Eps, 3 talks about his new hiking dog and reviews new
hiking equipment while delivering his views and techniques on adaptive
hiking and camping for the disabled striving to get back into the
wilderness.
Once I had decided that I was not going to let my physical challenges get in the way of getting back out on the trail, I began to make a list of things I would have to change in order to keep hiking. Logic seem to suggest to me to start with the most painful aspects and work my way down. You know, the scary stuff. Like where to sit my butt down without sitting on the ground or stacking 50 lb rocks to a comfortable height. Neither of these seemed to be a viable solution.
Strange as it may sound, where I was going to sit became quite a big deal. When you're young and flexible the whole world seems a good place to sit. But it was obvious I needed something that would potentially lower pain levels, not increase them.
As I mentioned before, many a Through Hiker can be seen working their way up this side of the gap in August and September. By this point in their journey many have that glazed over look as if all they can see is the trail ahead of them. As they pray for the smoother trails they've all heard about in the states to the South, they seem to have little patience.
So often when I try to talk to Through Hikers about the gear they have been using, they can sometimes be cold and even rude. It's all good though. They are a little tired by this point on the trail, whether heading north or south.
However this is not always true. As is in the case of a bright young man I met on the trail named Thor.
Thor (Kirby THOR Timoney) had taken some time off of work to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail with his father. Thor was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about the hiking gear he and other hikers on the trail were using this year. Which included some very good Intel on the Sawyer Mini water filter I was using.
As in most relationships, the time you spend together is just as important as the time you spend apart. Especially when doing something as intense as hiking the entire Appalachian Trail together.
As only fate would have it, our chance meeting in itself was full of strange coincidences. I was hiking without my son who was very much on my mind on this journey. While Thor had found himself separating from his father when the elder felt the need to go into town to get coffee a day or so back. We both got a good chuckle out of how even though he thought he needed time alone, he had inevitably found himself hanging out with someone his father's age, while I in turn found myself hanging out with someone who was the same age as my son. We got an even bigger laugh when I told him, that I too would have gone into town for the coffee.
At first glance it would be perceived that this segment is about poison ivy. But in fact it is about relationships. The yen and yang that exists all around us, yet in such subtle ways that we as modern human beings often miss it. A modern blindness, if you will.
As a student of nature, I've been taught to recognize a beautiful irony in the plant world where cause and cure live side-by-side. And to understand this relationship is to understand how it all fit into the natural world. Everything has a reason to exist, even if we cannot instantly perceive it.
Our ancestors called this medicine. Yet today these teachings and remedies are relegated to the back pages of some obscure herb book and generally overlooked as New Age medicine, rendering them little more than magic tricks in the public's eyes.
But make no mistake. There is nothing New Age or magical about herbal medicine. In fact most pharmaceutical medications are based on an attempt to mimic the effects that already exist in nature itself. In an attempt to create a uniform dosage, often some of the healing properties that existed within the herbal plant medication is not transferred to the pharmaceutical application, often lessening its overall effectiveness.
After vowing to eliminate the aluminum in my Cook set, I went out looking for a set of stainless steel cups to switch out the old ones. But when I saw the Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set, I decided to take a chance on something a little different.
As a person camping with physical challenges, I try to keep it simple when cooking in the field. So I'm always looking for "simply add water" kinds of food to bring with me should I feel the need for a hot meal. However, in the summertime I'm usually happy to eat "as is" foods such as beef sticks, crackers, and so on. So in these warmer months I find little need to do more than heat water for coffee.
Although I was a little skeptical at the time I purchased this cook set. I must admit, I am very pleased with the Stanley Adventure Cook Set.
After only a short time in camp, heavy rains forced us to take cover for the night. Fortunately I had brought along the perfect device to help with the muggy and hot conditions inside the tent.
As TaSunka peacefully slept on, the sound of the rain hitting the tent soon lulled me to sleep as well.
Waking the following day to the sunshine and the birds singing, TaSunka and I could hardly wait to begin our day of playing together in the woods.
Just as in the old days when I hiked here at Lehigh Gap, Outerbridge shelter along the Appalachian Trail overlooking the Lehigh River is a very busy place. Besides the constant flow of day-hikers and weekenders like myself, In June and July, northbound through-hikers with dreams of reaching New York City before the Fourth of July fireworks can be seen intently working their way up the east side of Lehigh Gap. In August and September, it's scores of southbound through-hikers that can be found scrambling over the rocky terrain, hoping to reach the next dependable water source before it dries up for the season.
Regardless of which direction they were going, I found many of them using Sawyer water filters this year.
Considering Sawyer's extraordinarily low price, I was not surprised by the amount of people I found using both the Sawyer Mini filtration system and its big brother, the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System.
Based on the same technology that kidney dialysis machines used to filter blood, Sawyer water filters exceed EPA standards by effectively remove 99.9999% of bacteria and protozoa without using chemicals
~ After more than a year, it's great to be back on the trail again. Together with my new hiking buddy and trail dog TaSunka, I am determined to make up for some lost time.
Episode 3 was filmed over the course of two hikes covering the same territory. This was done in the hopes of bringing even more of my experiences into each episode than I had ever done previously.
The first trip took place in early September and is the basis for the narrative of this episode. However, the second hiking trip that I had scheduled with my good friend and cameraman Larry Deitch, was postponed for several weeks after my mother lost her battle with cancer. By the time Larry and I were able to get out on the trail again, a month had passed. Putting us well into the October hunting season here in Pa.
Although my mothers passing was devastating, this seemed to only further solidify in my mind what was to become the working title while I continued working on this episode. As indeed, all had once again proven to me that life is eternal change.
When filming past episodes, I was limited to what I was able to film on my own out in the wilderness. Even setting up the simplest of shots while on the move was an incredible burden. This method requires me to literally cover the same territory three times just to show you a single 20 second clip of us walking by with our packs on. As I'm sure you can imagine, there are times when I just could not pull this off on my own.
So when professional artist and photographer Larry Deitch offered to join the team and come along on one of my expeditions as a cameraman, I was a little self-conscious at first. I've always worked alone and as a naturally self-conscious amateur filmmaker and individual in general. I've always found a calmness when I am alone in the wilderness and interacting with an unmanned camera. I was afraid I would lose my nerve once somebody was standing behind that same camera.
Although I am still getting used to that feeling to some degree, it wasn't quite as bad as the butterflies in my stomach had made it out to be. And what Larry has brought to this project is priceless and proved to be a major contribution to this work. Many thanks to my brother-friend Larry Deitch for his many contributions to episode 3.
And now, without further delay I give you part 1 of Life Is Change, entitled, A New Friend.
Greetings Disabled hikers and Innovative Thinkers.
After my hiking dog S'iyo (She-yo) was diagnosed with a terminal heart condition. I felt it necessary to take a hiatus to care for my faithful hiking companion. Sadly he lost his battle with his condition
this past January 13, 2014.
S'iyo played a big part in allowing me access to the wilderness as both protector and companion. Knowing how much he loved our hikes together I could not imagine hanging up my hiking equipment for good. No sir. He never would have wanted that for sure.
Therefore in the spirit of remembering the good times past as well is anticipating the ones yet to come. I've begun the process of reediting episodes 1 and 2 (ie; the S'iyo episodes) into shorter clips creating a video library so that the information can be more easily accessed.
Episode 1 and 2 can still be found in their entirety at the following links.
The Disabled Hiker, shorts from eps-1, part-1. * Intro to Disabled Hiking.
is just a short introduction to not only my dog and myself but also gives a bit of insight into my packing list and the weight each item adds to my pack. Keeping it light is essential.
The Disabled Hiker, shorts from eps-1, part-2. * Rules for the Disabled Hiker
touches on a few of the basic considerations when planning your outing. It's important to be safe out there yet at the same time not leave loved ones behind worrying about where you got to or when you'd be back.
* The Rock Cairn Fireplace & * A few words on Bear Spray.
* The Rock Cairn Fire Place is a method of using flat rocks to not only protect the environment from the fire spreading but also protects the fire from wind and rain. It also promotes a more responsible fuel consumption by using a smaller amount of wood and allowing the heated rocks to do most of the work. oh yea, and of course by simply scattering the ashes and putting the extra rocks back in this method also protects the environment from those big ugly and over used fire pits found in almost every prime camp site across the land. (except the ones we keep secret that is aye.)
* A Few Words On Using Bear Spray gives a little insight into some info you might not find just hanging around the trails and hiking sites.
Be careful out there but for Pete sake get out there and enjoy the wild places.
*Pain Management is a very difficult subject for me. On all fronts. So i would like the present video to speak for me on this subject. And to simply tell anyone seeking "pain management" for extreme long-term pain that I wish you luck in your search.
*Hiking Partners covers the main reason why you should never hike alone. Anything can happen. Just by taking your dog with you it is adding a level of alertness to you on the trail as when you are worried about the next step you are taking. The last thing you want to worry about is walking unknowingly right up to a bear or worse down a steep hill. Think your "mutt" wont be smart enough? Think again. Even if they aren't Lassie or RinTinTin you'll be amazed at their ability's
*Hiking Safety and Comfort covers some tricks I've learned over the years for both man and dog aimed at letting wildlife from as large as a bear to as small as a snake know you are near. Allowing them plenty of time to get out of the way cause your coming threw. - It also covers ways to keep your dog comfortable while hiking. Especially in the cooler months or when hiking with an older dog.
* Bear Encounter #963 & the Birds That Laugh At You.
Shortly before dark a large black bear came right up to the edge of our camp before he noticed S'iyo and I were sitting there. He surprised us just as much as I only herd his last few footsteps at the edge of camp. For their size bear are incredibly stealthy. In fact some Indigenous tribes here used to call them ghosts because they were famous for seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
*S'iyo's sleeping bag became a necessity after seeing S'iyo shivering on our second hike together. It was an unusually cold summer with night teps that went down into the high 40's. At the time I opened up my bag and used it to blanket the both of us. But as usual my experiences get my mind going and the next thing you know, you have S'iyo's Sleeping Bag.
*My Hammock Pros & Cons focuses on one particular experience I had when using a hammock without putting up a tarp over it. Allowing wildlife to get a little closer than I would have liked.
The Disabled Hiker, short.eps-1, part-7 * My Home Made Stove & Cooking Set.
As my last installment in episode 1 I've had decades to "mess" with this one folks. (Pun fully intended. Ha-ha) But when it comes down to it, I don't like to cook out there any more than I like to cook at home. So why would I take my misery with me aye?
That's when I stared taking foods with me that I did not need to cook and even some I'd found that I could eat both raw or simply roasted over a flame. This cook set also allowed enough hot water capacity to heat 2 cups of water for those dehydrated meals you can purchase (Some have asked about that second tin cup..) But you will need another heat source to heat the second cup synonymously.
Nothing is better than finding out you have had an impact of some kind on someones life. And so it's become one of my favorite things to hear from folks who are inspired by my videos and/or my music.
Wildergimp is a organization that is doing great things for the disabled hikers in the great state of Florida including purchasing Trailrider one wheeled, two man driven carts that allow the disabled to go where no disabled has gone before. (Sorry, too much Star trek as a child.)
The people at Wildergimp have also been instrumental in change trail regulations to finally allow the disabled the enjoy what the Americans with Disability's act insures every American. > http://www.ada.gov/
The right to enjoy the wilderness. I mean come on. It's the 21st century. We should be floating folks up into the mountains on hover-carts by now. But as that's not possible yet, and thanks to these good people physically challenged folks are getting the opportunity to enjoy the wilderness. Some for the first time in their lives.
Stop by and check out the many good things they do.
In memory of the best Trail Dog, Protector, Companion, Teacher &
Student, Helper, and the best Co-Host and all around Best Friend Ever.
Forever loved, forever missed.
See you on the other side my Friend.
S'iyo S'unka. Oct, 2003 - Jan, 13, 2014. I had written 2/3 of this song after my Grandfather had taken the Journey (passed on) back in the 90's. Although I'd always considered it incomplete I still performed it from time to time. I always knew however that it was incomplete. So eventually I shelved the song and forgot about it altogether. It wasn't until S'iyo's last week with us that for some reason I pulled it out and begin working on it again. Only unlike in the past the words seem to flow through my pen like water through a sieve. In some ways when that happens I'm a little freaked out. Although it's one thing to have a song spill out of you in a matter of hours or even a day, to contemplate the finishing of a song for years yielding no results at all and then to pick it up a more than a decade down the road and finishing it in a matter of minutes can, well let's face it, be a little freaky. One must therefore wonder if those things are really ours in entirety. Did I write a song or did I simply collide with its interpretation of the universe first at one end and then the other. With a whole lot of living and learning to do in between. Perhaps I would not have been able to understand these words at that time. As if they were written in some foreign language and I'd just produced them all prior to knowing the language it was written in. In either case it is completed now. And I truly feel like I have come full circle. But as you know the circle doesn't end here. It simply continues from here. T.C. ~The Disabled Hiker http://www.reverbnation.com/terrycraig/song/19783461-point-view-siyo-sunka-lowanpi?1336410755
Join S'iyo (Shi-yo) and I as we continue to explore new equipment and to continue our journey together.
We are all so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Inside us all is a great Phoenix waiting to rise from the ashes. All we need is the ability to see it and then act upon it. We may never get back what we had. But we can reinvent ourselves an infinite number of times. Hence the somewhat incomplete subtitle. The Mother of All Invention.
Only you can complete it with your own Necessity.
I hope you enjoy episode 2.
Tunkas'ila iya. (God bless)
Terry
After years of hiking the trails of Eastern Pennsylvania. I've learned there is no substitute for experience.
However, when it comes to dealing with wildlife that outweighs you by 300 pounds, can run 15 to 20 miles an hour, and has about 10 times your strength. One must be careful what they are considering calling "Experience".
In this video I explained some of the finer differences between using self-defense or police grade pepper spray, and Bear Spray that is sold specifically for that purpose.
Episode one of the disabled hiker was recorded after being laid up for many months and unable to hike while carrying any equipment for over a year Prior to filming.
I've had to change many things to continue my journey. And as is described by the metamorphosis of all life. I've had to change not only my equipment but also my entire attitude towards distance traveled and safety in order to continue.
Together with my dog S'iyo (Shi-yo), This is my first attempt to continue my journey across a new plateau in life.
I hope you enjoy episode one.
Terry.
.jpg)
