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My wife Diana and I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. We have a 19-year-old son Daniel.
For many years we served at a mission school in Mexico, where I taught Industrial Arts, hiked in the mountains and enjoyed life to
the fullest.
I continued serving in Mexico for another 10 years, driving more than 270,000 miles in an adapted van.
For 15 years I explored many places in my trusty Meyra chair. But it finally wore out, and I needed a way to continue exploring the great
outdoors!
In the winter of 2002 I went to Nor-Cal Mobility in Chico,
CA to discuss details of a new van being modified for
me.
That’s where I saw a TracAbout for the first time. I knew that was the chair I
had to have!
Terrence McElveney
demonstrated it for me. I didn’t
even give it a test drive that day – I already knew this was exactly what I
needed!
Jack Meintsma brought a demo chair for me to test-drive on our 100 acres of forested hills. I was delighted!
During the summer of 2002 we traveled across the U.S. in our new van to visit relatives in Maine. Coming back, we stopped
in Kansas.
We met Lloyd Wolfe, innovator of the TracAbout, at
the factory in Newton. He spent
many hours showing us how
their machines are built and what they
can do.
I really wanted to take one home with
me!
Eventually the details were worked out, and I was able to take it back home to California! I was
thrilled!
Arriving in California, we headed for the Sierras and began exploring the huge granite rock slopes of the Rubicon Trail.
Jeepers stopped and stared in disbelief – what was that strange contraption, and how did it get out on their turf?!
The TracAbout plows through tall grass and easily gets me through the swampy areas without getting stuck or
damaging the ecology.
Summer fun!
Up the California coast among tall redwood groves,
navigating the Eel river rocks gave me a very bumpy ride! This machine could
use shock absorbers!
Other power chairs spin out on these steep gravel trails, but the TracAbout glides up so easily. Diana’s happy because she doesn’t have to push this chair – she lets it pull her up
the hill instead!
O.K., I know I’m not supposed to go in places like this! But this chair is so stable, even when my son tried to tilt it
forward, it didn’t come near tipping over. So he let go and I made it safely to the bottom.
I couldn’t resist going out when it snowed. This amazing machine with smooth tracks actually went up this 20% grade
above our house!
Going uphill went well until I stopped. Then I began to ski backwards
down the hill!
My dad, an old logger and tractor driver had to try it too. His only complaint: “It’s too quiet –
this thing should be going clank-clank-clank like my Caterpillar!”
The congregation and kids watched in suspense as I carefully climbed onto car ramps on
the church platform.
They gasped in surprise as the TracAbout tilted sideways, crossed a 12-inch gap, and went safely down the other side.
Back at home, I had a strong urge to get outside and do some useful work. My son Daniel hooked up a mower to the seat
back.
Right away I began cutting grass in our yard – my first real outdoor work since becoming paralyzed more than 16 years
before.
It felt so good to be doing useful outdoor work again! And while mowing, I discovered my constant burning pain was
completely gone!
I mowed our yard, orchard, walking paths, firebreaks through the forest – TracAbout mower therapy was just what I
needed!
Some areas needed to be leveled, which was easily done by pulling a weighted pallet behind the TracAbout.
In late summer we followed a creekbed and a jeep trail to
visit the ruins of an abandoned resort lodge deep in the mountain forest.
A huge lodge, built in the 1920’s, once stood amid the tall trees. The same location in the
picture below shows thick forest where the lodge used to
be. Only the ancient pear trees remain, still bearing sweet
fruit! There’s good blackberry picking
here too!
In March, 2003 we organized
and led a Mission Trip group to the mountains of
Chiapas in south Mexico.
After driving 3,600 miles from California, we slipped and slid
on rough muddy narrow mountain
roads to the remote village of San
Lorenzo.
Our group of 60 volunteers participated in construction, dental and medical projects in this remote Chamula Indian
village.
These Chamula ladies spend an entire month embroidering their native blouses. They had never seen
such an odd machine!
While exploring the jungle trails, the
TracAbout was nearly
swallowed up by thick
vegetation and crowds of
curious kids!
Gliding along the dry sandy beach was so easy, the ride
so soft, and it was really special to be on the beach
without getting stuck!
I’m proud to tell anyone
who will listen:
TracAbout has taken
me to places no
wheelchair was ever
intended to go!
Diana, Fred & Daniel Adams – a family very grateful to the folks at TracAbout for enhancing
our quality of life!
I do have some special requests for improving my TracAbout experience:
•A smoother ride
•Longer battery life
•Tracks that don’t derail
•A dozer blade in front
•Trailer hitch and trailer in back
•Mechanical arm with attachments for pruning trees, cutting firewood, etc.
•Another mechanical arm to load firewood, mulch, etc. into trailer
•I could think of a few other things, but this is a good start!
Fred Adams
3060 Lawyer Dr.
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 642-9441
[email protected] July, 2004