Saranac Lake man with cerebral palsy walks Adirondack Rail Trail, one step at a time

This story originally appeared in the Adirondack Explorer and North Country Public Radio.

Tom Techman is used to adjusting his pace.

While hiking, that can mean grinding through an uphill slope, slowing down when his body needs a break, or stopping to enjoy the scenery.

On a recent morning outside Meadowbrook Campground in Ray Brook, Techman put his pacing skills to the test, beginning the second leg of his journey to walk the entire Adirondack Rail Trail from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake.

Outfitted with a hydration pack and his trusty trekking poles, he took on the 4.81-mile stretch of trail destined for the Saranac Lake Union Depot, settling into a steady rhythm along the crushed-stone path.

“The feeling is like autopilot,” he said. “I hope I’ve got enough reserves.”

Techman, 56, has cerebral palsy, which affects his mobility and balance when he walks. He moved from Albany to Saranac Lake in 2012, where he’s an active singer and songwriter in the region’s music scene.

When the first stretch of the Adirondack Rail Trail opened in 2023, Techman made walking on it part of his routine. He said the trail gives him something he does not always have when strolling around town: the freedom to move without people assuming he needs help.

“The reason why I go on the rail trail is that at least people won’t be stopping, going, ‘You want a ride?’” he said.

On the trail, Techman can move at his own pace, which can change day to day. He said his decision to walk the entire trail comes from a desire to inspire others to push past their physical and mental limitations.

“One of the pipe dreams of walks like this is to get people to sit down and realize ‘I’ve still got stuff in the tank,” Techman said. “I still could do something like this. Create it for me, and I’ll do it.’”

Planning the 34-mile trek

Techman was not walking all 34 miles at once. He is tackling the trail in sections with help from Gloria Volz, who manages some of his recreational activities through the Adirondack Arc.

Before Techman’s walk on Aug. 30, Volz helped organize the trip’s logistics, breaking the trail into manageable sections. She also coordinated volunteers to shuttle Techman to and from trailheads and arranged for groups of walkers to accompany Tom on each stretch of trail.

The plan was to complete the 34-mile trail in seven sections, ending on Sep. 19 to coincide with Techman’s birthday.

“I just want this really to raise awareness for Tom and people with disabilities,” said Volz. “We all have things that might stop us from hiking this whole trail, or riding this whole trail. Tom is showing you that that can be overcome.”

Pursuing accessible trails

The rail trail’s design is part of what makes Techman’s journey along it possible. The flat surface, wide width and gentle grade of every mile of trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake comply with guidelines set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

According to a study conducted by the Adirondack Land Trust, the rail trail accounts for more than two-thirds of all accessible pedestrian trails within the Blue Line.

Julia Goren, executive director of the Adirondack Rail Trail Association (ARTA), said Techman is the first person she has heard of who is attempting to walk the entire trail while navigating a mobility disability.

She said Techman’s approach to the trip is also an example of the kind of planning that can make ambitious outdoor goals possible.

“He’s done this exactly the way that we hope people who have big plans, whether they’re hiking all of the 46 [High Peaks] in umpteen hours or walking the rail trail, the kind of planning that you hope people will do,” Goren said.

Goren said ARTA is also looking at ways to make the rail trail even more accessible. Following state Department of Environmental Conservation guidelines from the Adirondack Rail Trail unit management plan, Goren’s team has added wayfinding signage to denote mileage and traffic crossings along the trail. She said she also wants to increase the number of accessible portable toilets, as well as add benches in population centers and flat rocks for seating in sections of the trail in the backcountry.

Goren said the hope is that expanding amenities along the trail will encourage more widespread use, especially for people with disabilities.

“They have just as much right to a recreational opportunity as anybody without mobility challenges,” she said.

Finding his pace

During his journey along the trail, Techman stopped to greet the occasional passing jogger or bicyclist. He also took breaks to enjoy the calm stretches, pausing to look out into wetland vistas and inspect milkweed leaves for emerging monarch butterflies.

Techman said those breaks are important to the bigger picture: keeping his stamina up and staying ready for what’s ahead.

“I’ve had to adjust my pace off and on, but I just expect that,” he said.

While he can anticipate hydration and energy needs, Techman said some of the obstacles that come with a long walk are less predictable. He said he is prepared to handle himself if something goes wrong, such as tripping on a downed branch or falling on an uneven patch of gravel.

“There’s no training involved in how to step over things, and what to do if you do fall, how to get back up,” he said. “A lot of times you’re not hurt, but you sure look like you’re hurt when you can’t get up.”

After about three hours and just under five miles, Techman reached the train depot in Saranac Lake, where his companions on the day’s journey surrounded him in cheers and applause.

Even with many miles and hours of walking ahead, Techman said finishing each section gives him another reminder that he is capable of taking on the next.

“It means that I’m not done,” he said. “It means that there’s more in the tank.”