Wednesday, July 27, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
NEW trAIL: For some
it was a first outing
in the woods
Continued from page 1
Stevens. “I appreciated the
Forest Service effort to create
a trail in Sisters where people
with a variety of disabilities
can hike together and enjoy
the outdoors. It was fabu-
lous to ride up together on
the new accessible bus from
Oregon Adaptive Sports.
Transportation can often be
a barrier for many of us to
enjoy recreation, so this was a
perfect day.”
Sharlene Wills was another
of those to take advantage of
the new trail project.
“I was one of the blind par-
ticipants on that memorable
June day-hike near Sisters
that presented us with a truly
accessible trail for folks with
different needs,” she said.
“I want to thank John
(Schubert), again, for all his
efforts,” Wills said. “It is a
lovely trail, both scenic and
easy to navigate, while still
letting one have some good
exercise. I fully enjoyed going
with a group of people, but I
also truly loved being able to
do the whole trail by myself,
with my guide dog.
“So often, we blind folks
must rely on sighted guides
in order to hike or bike; and,
though Oregon Adaptive
Sports, among other groups,
provides us with wonderful
volunteers, it really means a
lot to many of us to be able
to independently do some of
these things such as hiking. So
the effort made on this partic-
ular trail is truly appreciated.”
I appreciated the
Forest Service effort to
create a trail in Sisters
where people with
a variety of disabilities
can hike together...
— Nancy Stevens
The new trail is a one-
mile loop that includes the
Whychus Overlook at its
midway point. The surface of
the trail is highly compacted
fine gravel, and a concern has
recently arisen about unau-
thorized bicycle use on the
special surface. Damage to
the surface can cause prob-
lems for the users for whom
the trail is intended.
Amy Racki, the Forest
Service’s recreation team
leader for the Sisters Ranger
District, confirmed that the
trail is posted as being not for
bikes.
“We want to keep the tread
surface nice so people that
require mobility assistance
have the opportunity to enjoy
the trail,” she said. “If bicy-
clists brake hard or maneuver
quickly, it degrades the tread
surface. This is a hiker-only
accessible trail — no bicycles,
no horses.”
Stevens talked about how
important it is for people with
accessibility issues to have
the opportunity to use such a
trail.
“Some of these folks
haven’t really had much
experience outdoors. For one
of the guys in a wheelchair,
this was his first outing in the
woods since his accident.”
Unfortunately, there are
few such opportunities in the
forests, and Racki has already
seen evidence of bicycle traf-
fic on the trail. She wants
people to be aware of the use
restrictions in order to make
sure that this unique trail does
not suffer damage as the result
of improper use.
To reach the roadside
parking lot and trailhead for
this accessible trail and over-
look, simply head south on
the Three Creek Road (Elm
Street in town) for a little over
five miles. The turnout is near
the summit of Peterson Ridge,
on the right-hand (west) side
of the road, just a short dis-
tance beyond the five-mile
marker.
25
Merkley applauds Kaine
vice presidential pick
By Kristena Hansen
Associated Press
PORTLAND (AP) — As
Oregon’s Democratic and
Republican delegations were
crisscrossing the country to
and from their parties’ national
conventions Friday, Virginia
Sen. Tim Kaine was named as
Hillary Clinton’s vice presi-
dential running-mate.
It’s unclear whether the
selection of Kaine will appeal
to progressives from places
like Oregon, which is expected
to favor Bernie Sanders on the
Democratic convention floor
in Philadelphia this week after
the Vermont senator defeated
Clinton in Oregon’s May 17
primary.
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley
— who supports Clinton but
is the only member the U.S.
Senate to endorse their col-
league Sanders — told The
Associated Press that Kaine
is an “excellent choice” but
party progressives have con-
cerns about some of his lean-
ings, namely his recent vote
in favor of fast-tracking the
Trans-Pacific Partnership
trade deal.
“Tim Kaine is enormously
capable ... very powerful intel-
lect and very easy to work
with,” said Merkley. “But
there are issues that we would
love to have him be in a differ-
ent place on.”
Sanders began bowing out
of the race weeks ago as his
chances slipped and he has
since been helping rally more
forces against GOP nominee
Donald Trump. Both parties
are now wrestling to bring
Sanders’ progressive support-
ers into their folds ahead of
November.
A similar dynamic is at
play in Oregon, often deemed
“Bernie Sanders country” by
the electorate while its elected
politicians lean more with
Clinton. It’s why more than
half of Oregon’s 61 delegates
are pledged to Sanders, who
won almost 57 percent of the
vote in May, and most of its 13
superdelegates, who can vote
however they please and are
often high-level politicians,
are supporting Clinton.
Merkley, one of those 13
superdelegates, says Sanders’
vision is being “woven” into
Clinton’s platform, so pro-
gressives will eventually come
around.