Casper Mountain Lions Club Summer Update

CASPER, WY – Five decades ago, the Casper Mountain Lions Club built Wyoming’s first trail designed for people with visual impairments. Since then, the Lee McCune Braille Trail on Casper Mountain has provided outdoor experiences that connect people with nature, serving as a lasting symbol of community compassion and innovative thinking.

To celebrate this milestone, Lions Club members invite everyone to join them on Casper Mountain for a free, special outdoor event featuring presentations and Braille Trail guided tours on Saturday, July 19, from 4-6:30 p.m. 

The 50th anniversary celebration will begin at the Casper Mountain Trails Center with a special presentation and speakers from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m.A complimentary shuttle service will be available to assist visitors from the Center to the Braille Trail for guided trail tours from 4:30 to 6:30, highlighting the trail’s historical significance and recent improvements. People will experience firsthand how the trail's design makes outdoor recreation accessible to all.

Open seasonally, the Lee McCune Braille Trail offers a short scenic hike with limited public parking off Strube Loop. People attending the July 19 celebration are asked to park at the newly built Casper Mountain Trail Center (former site of the Nordic Center) on Casper Mountain. 

The accessible Braille Trail is marked with ropes and features signage written in both Braille and print. More than just a path through the forest, it embodies the community's commitment to ensuring everyone can experience the beauty of Casper Mountain. While designed for those who are blind or visually impaired, the trail is open seasonally to everyone. 

Built by the Casper Mountain Lions Club and the field science students of Casper in 1975, the trail stands as a testament to the vision of the late Ed Strube, whose dedication to accessibility and inclusion was instrumental in creating Wyoming's first trail for the blind. Lions members will honor Strube’s enduring legacy during the 50th anniversary celebration.

Speakers on July 19 who will present a short history include Maria Katherman and Lion Bryon Lussier. Katherman, an assistant with field science instructors Ed Strube and Dana Van Burgh, worked with Strube on the trail’s planning and design. Lussier, a longtime Casper Mountain Lion's Club member, was involved in the original Braille Trail construction. 

The Casper Mountain Lions Club will station its members along the trail to provide information about the trail's history, highlight recent improvements such as new walking bridges, and answer questions about ongoing accessibility initiatives in the area.

For more information about the 50th anniversary, contact Ted Graf, Casper Mountain Lions Club secretary, at 307-259-3719. To learn more about the Casper Mountain Lions Club, visit the Casper Mountain Lions Club Facebook page.

About the Lee McCune Braille Trail 

Located on Casper Mountain, the Lee McCune Braille Trail was established in 1975, thanks to the vision of Ed Strube. The trail features tactile elements and audio descriptions that make outdoor recreation accessible to individuals with visual impairments, while providing an educational experience for all visitors about accessibility and inclusion.

Facebook hyperlink to Lee McCune Braille Trail

https://www.facebook.com/brailletrail/

 About the Casper Mountain Lions Club

The Casper Mountain Lions Club is part of Lions Clubs International, the world's largest service club organization. It is dedicated to serving the Casper community through service projects, with a special focus on vision-related causes and accessibility initiatives. 

Facebook hyperlink for Casper Mountain Lions Club https://www.facebook.com/caspermtnlions

The Casper Mountain Lions Club meets at 6 p.m. the first three Mondays of each month, October-May, at the Ramkota, 800 N. Poplar St., Casper. Members meet on Casper Mountain to work on the Braille Trail from June to August.

Donations to the Casper Mountain Lions Club are welcome through GoFundMe 

For a history of the trail, go to "A SHARED VISION."

On December 3, 2024, the Casper Mountain Lions Club delivered 60 turkeys to Holy Cross Center Food Bank in North Casper.

Pictured is Crystal Jensen, Walmart Department Manager, who came in on her day off to have the turkeys ready for delivery this morning. Also pictured are Lion Bob Porter and Vivian Graf, a former employee of Wal-Mart who helped arrange the project. Lion Joe Koenig, a volunteer of Holy Cross Food, is pictured wheeling in the part of the donation.