Message from the Mountain

December 2025/ Issue #18

The Road Ahead

There are many types of roads, some lead to places, others loop around. A few roads lead to places that used to be. Most of the time, if we know the road, we just travel it and arrive at our destination. It isn't very often that we look at the road, or enjoy the experience of the road. The path that leads us to the place that we want to be, is the best part of the experience. We learn all about shortcuts, dead-ends, distracting views, and potholes along the way. Often, the road ahead is obscured by something, whether it be fog, rain, or darkness. The road is still there, we just cannot see it.

I learned a long time ago that the road we travel is a friend, a companion of sorts, that guides us to our destination. We depend on it to be there, leading us like some stalwart Colonel. In the hills of West Virginia, there are logging roads that have been carved into the hills years ago. As the forest grows up around these roads, they begin to look more like trails. I always want to explore these trails to see where they go. As we get closer to finding property for Mobility Mountain, it is my hope that we find a piece of land with these trails in place.

These trails could lead to some exciting overviews, or other points of interest. They seem to be wide enough for our use, around eight to ten feet wide. I envision adaptive equipment exploring these trails, transporting their cargo to destinations unseen. I have grand ideas about this and hope to bring this to fruition. It is our goal to do the best we can in Making Nature Accessible. In this process, we can recycle and reinvigorate what was once an old friend to those who used it. The road ahead can be clear, if we open our eyes.

Abundance vs. Overkill

By Jeffrey W Pryor

As I write this, I hear voices of family conversing, joking, eating, and drinking. Many of us do not get to experience that, and we have to borrow those moments from others families. With Thanksgiving behind us, we move on to the month of December. I feel blessed. I am blessed to still be working to bring Mobility Mountain to fruition. I am blessed to be chosen to do this work. I always think of the first person who gets to experience Mobility Mountain and how big of a smile that will put on my face, not to mention their face. I am blessed to be able to move this boulder closer and closer each day, without one thought of abandonment.

The photo that you see is a great example of how my mind works. I was tasked with creating a charcuterie board. Seems pretty simple, right? Well, as I kept adding different cheeses and meats, I saw the need for more space. My small cutting board wasn't doing the trick, so I had to improvise. As my brothers in the Marine Corps would say,"Adapt and overcome!" I decided to use the entire table as the charcuterie board. It worked perfectly and was a smashing hit.

How does this relate to Mobility Mountain? When I first brought this concept forward (the campground, not the charcuterie table) I was met with "There are plenty of Make a Wish, Handicap camps, and the like out there. What makes yours different?" I already had the answer. Yes, there are several program-heavy camps for children with disabilities, and similar retreats. But there are zero campgrounds designed specifically for all persons with disabilities. There are zero camps that simply provide the equipment and let the camper find their limitations. One simple word, ACCEPT, describes what we do. Adventure, Courage, Challenge, Empower, Passion, and Tenacity. This is what we operate by. Is it overkill, I guess some may think so. But I think it will help keep us on track, doing what we do best to help others experience nature.

Thank you for reading along and supporting us in our journey. Exciting things are on the horizon.