Through the Darkness: Seth Dahl recounts his experience with TRR
You may recognize the name Seth Dahl as the person who took some amazing photos and created a video for our 2016 Montana Outtasight Clinic. Seth discusses in more detail the veterans he met and his time with TRR on the water.
“It was at Walter Reed in 2005 when U.S. Army infantry veteran Mackay Mathiason urged Mornini to start a program in Mathiason’s home state of Montana. With few rocks choking the rapids and numerous access points, Mathiason said the Yellowstone River was the ideal waterway to learn basic kayak skills. The program that followed aligned sighted wounded-veteran guides with their visually impaired comrades.
“That is the ultimate act of trust: sending [blind kayakers] down a class three [rapid] on your voice commands,” says Mathiason, who today lives in Billings, Montana, and runs a custom metal fabrication shop with his wife, Leslie. “Once you establish that trust, the rest is cake.”
