Six motorized wheelchairs and one companion on foot rolled down the dirt paths of Mary S. Young Park on Sunday, Aug. 16, navigating roots, slopes and soft ground while two dogs named Lillie and Cutie trotted alongside.

The outing was a weekly adventure organized by Oregon Wheelchair Hiking, a group that has grown from four friends in 2020 to more than 600 members on Facebook. The group's leader, Franklin Ouchida, personally scouts and vets every trail before bringing the crew out, OregonLive reported.

West Linn's 128-acre park along the Willamette River offers about two miles of wheelchair-friendly trails, including the partly paved Riverside Loop and the paved Trillium Trail, according to the city's parks page. The park is open 7 a.m. to dusk daily at 19900 Willamette Drive.

Heidi Austin, who has cerebral palsy and has used a wheelchair her entire life, faced a sloped dirt trail leading to the water's edge. Her custom-seated motorized chair is front-heavy, so she spun around and guided it down in reverse.

"I've done a lot that I didn't know I could do since joining Franklin's group," Austin told OregonLive. "I love being out here."

Ouchida, who is also president of the Social Advocacy Network of Disability and a docent at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, has used a wheelchair for 15 years following a vaccination complication that triggered an autoimmune disorder. He has worked with local governments and parks departments to improve trail accessibility, addressing barriers as small as a single curb that can mark a dead end for a wheelchair user. He keeps a tug rope on hand in case someone gets stuck or tips over.

Vanessa Rice, 29, was diagnosed with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease and has used a wheelchair since age 18. She joined the group in 2023 and was testing a new teal-colored chair with beefier wheels and stronger batteries at the Aug. 16 outing, allowing her to handle the terrain more easily than before, according to OregonLive's account.

Josiah Morrow, one of the original four members who started hiking together in 2020, uses a traditional wheelchair fitted with off-road tires and a motorized single-wheel attachment that locks into the front. He has been using a wheelchair for nearly 14 years.

When winter weather makes trails impassable, the group shifts to shopping malls and indoor spaces. But the weekly rhythm stays constant.

The hikes are open to anyone, with or without a disability. Upcoming outings, including trail details and what to expect, are posted to the Oregon Wheelchair Hikers Facebook group.

Mary S. Young Park was gifted to the public in 1973 by Mary Scarborough Young with the stipulation it remain a natural area. Residents interested in joining the next wheelchair hike can find the group on Facebook or call West Linn Parks & Recreation at 503-557-4700 for trail accessibility information.