Boots & Wheels on the Ground in Montana

As someone who uses a wheelchair, I never thought I’d be able to comfortably float on a boat on a river.

But I did, one August morning in Montana, where I joined an excursion down the Madison River led by Ability Montana. Without transferring out of my chair or having to trust strangers to carry me, I rolled up a ramp and onto an adapted raft.

Even after we pushed off, gliding down the river’s gentle flow, I could turn my chair in any direction. I was so comfortable, I followed guide and volunteer Todd Hoar’s instructions and I learned how to cast a fly rod.

Like a lot of veterans, I carry things with me that don’t easily shut off. But being on the river in the comfort of my own chair, with guides with decades of experience, gave me a kind of quiet I don’t often find. For a few hours, my mind stopped racing and I enjoyed the river.

The trip was part of the Mountain States Chapter’s boots-and-wheels-on-the-ground effort to build stronger connections in Montana. I was joined by Board President Erin Cavit and her husband, as well as Vice President Renae Byrd McMinn and her longtime friend. We spent two days at Camp Bullwheel near Ennis, where Patrick Quinn and the Ability Montana team gave us a taste of their programs and their style—relaxed and exceptionally capable.

“It was amazing,” Renae, who had never fly fished, told me later. “Patrick was not just an instructor. He wanted me to succeed and he adapted to my needs.”

As proof, Renae caught the day’s only fish.

On our second day, we left camp on bikes and rode a mostly flat gravel road to explore the area. Our trip also included a day at Fort Harrison VA Medical Center in Helena, where we set up a PVA information table in the lobby. We spent time with staff, including Mike Bassett, recreation therapy supervisor. We met veterans living with multiple sclerosis and spoke with a caregiver who recently lost her husband to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It was a reminder that outreach doesn’t always require a big event. Sometimes it can be as simple as showing up, listening and letting veterans with disabilities know they are not alone.

Later, in Bozeman, we had coffee with Mountain States Chapter member Jean-Paul “JP” Lauren and visited Eagle Mount, which offers recreation activities for people with disabilities. This trip was the start of building deeper relationships with people and organizations in Montana, and we can’t wait to go back.

Top: Mountain States Chapter Executive Director John Henderson, right, floats down Montana’s Madison River on an adapted raft as volunteer guide Todd Hoar shows him how to cast a fly rod.