Enigmatic Patterns
            Living with a profoundly autistic person can be mystifying. This is especially true if—as is the case with my son on the autism spectrum—the person is not able to communicate easily with words.
            Limited functional language means years spent observing my son’s patterns of interaction with us and the objects around him to support his daily needs. Because his way of navigating his environment is not like the “typical” population, we’ve learned a unique “language” of behavior mixed with limited speech to understand what makes him happy, why he’s upset, if something hurts, where he’d like to go for a hike.
            It can feel like visiting a foreign land. Not having the firm ground of a common language or culture under our feet is disorienting, and makes visiting other places both fascinating and exhausting.
            I imagine our son has felt that exhaustion and disorientation since he first tried functioning in a world geared for people whose brains are wired differently than his. It is a learning experience for him, for us, and for everyone dealing with neurodiversity issues. Our brains and sensory systems do not all work in the same way.
            Not only do we understand our son’s world better by observing his patterns of behavior, but he also observes and creates patterns in his surroundings, usually not ones we’re familiar with. Books are not lined up side by side, but instead opened one inside the other, and lined in diagonals on shelves until the outermost book is just about to fall off, but maintains a delicate balance hovering on the edge. It is sometimes maddening but also intriguing.
            We recently hiked to a natural sandstone formation in a forest that had uncanny, sci-fi vibe patterns formed in the stone. Even after reading the scientific explanation of how this unusual rock pattern occurs, it still felt like a rock from an alien planet. Those beautiful, enigmatic markings helped me appreciate the wonder of the unique forms of beauty nature offers, whether in sandstone or the human mind.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Tafoni Trail and Sandstone Formation, leads readers on a moderate hike through mixed forest and down a short trail to an observation deck at the fascinating Tafoni sandstone formation.
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 151: Tafoni Trail and Sandstone Formation

On a Clear Day
            Though drought-stricken California is grateful for every drop of rain, it’s always a joy to see vibrant, clear skies. As the lyrics of the oldie “On a Clear Day” say, it feels like you can see forever.
            My two favorite visibility indicators remind me when the air is free from fog, clouds and wildfire haze.
            “You can see the Farallones today!” I say with joy every time the outline of the national wildlife refuge appears on the horizon, 32 miles west of San Francisco. When the sun and atmospheric interaction is just right, the Farallon Islands look like a magical island from another classic musical tune, “Bali Ha’i.”
            The other visibility checkpoint for me is Chimney Rock, an outcropping of the Point Reyes Headlands far to the northwest of San Francisco. I gauge the fog level and air quality by whether I can see only the Marin Headlands, then as far as Bolinas, or all the way to Chimney Rock.
            Unlike the Farallones that have restricted, difficult access by sea, Chimney Rock makes for a nice day trip by car. Recent photos of Chimney Rock visits posted by more than one set of friends reminded me of its stark beauty.
            The image for this post was taken from the Chimney Rock trail above the old lifeboat dock during a past visit, though not on a perfectly clear day.
            Even when we can’t be at a favorite spot in person, we can imagine it while viewing from afar. Keep looking to the horizon, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Chimney Rock – Point Reyes, a scenic outcropping in Point Reyes National Seashore that features a historic lifeboat station.
            Do you have a favorite walk? Share with readers in World Walks! Two or three sentences and photos allow other readers to share your special hike. See the World Walks link for how to submit your walk to share.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 39): Chimney Rock – Point Reyes
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes and photo galleries via the main Hikes page or the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite walks from readers! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism

Bushwhacking
 
            On a clear chilly day, I headed out with my autistic son and an old hiking buddy on what we thought would be a simple path.
            “We wanted to hike from Rodeo Beach to Tennessee Beach a while back, but we got sidetracked at Tennessee Point Labyrinth and ended up turning back from there,” I told our friend. “Maybe we can do both today.”
            The Marin Headlands is a rolling set of hills, largely devoid of forests to get lost in. My brain retained the fact that there was a trail from one beach to the other, and I didn’t bother checking a map to confirm the connector points.
            The catch is that the Marin Headlands have many unnamed lesser trails, and countless unmapped naturally cut paths.
            Feet and eyes follow the natural pathways guided by directional instinct, which should not be hard on a broad hilly area with the ocean to the west, the San Francisco skyline to the southeast, historic military batteries high on hills to the east, and Point Reyes outcroppings to the northwest for reference.
            After a scenic stop at the labyrinth, we climbed the trail most directly aiming toward the Coastal Trail which we could follow to Tennessee Beach.
            At some point, the clear trail faded into interesting geological strata, ruins of military structures too small to be mapped, and naturally formed cuts through coyote brush, with an occasional push through thick bushes.
            “Looks like the main trail is just above that next ridge,” I said at least a dozen times. We stopped at various structural ruins, and stepped piece by piece along a post-apocalyptic asphalt road that dotted the hillside in broken chunks.
            If we climbed high enough, we’d have to hit the Coastal Trail at some point, so that’s what we did. Another hiker ambled down from above and asked us about the trail to Tennessee Beach. We laughed. We found a scenic overlook where we could see down a steep valley to Tennessee Beach, and decided that was enough for our goal. Seeing other hikers and a dog high above, we climbed in that direction and found our trail back past Battery Townsley to Rodeo Beach. 
            Bushwhacking our way along the headlands, which is what I imagine Scottish hills are like, was more fun than taking the easily marked trail I didn’t bother confirming on a map.
            I don’t recommend sloppy trail plans, but if you’re in an open place where you can’t truly get lost, ambling off the beaten track can be fun.
            In the bigger scope of existence, who follows an exactly planned trail? Life is just one long bushwhacking adventure, and hopefully we can sometimes laugh and enjoy the view when we go off trail. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Marin Headlands Above Tennessee Point, introduces readers to a scenic coastal hike with unexpected historic structures along the way.
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 150: Marin Headlands Above Tennessee Point

Helpful Spirits
            Leaky pipes? We call a plumber. Faulty light switch? Ask an electrician. Health trouble? We seek medical professionals.
            For work related challenges, we check in with trusted colleagues. For more personal matters of the heart, we look to friends and family for support. 
            When needing guidance of the spirit, some go to a house of worship, whatever form that may take. For some of us, the great outdoors is our healing place for body and mind.
            We look for specific supports for specific challenges, but it’s nice to imagine we are surrounded by random forces of good that make the world a better place.
            Helpful spirit animals and mythical creatures appear in a wide range of cultures, whether in African mythology, Japanese folk tales, Native American myths, or Irish and Nordic fairy tales. A worldwide treasury of ancient lore describes mischievous but helpful creatures.
            Walking in San Francisco, we sometimes stumble onto a “fairy door” built into the base of a tree. Some are rustic, simple doors, while others are beautifully crafted entryways worthy of a Hobbit movie set. We smile to think of a helpful sprite hidden behind that door, or perhaps wandering in the woods, who might bestow good luck on us as we walk through their enchanted territory.
            In recent dark times, all of us could use an uplifting boost, even from imaginary creatures! May your path lead you through magical spaces that make your world shine brighter. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Metson Lake-Golden Gate Park, one of three tiny lakes close together in Golden Gate Park that offer peace and beauty within a large city (and an area where we stumbled onto a fairy door).
            Do you have a favorite walk? Share with readers in World Walks! Two or three sentences and photos allow other readers to share your special hike. See the World Walks link for how to submit your walk to share.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 106): Metson Lake-Golden Gate Park
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes and photo galleries via the main Hikes page or the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite walks from readers! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism

When a Goal Is Not the Goal
            With recent rains easing the drought, and reports of more salmon spotted in their Marin County spawning grounds this season, I just knew my family would see salmon on our post-storm, sunny-but-cold winter outing.
            Our plan: Hike down a ridge trail into Muir Woods and watch for salmon swimming in Redwood Creek.
            Reality: The freeway offramp for Muir Woods was closed due to flooding.
            “What now?” my husband asked.
            “We keep driving north and look for salmon at Lagunitas Creek. Friends saw them there a week ago,” I said with confidence.
            We got our day pass for Samuel P. Taylor State Park and set off on our creek side hike. We stopped at likely spots where we might see the shadow-like figure of a swimming salmon.
            “Maybe we need to stay quiet and watch for a long time, like fishermen do,” I said. None of us were able to be still for very long in the cold, but we watched quietly at several promising viewing spots.
            I figured this would be our easy day to spot salmon in the creek, but we didn’t. I’d seen three salmon here during one of the worst drought years, and here we were in a good year and we didn’t see any. Not one.
            Did that ruin our outing? It did not.
            The overriding goal was not to see salmon. The true goal was to get up, get out, and walk along a beautiful trail somewhere. And that’s what we did.
            Not only did we enjoy our walk along a trail that hugs the edge of Lagunitas Creek, but we did our return route along a forest path we hadn’t been on before. That was above and beyond the goals we’d originally set for that day.
            As we hear in so many contexts, true meaning lies in our journey, not so much in the destination. Most endeavors stray from the original plan. Learning to appreciate the paths we inadvertently end up on makes life much more enjoyable.
            Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Ox Trail-Samuel P. Taylor State Park, takes hikers along a moss and fern-lined forest path that runs parallel to Lagunitas Creek along a high ridge.
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 149: Ox Trail-Samuel P. Taylor State Park