit of solitude and beauty along the way (aka not along the ugly PCT parts). I also want to avoid PCT... if possible. And mosquitoes... if there is any way to avoid in June, I'm all ears.
Thanks for helping us think of something... :-)