On March 24, six clients from the Tahoe Ability Program snowshoed 2 miles at Chickadee Ridge and ate their lunch with a view of Lake Tahoe. But that wasn’t all. There was surprise hot cocoa for everyone. And then, of course, there were the chickadees! At the closing circle, participants shared their favorite parts – The views, the cocoa, and the birds were all mentioned, along with the friendships, support and the beautiful day.
Tahoe Ability Program (TAP) creates community inclusion, fosters independence and promotes progress for people with developmental disabilities. ICO and TAP started talking in the fall of 2025 about partnering to take participants on outdoor adventures. TAP Staff Mariah O’Shaughnessy, Loren McCormac and Asher Pitskey attended the Reno ICO Outdoor Leadership Training Retreat in December 2026. After the training, they completed their other Trip Leader requirements, including first aid.
Mariah led the trip as a provisional leader. Loren and Asher were assistant ICO leaders – They applied their ICO outdoor leadership skills by using Reno ICO’s stoves to make and provide hot cocoa. Mariah, Loren, and Asher were supported by TAP staffers Jade Conner and Chloe Morfett. Along with assisting participants with snowshoes, keeping the group together and assisting participants with special needs, Reno ICO Chair joined the trip and approved Mariah as a fully certified ICO leader.
In her trip report, Mariah wrote, “The most notable moment for me as a trip leader was the group's ability to pivot when needed. We have people going at different paces, and everyone was very cognizant of each other and making sure no one was too far behind. Additionally, when one participant made a switch to shoe trax versus snowshoes, the group was supportive and positive about the transition.”
Congratulations to the stalwart participants and the staff for such a successful trip. And kudos to Mariah for becoming a fully certified Sierra Club ICO Outings Leader. Last week, TAP and ICO planned a summer backpacking trip. And we are looking forward to more snowshoeing, backpacking, and even some camping trips for 2027
