by Lynn Hiel
“Can you take a photo for me – I want to post it to my Instagram?” It was a beautiful, sunny morning at Crystal Cove State Park. Our hike started from the top of the bluff, and this was a great place for the photo. I checked the direction of the sun, so it would light up the hiker’s face and asked what backdrop she wanted me to capture in the shot. There was the sandy beach, rolling surf, or steep bluffs. I found an angle so all her preferences were in view and snapped the photo. She was happy and ready to share the picture with her family and friends. On many Sierra Club hikes, taking photos of these stunning natural places right in our backyard is part of the experience. It was only later that I realized —it was the first photo I had taken for a hiker who is blind.
A yellow bus rolled into the Crystal Cove parking lot with about 25 visually impaired (VIP) hikers ready to conquer a 4-mile trail. The joint Hearts for Sight / Sierra Club Hike started the day off right with some coffee and would end the route with lunch. Ahead of the hike, the sighted people got some general pointers on how to be a guide and what to look out for on the trail, such as low hanging branches, rocks, and dog poop; pretty straightforward, easy stuff. The Sierra Club Leaders reminded us that the most important question to ask as a guide is “How can I assist you?" Blindness is a broad spectrum and every person is unique. Some hikers might lightly hold on to the back of your arm or your shoulder and walk about two steps behind you throughout the hike. Others might be hiking independently beside you and only need some verbal cues, or none at all. The needs of your partner might change over the course of the hike. In wooded canyons where there is less light and contrast, they might need more support from you than in a wide-open, grassy area with lots of sunlight. You are truly a hiking team, communicating and coordinating with each other as you share this outdoor experience.
These hikes fulfill one of the core missions of the Sierra Club: namely to bring people into the outdoors who otherwise wouldn’t have access. Will McWhinney and Joan Schipper are the Sierra Club leaders who have spearheaded these monthly hiking events with passion and dedication since 2019. They scout out suitable trails, picnic areas, and logistics in advance to make sure that this hiking experience will be smooth and enjoyable for everyone. They work together closely with Joseph Burton and Racquel Decipeda, who are the co-founders of Hearts for Sight (HFS). This is a wonderful nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health and wellness for individuals with visual impairments. The HFS mission is to break down barriers to fitness, mental health, and outdoor recreation, empowering blind and visually impaired individuals to achieve physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Over the past nine years, HFS has done just that and built a vibrant community of VIP people from every background and walk of life. The organization’s programs include adaptive fitness, eco-therapeutic activities, and mental health services.
Many sighted guides are surprised to find out that Hearts for Sight is a pretty unique organization that we are lucky to have here in Los Angeles. In other parts of California and even across the US, these opportunities for VIPs to experience the outdoors are rather limited or non-existent. Here the Sierra Club chapters can bridge the gap. Drawing inspiration from the HFS partnership, other Sierra Club chapters could reach out to their local organizations supporting the VIP community and start hiking programs in their local areas. The Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) Program is dedicated to equity and expanding access to the outdoors. Angeles ICO has been involved with the Hearts for Sight hiking events, and the ICO program could be another resource to help outings organizers offer hikes for the VIP community. Perhaps a monthly series of White Cane Hikes will be a fixture on more than one Sierra Club Outings Calendar someday.
Just like many first-time sighted guides, I didn't realize that my own hiking experience would change for the better too. By finding out how VIP hikers perceive the trails with their other senses, I began to pay more attention to the natural surroundings as well. The next time you go hiking you will feel the terrain beneath your feet, smell the flowers in the air, notice the direction of the wind, and hear bird song more than you did before.
I finished those 4-miles at Crystal Cove with different and more vivid memories than the many other times I'd hiked there before. Along the way, I made some new hiking friends, whose life experiences may be different from mine, but who share the same enthusiasm for the outdoors and exploring our beautiful, natural environment.
In this way, the Hearts for Sight and Sierra Club partnership does the important work of building bridges of understanding, connection, and community.
Below are some links with more information on the Hearts for Sight hiking program here in the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter. If you’re in LA or Orange County, please come out and be a sighted guide! If you’re outside of the region, I hope you’ll consider establishing this wonderful hiking program in your community.
For More Information check out the Links:
Hiking with Hearts for Sight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw_4Humd7zA
Hearts for Sight Website: https://heartsforsightfoundation.org/