Dear Lost Coast Outpost Community,

As a mobility scooter user, I’m often torn between wanting more access to the breathtaking wild places I so dearly love and not wanting any more of nature to be paved over. That’s why I’m deeply appreciative of all the creative work that’s gone into developing low-impact ways to improve access to our local natural treasures for folks with limited mobility like me. 

Along with numerous paved multi-use trails (including the Hammond Trail, the first mile of the Headwaters Forest Reserve trail, the recently extended Humboldt Bay Trail, and others), there are also many unpaved accessible trails throughout the county, including those at Prairie Creek and the Avenue of the Giants, where I’ve spent many wondrous hours sitting beneath the towering redwoods, filled with awe and gratitude and light. It’s hard to put into words how special it is to ride my scooter into a forest and spend time with my tree friends.

Yet, what I’m most excited about these days are the beaches!

Most days, my partner takes our dogs to Clam Beach, where the dogs run this way and that, frolicking in the surf, overflowing with excitement, and just as happy as can be — totally different from the mellow couch potatoes they are at home. Thanks to the beach access mat installed a few years ago at the north entrance, I’m able to take my scooter a little ways onto the beach and watch them for a minute or two from afar as they run off into the distance … until they disappear from view. 

And while I’ve been very grateful for that peak into this part of their lives, I recently learned that I can do more than merely watch them from afar: by making use of the beach wheelchair available free of charge from the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust (link here), I can join them for the entire adventure. I’ve used this wheelchair twice now to be out on the beach with my family — fully participating in the experience in a way that I’d never thought possible — and I’m looking forward to using it a lot more in the future! 

But wait, it gets better: according to the California Coastal Commission (link here), there are a number of other places to borrow beach wheelchairs in Humboldt County, including at the Manila Dunes, Arcata Marsh, Sue-Meg State Park, and Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek. 

Oddly, few of the beach wheelchairs are housed at a beach, so a truck or large car is needed to transport the wheelchair to the beach. It would significantly improve access if the wheelchairs were stored on-site at Clam Beach or at other beaches where they might actually be used. I hope someone is working on this!

Being able to join my family’s beach outings has been extremely meaningful to me, and I want to publicly thank the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust and all the other groups who have made expanding access to our local natural wonders a priority. You’ve made a real, very positive difference in my life.

With gratitude,

Laura Norin
McKinleyville, CA