By Sean Dolan, staff writer
Herald Journal
A new building is under construction on the slopes of Beaver Mountain to provide easy access for
people with disabilities to ski some of the best snow on Earth.
Common Ground Outdoor Activities, a local nonprofit, is an outdoor recreation group for people with
disabilities. The 23yearold organization holds around 350 activities a year for 3,200 people, often
putting on three or four events per day during the summer. They have a strong adaptive cycling
program, with 30 hand cycles, but they have struggled with their adaptive ski program.
Sammie Mcfarlane, executive director of Common Ground, said it is difficult to haul their specialized
ski equipment up Beaver Mountain four or five days a week and it was difficult to find space in the
lodge to make it accessible for their participants.
“We needed our own space,” Mcfarlane said.
Mcfarlane said the Seeholzers, owners of Beaver Mountain, have been incredible.
Marge Seeholzer has been watching the volunteers, employees and clients of Common Ground
bring their heavy equipment back and forth to town every time they come. Seeholzer said they have
been wanting to find space for the organization for years, and they kept looking at different places
and weighed their options and finally decided on a location for a new building.
“It’s pretty exciting that it’s now a reality,” Seeholzer said.
Common Ground accommodates people of all ages with a physical, cognitive or mental disability.
They have programs for U.S. military veterans with physical disabilities and PTSD. The organization
holds destination camping trips to the Arches National Park and Grand Teton National Park.
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