SUMMIT COUNTY — To Scott Smiley, Colorado mountains are the crunching of snow underneath his shoes, the scent of pine needles, the chirping of birds and the feel of fresh, alpine air on his skin.
Because the military veteran and instructor is blind, what he doesn’t see is the whiteness of snow or the sight of towering peaks, until guide Eric Alexander describes the rugged mountains.
“I still think it’s one of the most beautiful things,” Smiley said.
Smiley and Marty Bailey both fought for the U.S. Army in Iraq, where they lost their sight — Smiley to a car bomb and Bailey to a grenade explosion.
Read more of Blinded Army officers train in Summit County for Denali summit at vaildaily.com.
