Father's pet project now helps hundreds of disabled people hit the trails


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LOGAN — LJ Wilde's efforts to help his daughter Luci stay on the trail have now grown into a full-blown business. It all started when Luci grew out of her riding backpack.

"She was born with a rare genetic condition," Wilde said. "She's essentially a paraplegic, unable to walk on her own."

Workers at Huckleberry Hiking building Cascade Carts at the workshop.
Workers at Huckleberry Hiking building Cascade Carts at the workshop. (Photo: Mike Anderson, KSL-TV)

Refusing to change his family's outdoor lifestyle, Wilde went to work, using his skills as an engineer by trade to build a solution. What he came up with was essentially a multi-terrain wheelchair that could be strapped to the waist of the person pulling it.

It's now known as the "Cascade Cart."

"We started meeting people everywhere we went," Wilde explained. "We met dozens of people who were interested in it and thought it was a great thing for what we did."

LJ Wilde and Luci using the Cascade Cart to enjoy the outdoors together.
LJ Wilde and Luci using the Cascade Cart to enjoy the outdoors together. (Photo: Mike Anderson, KSL-TV)

Now, a hundred pre-orders later, Wilde's company, Huckleberry Hiking, sold its 1000th chair earlier this week.

"I wanted families to be able to go wherever they wanted to go up in the mountains," Wilde said. "And what I didn't realize though, is just how many people hungered for that, like I did."

Wilde said that state parks in Alabama and Wyoming have since caught on to the idea too, purchasing the Cascade Carts to place at trailheads.

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Mike Anderson, KSL-TVMike Anderson
Mike Anderson often doubles as his own photographer, shooting and editing most of his stories. He came to KSL in April 2011 after working for several years at various broadcast news outlets.

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