Ferdinand Lauffer and the author on a tandem bicycle. Photograph courtesy the author.

“One, two, three, go!”

With that command, I told Ferdinand Lauffer, the sighted captain of my tandem bicycle, to mount the bike in unison with me in my position as stoker, or second rider, and start pedaling. It was June 10, 2023, and we were on the first day of a two-day, 93-mile ride across northern Vermont from Swanton in the northwest corner to St. Johnsbury in the Connecticut River Valley. Our ride was along the newly completed Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT), the longest rail trail in New England. Because some sections had only been recently opened, we were among the earliest riders to traverse the entire trail, which runs through 18 communities.

Ferdinand and I were riding the trail to benefit New England Ski for Light (NESFL), an all-volunteer organization that provides sighted guides for blind or visually impaired individuals who want to participate in outdoor recreational sports such as cross-country skiing, hiking, kayaking, or cycling (for more information, see nesfl.org). In addition to the cycling, I wanted to record all the bird species that I heard along the route.