Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV
“4 Wheel Bob” tells the story of Bob Coomber, an intrepid adventurer who sets out to be the first wheelchair hiker to cross the 11,845 foot Kearsarge Pass in the Sierra Nevada. Bob grew up in Piedmont, California, amid a family of avid backpackers. In his early twenties, he began training to become a police officer, but one day, while hiking in the Sierra he tripped and, as he says, “my leg exploded into a thousand pieces.” This was the beginning of a long struggle related to juvenile diabetes and subsequent osteoporosis, and he now must use a wheelchair to get around. After a period of severe depression, Bob recovered and adopted a philosophy of “no excuses,” leading to years of ambitious wheel chair hiking to get his health back.
Kearsarge Pass is a classic high approach into the Eastern Sierra, ten miles north of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the Lower Forty-eight. The famously steep and prolonged trail to the Pass unfolds with Kings Canyon National Park providing the dramatic backdrop.
For Bob in his wheelchair, this adventuring is fraught with danger. He must deal continually with altitude sickness and the threat of diabetic coma, not to mention possible fatal or crippling falls in the steep terrain. The path is often blocked with shattered granite, and Bob must turn his wheelchair backward in order to push uphill using only his arms. Going downhill has its own hazards; the trail is narrow, and his wheels often skid on the loose rock. We gain an intimate, foot-by-foot familiarity with Bob’s herculean effort and with some of the most perilous sections of the famous trail.
Away from the Sierra, Bob is an advocate for the disabled in his beloved Northern California. He takes groups from the wheelchair-bound community as well as war veterans on local hikes, teaching about ecology, animal and plant life, and ways to navigate in the wilderness. California’s state parks include about 3,000 miles of trails – 80 of the state’s 280 parks have significant trail systems.
However, federal and state funding cuts have taken a sorry toll on the parks. Anti-tax measures, such as 1978’s Prop 13, have further reduced the level of service. Finding them less welcoming and less well maintained, California’s citizens use the parks less, becoming more sedentary in the process.
Bob is an ardent spokesman for the parks, along with being an experienced and thoughtful outdoorsman. He serves on the Livermore City Council, consulting on accessibility issues and working closely with officials to extend and maintain the trail system. In concert with Bob, the District recently released an online accessibility guide that provides information about grade, cross slope, tread width, and notable hazards on its trails. This story of overcoming immense obstacles will inspire us to look at our own self-imposed limitations and perhaps reach beyond what we think is possible.
The film is available for purchase
Join The Conversation:
"4 Wheel Bob" is on Facebook + @4WheelBobmovie on Twitter #4wheelbobmovie
Follow Bob Coomber @Mr4WheelBob on Twitter
Credits:
A Tritone Films production. Produced and Directed by Tal Skloot. Advisor: Gail Silva. Writer and mountaineering advisor: Robert Roper. Co-Cinematographer: Steve Patapoff. Co-Editor: Steven Baigel. Sound Editor: E. Larry Oatfield. Composer: Barry Phillips. Distributed by American Public Television.
