Battling heat and wildfire smoke along Highway 530 outside of Darrington, Tuesday, Ian Mckay was ready for his odyssey to be over.
"I've been on the road for 10 days. We're happy to be getting home soon," he said.
Mckay hit the road August 12 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho headed for his home in Port Angeles. He planned a two-week, 500-mile journey across deserts and mountains -- all in his wheelchair.
Mckay, 36, was paralyzed from the neck down ten years ago during a cycling accident.
With a small support team, he is blazing a trail for the disabled in Washington -- in a motorized wheelchair -- at 7 miles an hour.
His mission is to show how difficult it is for people in wheelchairs to go where everybody else goes.
"We need to consider all abilities, not just vehicles," said Mckay. "We need to focus on the person more. It could be a mom with a stroller, it could be a cyclist, or it could be a guy in a wheelchair."
Mckay is pushing Washington legislators to expand trail systems across the state to better connect the disabled.
"It isn't about people in wheelchairs being able to travel across the state," he said. "It's about getting to a grocery store or work."
Along the way, Mckay faced some dangerous situations.
"We had this big rig come by. He must've passed within 6 inches of me. It was really terrifying," he said.
Mckay intentionally took "the high road" on his trip -- crossing through the North Cascades via Highway 20.
As a quadriplegic, he can't control his body temperature by sweating or shivering.
Crossing from deserts to snow-capped mountains, Mckay spent parts of the trip alternating between hypothermia and heat stroke.
"He's tougher than I would be," said Mckay's mom, Teena, who is one of the members of his support crew. "I worry, but I have to let him do it. It's his thing."
Mckay said he expects to complete his journey on Friday with an arrival in Port Angeles. He hopes he can inspire others to join him in defying their disabilities
"I think it's important to do what you love and don't let your ability hold you back from that," he said.
You can follow Ian Mckay's journey here.
