The Disabled Hiker, Feeling Earth, Part 11

Episode 4, Feeling Earth

Part 11, On the Way Home

As the final installment in the Feeling Earth episode, it is my wish to get a little personal with my audience by finally discussing My Life With Invisible Disability.

This past August I had the amazing opportunity to attend the US Pain Foundation Ambassadors Summit, in Parsippany New Jersey. While there, one of the many things I learned was the importance of sharing our own pain story. Advocating to the community and our legislative officials can have a huge impact on the way those living with debilitating illness are viewed and often stigmatized.

As a person living with invisible disability, and understanding that added pain is inevitable on my hikes, over the years I've crafted what I like to call My Back-Home Recovery List. However, as these six ideas are basic in nature, it is essential to consider adding to them and making your own Back-Home Recovery List.

I know a great many of my followers are very inspired by the things I do. And I am so grateful and humbled by this. Which is why I feel it is so very important to let you in on a few things about the filming that goes on behind the scenes. If for no other reason, for safety sake alone.

This year's episode, Feeling Earth, was filmed over the course of three separate hiking trips to the same location. During which I film as much as I possibly can depending on my pain and mobility issues at that time. At the end of the filming season, I chose one of these filmed excursions as the narrative for the episode itself and then added scenes from the other two trips to make sure everything gets included.

The safety of my viewers is of the utmost importance to me so that none of them are injured in any way trying to do as it 'appears that I have done. But I stress that this is an appearance only. And it is my profound wish that by imparting this knowledge about how the episode was created, that it will encourage you to slow down, take as long as you need, only go as far as you can, carry only what you can, and above all else... Come home safely.

In closing, I would like to thank my many subscribers and followers, as well as a long list of wonderful people who helped make Feeling Earth possible.
(Please check out the list in the credits, as all these beautiful people are listed there.)

Until next time my friends,
Happy Hiking.
Terry Craig
~ The Disabled Hiker ~




Check out these other great links from

THE DISABLED HIKER.

The Disabled Hiker on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kjY2wAfE8uq_1gwYihVog

The Disabled Hiker on G+
https://plus.google.com/u/0/114850936977149697861/posts

Terry Craig on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/terzhc

The Disabled Hiker on FaceBook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/175962465784239/

The Disabled Hiker on Twitter
https://twitter.com/TheDisabledHike

The Disabled Hiker on  Instagram
https://instagram.com/the_disabled_hiker/

The Disabled Hiker on Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/disabledhiker/

The Disabled Hiker on ReverbNation (music)
http://www.reverbnation.com/terrycraig?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav

The Disabled Hiker on SoundCloud (music)
https://soundcloud.com/terry-craig-2

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GETTING TO KNOW TERRY CRAIG by Jacqueline Jax on AVA LIVE RADIO

This week I had the honer of being a Featured artist on AVA LIVE RADIO's, Behind the music with host Jacqueline jax. 

What a great opportunity. 

Thanks to the AVA LIVE RADIO staff, I am able to bring The following links to you hear, on The Disabled Hiker Blog.

The article they wrote about The Disabled Hiker and the music I generate can be found at the link below

Getting to Know Terry Craig; the Disabled Hiker by Jacqueline Jax

 But don't forget to also click on the link below and listen to the live interview.

Check Out Indie Music Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with AVA LIVE RADIO on BlogTalkRadio

with music & interview of Terry Craig; The Disabled Hiker

Thank you so very much to Jacqueline Jax, Jaime Sands, Galia, and the rest of the AVA LIVE RADIO staff. 

 

 footnote; I posted a link to AVA LIVE RADIO on the sidebar to the right. Don't forget to check out all the wonderful indie artists featured there each week on, Behind the music with host Jacqueline jax.

AVA LIVE RADIO Behind The Music With Jacqueline Jax 

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The Disabled Hiker on YouTube 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kjY2wAfE8uq_1gwYihVog

Terry Craig on YouTube 
http://www.youtube.com/user/terzhc

The Disabled Hiker on FaceBook  
https://www.facebook.com/groups/175962465784239/

The Disabled Hiker on Twitter  
https://twitter.com/IgmuTanka5

The Disabled Hiker on ReverbNation (music) http://www.reverbnation.com/terrycraig?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav

The Disabled Hiker on SoundCloud (music)  
https://soundcloud.com/terry-craig-2

The Disabled Hiker on Pinterest 
http://www.pinterest.com/disabledhiker/

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The Disabled Hiker, ep-3, LIFE IS CHANGE pt 10

ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

A few weeks before heading out to film the narrative part of episode three, my mother was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer. Although I had threatened to postpone my trip, my mother herself had urged me not to change my plans. Needless to say and although I tried to keep it hidden from the camera. It overshadowed everything I did.

Sadly, my mother lost her battle two weeks after I returned.

I don't know if she ever understood exactly what I was doing with the blog and hiking and the dogs and so forth. But if nothing else I somehow get the feeling she knew the peace I felt when I was out in the woods. And that even as a small boy she knew that that's where she would find me as that is where I belong.

From my mother, I received my musical talents. Just as from my father I received my love of engineering and invention. But as for where I got my love for the wilderness and living on the trail? ... 
I must admit, I think I left both my parents scratching their heads on that one. Why I would rather hike a wilderness trail and sleep on the ground over going to a fancy hotel on my vacations was always baffling to them. Even though it made perfect sense to me.

However if I've learned anything from my mother, it is to follow my own path. Even if that path is a lonely mountain trail.

And so I have dedicated this episode of The Disabled Hiker, Life Is Change, in honor of my mother, 

Elissa M. Craig.
Gods speed Mom.

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The Disabled Hiker, ep-3, LIFE IS CHANGE, pt-3.

A WET NIGHT AND A BETTER MORNING

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.

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TRYING OUT THE SAWYER MINI. The Disabled Hiker, ep3, Life Is Change, pt-2

 

TRYING OUT THE SAWYER MINI. 

(Gear review)

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

 

 

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