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Tag: overlook

Trail Report: Lake Aldwell/Elwha Dam Overlook

Trail Report: Lake Aldwell/Elwha Dam Overlook is a two spoon, partially wheelchair accessible trail near Port Angeles.

48.096651 -123.555172

June 12, 2018 0

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I'm writing a Disabled Hiker's guidebook for western Washington and Oregon! I will be traveling at least 60 days this year as I do the field work. So, I'm looking for a travel vehicle! Here's what I'm looking for: - a van, truck+camper, or motorhome under 24 feet - fully self-contained (minimum of a toilet, hot water and sink, stove, onboard power supply, fuel and water storage for 3 days) - ground floor sleeping area (overcab is fine if there is also a lower option) - mechanically sound, no major repairs needs, no leaks or mold - Under $7,000 - Located within 200 miles of the Olympia Peninsula (all of western Washington, south to Portland, OR . Getting a rig is the best option to be able to do so much travel. I have to be able to stop and rest whenever needed, not have to search for lodging, and be able to go whenever I have the spoons to travel - which I can't always plan ahead for. I've experienced housing insecurity for the past 3 years, so having something that I can stay in will be a huge relief. . Please let me know if you know of anything! Email disabledhikerguides at gmail.com or message @disabledhikers . #VanLife #DiversifyVanlife #DisabledVanlife #QueerVanlife #RVTraveler #DisabledTravel #RVLiving #HikingGuidebook #WashingtonHikers #OregonHikers . [Scheduled Post]

Confession: there are a lot of days when I think about giving up. . Yesterday's post about health justice drew out the trolls. It has also been a really difficult week, with my disabled mother having a medical emergency and something I was counting on falling through. I have SO MUCH work and planning to do as Disabled Hikers' 2nd anniversary and travel for writing the book approaches. And I'm largely trying to do it all myself while juggling my own health issues, need to earn actual money, and everything else. Most of my requests for support go unanswered. I hate the hustle. . I think to myself "wouldn't life be so much simpler if I just kept my head down and went about my business?" But that has never been my way. I may never get to enjoy the world we are trying to build, but hopefully future generations will. . Still, activists shouldn't have to feel like they are barely clinging on. I have seen, and experienced, so much burnout in my 20 years in social change circles. It needs to change. . Image description: the tree of life at Kalaloch, Quileute and Quinault lands. A tree stands on a bluff at the ocean, a creek continues to wash out the soil beneath the roots, so that the tree is stretched across a cave and barely clinging to the hillside.

Q: Why don't you ban talk about health and bodies on group hikes? . A: I definitely understand why some groups do this. But for sick and disabled people, banning discussions about health is excluding a huge part of who we are. Ableism doesn't don't want to hear about our "health issues" and this silencing contributes to the lack of access and isolation so many disabled folks experience. When disabled people come together, talking about our health and disabilities can be empowering and helps build community. It is definitely not the only topic of conversation, and it may not come up at all, but allowing the space for it is so powerful. . I do have other rules, however. 1) Never offer anyone advice or assistance without asking first. This creates a space for people to talk about their experiences without being subjected to unsolicited medical advice. It also supports the autonomy of individuals in the group. 2) Don't ask invasive questions about another person's disability. Allow people to share as much as they are comfortable with. . Those rules aside, the groups hikes are very supportive of whatever makes you the most comfortable. I check in with you privately when you register, and the group regularly checks in with each other on the hike.

OLYMPIA Disabled Hikers is coming back to you! . RSVP on the website so you don't miss important information! . Where: McLane Creek Nature Trail, Capitol State Forest When: Saturday, February 29, 11:00am . Trail Description: There is an option for a 1.1 mile loop or a 0.6 mile loop. The trail is partially wheelchair accessible on boardwalks and crushed gravel - much of the boardwalk has been covered in skid resistant tread. It is level with a max gradual elevation gain of 50 feet on the longer route. There are many benches and viewpoints along the way. Please note: I haven't personally assessed this trail in two years and I believe some improvements have been made. As always, we will adapt the hike to meet the needs of the group. . Pets: Service animals always welcome. Leashed pets who are comfortable in group settings are welcome on this hike. . Cost: Suggested donation of $5 - $20 to cover travel costs . Parking: Gravel parking area with a couple of accessible parking spots. There are accessible restrooms and a pavilion. . Passes: Washington Discover Pass (Disability placards are not eligible for exemption on DNR land) . We welcome anyone who needs a group of supportive, slow moving hikers. We also welcome those who are new to hiking and supportive friends and family. The group hikes together; we match the pace of the 'slowest' hiker, rest when needed, and make decisions about when to turn back as a group.

Love Your Self ~ Love Your Place . This is Disabled Hikers motto. But we're not talking about a superficial love, a simple love, an inspo-love. . We're talking the radical love that resists the narrative that disabled folks are unworthy. The radical love that opens hearts and motivates action. The love that recognizes that loving yourself means loving others, and this is one of the greatest powers that we have. . It also means loving the land that made/makes you. It is the love that recognizes that we are all intimately connected with nature, that being in love with Place is one movement towards ending the isolation that is the hallmark of colonialist-capitalist- ableism. It recognizes that many of us have a long way to go towards developing a long-lasting reciprocal love with the land, that our reparations are needed. This love too must motivate action. . It recognizes that sometimes, loving ourselves, or loving our place, is hard. That sometimes we can do one but not the other. That sometimes we must turn to others or to Place to mirror that love back to us. That sometimes love asks difficult things of us. . So, on this complicated day, I wish all of you the love that feels best for you. You are worthy of love. Loving is a radical act.

Want to support Disabled Hikers? Become a member! Joining my Patreon is a great way to help this work grow. There are monthly membership levels starting at $1. You get special bonuses, behind-the-scenes access, and the knowledge that you are directly making a difference. I'd love to reach my "nourishment" goal, which will ensure I have access to food! Patreon.com/Syren or link on bio! . [Images: three screenshots of the Patreon page - the heading, an excerpt from the about section, and a goal labeled "nourishment"]

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