It was my first trip to the Canadian wilderness in nearly 25 years. I relished the old but familiar sights and sounds – my canoe slicing through the water, leaves dancing in the wind, and the distinctive bird calls as they took flight. The sun sparkled across the water as we made our way to the distant shore. Now as a double above-the-knee amputee, I recalled conceding to the fact that it was unlikely that I’d ever get back to the wilderness. But there I was, dipping my paddle in a northern lake and loving every minute of it.


I was on a five-day canoe trip in the Boundary Waters, an area of picturesque lakes and rivers located in northern Minnesota and western Ontario. I was traveling with Wilderness Inquiry (WI), a Minneapolis-based organization specializing in wilderness adventure trips. Being a native of the Twin Cities myself, I was familiar with WI – my sister had traveled with them years before - and had hoped to do a canoe trip for some time.

What makes Wilderness Inquiry truly unique is its seamless integration of people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities – including those with disabilities. Their mission is to combine a diverse group of people, in a positive but challenging outdoor experience, and in a setting that requires cooperation to ensure a successful adventure. In doing so, the experience empowers people to push their perceived limitations, while tackling stereotypes and encouraging an understanding and respect among people with and without disabilities.

My previous adventure travels include floating down the Grand Canyon, and several other rafting trips in the American West. These trips were hosted by organizations that catered specifically to those with disabilities. In each case, able-bodied volunteers (often family or friends serving as personal attendants) and paid staff served as our guides and assistants. While I’m grateful to these and many other organizations that make adventure travel possible for those of us with disabilities, they just couldn’t defeat my feelings of segregation, or exclusion, that comes from being in a wheelchair. What I really wanted was to sign up for a trip open to everyone, regardless of physical or mental abilities. With Wilderness Inquiry, I did just that.

Admittedly, during the weeks leading up to the trip I began feeling very apprehensive about the quest. A wilderness trip with able-bodied participants was intimidating. Many questions came to mind: “Will I be accepted for who I am?” “Will I really feel part of the group or will I be left at the campfire with the others in wheelchairs?” “Will I be able to pull my weight and feel like a contributing member of the group?” I would find out.
Departure day came quickly enough. And it took no longer than initial introductions and my fears dissipated. It was a well-balanced group: two of us in wheelchairs - the other being a high-level paraplegic - two ambulatory but mobility impaired participants, four able-bodied travelers and two staff. It was obvious WI had planned carefully when putting our group together. Boundary water canoeing is physically demanding and includes a lot of paddling, daily camp set-up and take-down, and frequent portages between lakes. This trip would be no different but it was clear that if we all worked together we could manage the work load. The key would be working together.

During our first evening together we shared our personal stories. We discovered that despite our physical differences, our reasons for being on the trip were largely the same… getting closer to nature and away from the stresses of everyday life, seeking a new perspective, challenging ourselves and learning new skills, and meeting and working together with new people. We readily saw that we had more in common than initially thought.

One of the many inherent benefits of a wilderness experience is that it encourages social interaction and cooperation. The vast amount of tasks that need doing requires everyone’s participation. It was essential for our group to recognize each other’s abilities, ensure everyone contributed accordingly, and then fill in as needed. Team spirit was our best friend.

For me it also meant challenging myself in this new environment. I think of myself as being quite “able” but I realized early on that thoughts of “I can’t” and “I don’t know how” were limiting my participation. I pushed myself to look for different ways to accomplish tasks that seemed difficult - putting up tents, moving gear, helping in the kitchen, or assisting others. Each day I found I could do more and more on my own which contributed to a growing sense of self confidence and a feeling that I could indeed, pull my own weight.

As the days passed, camaraderie and teamwork grew. Individual abilities were recognized and appreciated. New skills were learned. Disabilities seemed to fade in the distance. While these outcomes are common to other adventure experiences, the fact that this was an integrated group of able-bodied and disabled participants made it special for me. There was not the feeling of dependence on the staff and volunteers for help and assistance nor the sense of being segregated to a disability program.

With Wilderness Inquiry, participants form their own team and together accomplish needed tasks. There is less looking to the staff for help. It’s more about helping ourselves which lends itself to a greater sense of accomplishment, and an appreciation of the abilities of others. What’s more, the freedom to sign up for the trip just like everyone else, to be accepted as an equal by my fellow campers, and to feel part of the able-bodied world gave me a great sense of confidence and well being.

I’ll always be grateful to my sister Martha for introducing me to WI. Living with the effects of a severe brain injury after being hit by a motorcycle, her life became filled with all things “disabled” - group homes, personal attendants, therapists, and limited independence. Over the course of ten years she went on 16 Wilderness Inquiry trips from canoeing to dog-sledding and everything in between. A focal point in her life, WI trips gave my sister the chance to match her natural sense of adventure to her desire of leaving her everyday challenges behind. Martha said it best: “Wilderness Inquiry makes me feel normal.”

At the end of my five days, everyone was relaxed and happy, but sad to say goodbye. Strangers are now friends. The time in the wilderness has profoundly affected us all. We’ve grown in our understanding of ourselves, become more sensitive to the needs of others, reclaimed self confidence and have been spiritually awakened. We are grateful for the time together, lessons learned and lasting memories of our wilderness adventure.


Jim Finch grew up in Wayzata, Minn. He’s a graduate of Principia College (BA) and Indiana University (MBA). An amputee since 1976, he has been involved in a wide range of athletic and recreational activities including track and field, road racing, wheelchair tennis, alpine skiing and sled hockey. He earned medals in both track and swimming at the 1980 Paralympics and was a member of the 1998 U.S. Paralympic Disabled Ski Team. He now resides in Basalt Colorado.


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Wilderness Adventuring

Wilderness Inquiry offers canoeing, kayaking, rafting and dog-sledding adventure trips throughout North America and over seas. Established in 1978, it is the oldest organization of its kind in the U.S. and currently sponsors nearly 100 trips worldwide. Destinations outside of Minnesota and Canada include the Big Salmon River and Misty Fjords in Alaska, the Canyonlands in Utah, the Allagash Waterway and Moose River in Maine, San Juan Islands in Washington, and the Everglades in Florida. For the real adventurous, international destinations include Costa Rica, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand and Norway. For more information call (800) 728-0719 or visit www.wildernessinquiry.org.