11/3/2009 6:00:00 AM
Special Olympians get the ride of their lives
Walapai 4-Wheelers give them a lift to Chloride murals
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ERIN TAYLOR/Miner
Eric Huerta, a 28-year-old Special Olympian, takes a picture of the Chloride murals during a recent outing with the Walapai 4-Wheelers.
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KINGMAN - Last spring, Shane Wold, a member of the Walapai 4-Wheelers, took 38-year-old Tac Chappell on his first off-road ride to Wild Cow Springs recreation area in the Hualapais. It was Chappell's first ride in a vehicle that could climb boulders.
"The smile on his face was just the most rewarding thing I've ever seen," Wold said.
Wold approached his club about staging an event for others like Chappell and on Sunday, the Walapai 4-Wheelers escorted more than a dozen Special Olympians in their off-road vehicles to the murals in Chloride. It was the first time to the murals for almost all of the Olympians.
"They have been so excited about this," said Helen Gilgen, coordinator of the Kingman Special Olympics and director for the Mohave County ARC program, an organization that serves people with developmental disabilities.
Around 30 individuals ages 8 to 62 compete in a number of events in the Special Olympics throughout the year. The Olympians are wrapping up floor hockey this month and will start basketball at the beginning of January.
The group also takes a break from competing to enjoy other outings, such as last year's trip to Dollywood amusement park in Tennessee.
The Olympians spent about an hour at the murals and enjoyed a ride down a rugged, rocky road accessible only by foot or an off-road vehicle. Local businesses in Chloride also lent a hand. Allen Bercowetz, owner of the Mineshaft Market, allowed the Olympians use of his restroom after the town park had already shut off water for the season and Yesterday's Restaurant hosted lunch for everyone after the ride.
Wold said he realized families of people with developmental disabilities are often strapped for cash and hoped the ride was a way to give the Olympians an experience they wouldn't otherwise get a chance to experience.
The rides are classed on a scale from one to five, with a class one being on blacktop and a class five being an area that could result in injury. Sunday's ride was mostly a class two, with some rocky, rough spots that could be classified as a class three trail.
The Walapai 4-Wheelers are an off-road club that meets for weekly rides and works to promote awareness in keeping trails open to riders. Recent proposals, such as the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and the current Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign in Colorado, are actively working to close portions of the outdoors to motorized traffic.
The Walapai 4-Wheelers are raffling off 500 chances for a Jeep at $50 each ticket, with all proceeds staying in Kingman to keep trails here open to off-road enthusiasts. Tickets can be purchased at Precision Automotive at 2325 Northern Ave.
Paul Schupp, a member of the Walapai 4-Wheelers for more than 15 years, said club members are just as concerned as anyone about protecting Mother Nature. The 4-Wheelers adopted the Moss Mansion in the Hualapais and work to keep the area free of trash and graffiti.
"We like working and fixing on our vehicles, but we like where it takes us more," Schupp said.
The Chloride murals were painted by prospector Roy Purcell in 1966. In 2006, Purcell, now a professional artist, and several others spent several days repainting and restoring the murals.
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Posted: Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I've seen some of your videos, and it doesn't look, like vehicles, tearing up the desert, and displacing rock bolders, is protecting mother nature.
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