Sighted guide, Chris Price, assists visually impaired participant, Adam Rowland, back to their kayaks during the 2016 Outtasight Clinic held on the Yellowstone River.
THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER FLOWS WITH A STEADY
and natural pull, undisturbed for 692 miles. It’s the longest undammed river in the Lower 48 and a highlight of the region. It doesn’t discern between sighted recreationalists and those who see only the scars that war leaves behind. And neither do the residents of Paradise Valley. “When I think about that community,” Bedwell says, “I think about the peacefulness of the valley and the acceptance of the people. They’re constantly thanking us for our service and they never treat us like we’re blind.” The Outtasight Clinic, which now has branches in Florida, Michigan and North Carolina, is a platform for recovery; a program for personal growth. For a moment in time, a kayak and a river offer veterans freedom from their dark worlds. Carried by the Yellowstone’s wild and free current, these vets push into the darkness one paddle stroke at a time. At the takeout, their grins and stories shatter misconceptions of what is possible. Raised in Great Falls, Montana, Seth Dahl served in Iraq with the 1-163rd Infantry Battalion. He currently lives in Boise, Idaho, where he shoots and edits videos and short documentary films under his company name, Big Cedar Media. Watch the TRR Outtasight kayak video at bigcedarmedia.com. This article is dedicated to the four service members killed in the IED explosion that blinded Mike Malarsie: Sergeant Joshua Lengstorf, Specialist Brian Bowman, Private John Dion, and Senior Airman Brad Smith.
M T O U T L AW. C O M / MOUNTAIN
83