Waypoint Adventure

Missed our newsletter in your inbox? We’ve got you covered! 📧You can find it at the link in our bio, where you can also sign up for future updates.

Here’s what’s inside:
Our brand new sunset kayaking video from the Waypoint Adventure Club 🌅

Why Waypoint Adventure endorses Protect Water and Nature Yes on 6 this Election Day 🗳️

The Stio Boston Mountain Studio® Season Kickoff Party on Thurs, Nov 5th, with a fantastic raffle and ski packages supporting Waypoint Adventure (come out!) ⛷️

Recruitment for our Leaders-in-Training 2027 cohort, building confidence and leadership through outdoor adventure 🌱

Upcoming adventures to get involved in, and more 🍂

Check it out!

Adam, an alum of our Leaders-in-Training program, won a private guided trip in our Climb-a-Thon raffle! He spent it exploring Belle Isle Marsh, a gem right in his own neighborhood he’d been hoping to get out and enjoy. And enjoy it he did, alongside longtime volunteer Chao (one of the best adventure companions out there, if we do say so ourselves) 🌾

Adam has been with us since Waypoint’s early days, and it’s been such a joy to watch his love of adventure grow as he keeps challenging himself and discovering new places with us 💚
 
Private lessons and guided trips are built around you. Maybe there’s a skill you’re looking to develop, or a spot you’ve always wanted to check off your bucket list with the right supports in place. Either way, we’ll plan the day around what matters to you. Tap the link in our bio to plan your own adventure!
 

At Project Adventure, Merrimac Heights Academy students shared their fall favorites and together chose “finding the sun” as their theme for the chilly morning, soaking up every bit of warmth they could. After the Triangle Traverse and the high Multivine Traverse, we wrapped up on Whale Watch, a giant balance seesaw, where everyone learned that very small changes can make a huge impact 🐋

Per Diem Louisa tabled for Waypoint at the Friends of the Blue Hills Sunset Hike and Hilltop Concert on Great Blue Hill in the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Blue Hills Reservation. It was a joy to connect with so many new folks 🌇

Once a leader, always a leader! Alumni from several years of our Leaders-in-Training program reunited for a hike at Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Middlesex Fells Reservation 🥾

Students from Shrewsbury RISE explored resilience at Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadow. We talked about finding a way forward when things don’t go as planned, and students practiced encouraging each other as they stretched their comfort zones 🙌

The Waypoint Wanderers, our young adult hiking meetup group, enjoyed a crisp fall adventure along the Cochituate Rail Trail 🍂

A class from Somerville Public Schools, MA Kennedy School hiked Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Middlesex Fells with a focus on perseverance. After exploring Panther Cave, we made it up to Wright’s Tower for lunch with views toward the Boston skyline. Students looked out for each other the whole way and even pitched in to push our backup Vipamat by eqwal Hippocampe 💪

We were so glad to support the Knobby Tire Ride and Roll and Roll at Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Harold Parker State Forest, part of New England Mountain Bike Association North Shore’s Wicked Ride of the East. We brought our two Bowhead Corp | Adaptive MTB Rogue adaptive mountain bikes along for a day where riders with and without disabilities shared the trails, with all proceeds supporting Empower SCI 🚵

Did you know Great Blue Hill is the highest point in Greater Boston? ⛰️

Our friends from William E. Carter School know the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Blue Hills well, and last Thursday they added a big first to the list. They became the first Boston Public Schools Carter School class to reach the summit with us! Right in the middle of peak leaf-peeping season no less, with peak smiles all around 🍂

The right support turns a “maybe” into “let’s go.” This class was all about the “let’s go,” and made it all the way to the top!

Huge thanks to the amazing teachers and staff at William E. Carter School who work alongside us to build these adventures around their students’ goals. That teamwork turns into teamwork on the way up, and we can’t wait to get back out there together!

👇

We went backpacking with The Guild for Human Services at Tully Lake Campground. It was the first time camping for a lot of the group and the Guild staff too, so that was a big win! Our goal was resilience and this group showed it on the trail 🏕️

The Waypoint Wanders rode the Charles River path and spent the afternoon practicing trust with their tandem partners, learning to rely on each other and be reliable in return 🤝

We hiked around Bellevue Pond in Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Middlesex Fells through our partnership with DCR Universal Access Program. Senior Program Coordinator Rob had us pausing to talk about the area’s granite quarry history.

We battled some wind on our DCR Universal Access Program canoe program at Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Whitehall State Park, which made for great boat handling practice 🛶

Adventure one of nine with Merrimac Heights Academy was all about becoming a team so we could become a community. We played Human Bingo, tried two teamwork challenges called the Trolley and the Space Portal, and every student set a personal goal just outside their comfort zone for the series.

We also celebrated our Deputy Director Raeann’s birthday with takeout from her favorite Thai spot 🥳

Digital Media Lead Nikki joined Monday’s kickoff meeting for the 2027 Bank of America Boston Marathon® Official Charity Program at the BofA office downtown. Applications for Team Waypoint Adventure are due 10/19 🦄

Proud to be part of this awesome event again this year 🚵

Learn more about how you can get out there:
https://knobby-tire.squarespace.com

Join us on October 25th at Harold Parker State Forest in Andover for the annual New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) Wicked Ride of the East! Our Knobby Tire Ride and Roll will be there with multiple adaptive sports vendors (Waypoint Adventure and Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers) for some sweet off-road trail riding. We will be running two group rides, chill and thrill, with the chance for some extra gnarly single track if you want to test your abilities.

aMTBers
You'll need to register as a rider to ride that day: register here: https://www.ultracamp.com/info/sessiondetail.aspx?idCamp=1451&campCode=83L&idSession=592071

Bikes are limited so it is first come first served: get your info in and register now to let us know what type of ride you'd like to try out.

This event is now a part of our Empower Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Inc Pathways Events, which Empower SCI does not require payment for, however there is a $20 fee for adaptive MTBers to ride as part of the Wicked Ride of the East - funds collected will go towards the New England Mountain Bike Association.

If you're interested in riding and need financial support to attend, please reach out to Carrie at [email protected].

Volunteers
We need help with event set-up and breakdown, Ride Guides, and Transfer Helpers. If you are interested in helping with any or all of these please sign up here: https://volunteersignup.org/EYCH4

Spread the word!!!
Share this event and invite someone you think would be interested in this event! We are super stoked to be continuing this awesome event and hope you can come to share the trails with us!

Your Knobby Tire Organizers,
Carrie CallahanTom Spellman Ryan DeRoche Lauren Kling Zoe Norcross

Waypoint Adventure is proud to join 100+ organizations endorsing Question 6. Access to nature should belong to everyone in Massachusetts, including people with disabilities 🌳

Question 6 creates a dedicated Nature for All Fund, providing up to $100 million each year for land and water conservation across the Commonwealth. It doesn't raise taxes or create a new one. It dedicates the state sales tax we pay on sporting goods like camping gear, golf clubs, and fishing equipment.

It means cleaner drinking water, protected forests and farms, and more green spaces for everyone to explore.

Join tonight's webinar at 7pm to learn more, then vote Yes on November 3rd!

RSVP for the Nature for All webinar at bit.ly/Q6-webinar

Tonight at 7 PM! Join our statewide campaign webinar to learn how Question 6 protects clean drinking water, local parks, and natural spaces without raising taxes. RSVP now: bit.ly/Q6-webinar

Thank you WWLP-22News for sharing! Fall adventures are on the calendar, and we are proud to partner with DCR Universal Access Program for our open enrollment programs 🍂

Join us as a participant, volunteer, or donor this season! Get involved:
https://ma.waypointadventure.org/get-involved/

Gov. Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation have announced the return of the state’s Universal Access Program, offering adaptive outdoor recreation opportun…

We want to take a moment to thank the sponsors who are making our 2026 Climb-a-Thon possible!

Summit 🏔️
Middlesex Savings Bank

Peak ⛰️
Boston Ability Center
Molina Healthcare

Crag 🪨
Auxzillium IT Services

Belay 🪢
Anne Kennedy
Cotting School
Needham Bank

Every one of these organizations chose to invest in experiences where people with disabilities challenge themselves to discover their purpose, talents, and strengths through the power of adventure. We are so grateful for each of them. Thank you all 💙

There is still time to be part of the Climb-a-Thon! Build your team for this Saturday, September 26th, at Central Rock Stoneham or make a donation toward our accessible adventure programs at the link in our bio.

We are going back to Boylston Street 🦄🏃

Waypoint Adventure is an Official Charity Partner of the 131st Boston Marathon®️ presented by Bank of America, and we are building our team for 2027.

The is built on determination, resilience, and inclusion. The same values that show up on every Waypoint Adventure program day. We cannot wait to be part of this race for our second year.

Last year, program fees paid by participants, families, and groups covered only 15% of what it actually costs to run our programs. The remaining 85% came from donors. As a Team Waypoint Adventure racer, every mile you run and every dollar you raise goes directly toward challenging people with disabilities to discover their purpose, talents, and strengths through the power of adventure.

26.2 miles. One team. A mission worth running for.

Applications are open now and close October 19th at noon. Do not wait on this one! Link in bio to apply 🔗

Know someone who should be on our team? Tag them below 👇

📧 Questions? Email [email protected]