Trail Talk
Audio Story: Finding Freedom Through Adaptive Kayaking
A waterside conversation with Derek Flint about adaptive kayaking, accessibility, and the sense of freedom he finds on Vermont’s waterways.
Derek Flint of West Topsham is a father of three, a lover of the outdoors, and almost completely blind. This summer, he and his family have been getting out in the water in kayaks as much as they can. Navigating boat launches can be difficult, but some places, like Green River Reservoir, have made them…
Audio Story: A Moment of Zen While Handcycling
A trail-side conversation with Edie Perkins about handcycling, access, and the peace she finds on Vermont’s rail trails.
Edie Perkins has been an avid cyclist for many years. When an accident left her paralyzed from the chest down in 2017, she began handcycling. Since moving to Vermont in 2021, she’s come to love taking her handcycle out on the scenic trails she can access from her home in South Burlington, and sometimes ventures…
Lamoille Valley Rail Trail: Edie’s Accessibility Review for Trail Finder
A 94-mile, four-season, multi-purpose recreation and transportation corridor
St. Johnsbury to Swanton, Vermont
The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail is New England’s longest rail trail. The 93-mile path goes through villages and cornfields, along rivers, and past historic, once-bustling train stations. “The trail itself is a wide, compacted gravel path—smooth enough for a wheelchair or handcycle—with grassy shoulders and gentle grades. Within just a few miles, I rolled through…
Otter View Park: Edie’s Accessibility Review for Trail Finder
16 acres of preserved wetlands with 0.5 miles of trails to explore
Middlebury, Vermont
Edie Perkins, an adventurer who explores Vermont by wheelchair and handcycle, is traveling to trails across the state and writing about her experiences—what’s fun, what could be improved, and what others might enjoy. Check out her latest post about an afternoon in Middlebury along the river. Read Edie’s review of the Otter View Park trail
