Purple Haze
            “Ooh! The heather is in bloom!”
            Years back, my son and our autism-support hiking buddy had hiked the Heather Cutoff Trail near Muir Beach. I wanted to revisit that trail and take better photos, but couldn’t remember the best season to capture the heather in its full glory. Then I saw a recent photo post of blossoming heather from Marin. This was the time.
            Two things stood out in my memory about our hike years earlier: the sharp zigzag switchback pattern of the trail, and puffy pink-purple clouds of heather blooms.
            As we made our way along Route 1 and looked inland, we saw something magical. Against the gray-green hills in the distance, we could see what looked like rivers of purple flowing down the hills.
            My fuzzy memory about the trailhead and trail junctions came into focus, and we were soon at a trail sign on Route 1. 
            Impressionist brushstrokes of pinkish purple heather marked the start of the Coastal Trail. We walked the less than half mile to the start of the Heather Cutoff Trail. Getting to the trailhead: mission accomplished.
            What we found: the distinctive switchback turns I remembered. What we did not find: heather colorfully adorning the trail.
            “Dang. Now I remember thinking on the first visit here that people would get mad about this trail being named for heather, because there’s no darn heather on it!”
            The switchback turns made for interesting views, and the heather by the road and flowing down the hills in the distance made it a worthwhile outing.
            Names do not always accurately describe their location. It’s worth walking onward, even when our path differs from what we anticipate. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Heather Cutoff Trail, introduces readers to a trail near Muir Beach Overlook that features a tight series of switchback turns leading from a coastal ridge down to a meadow and creek area.
            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. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            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 on Facebook at HikingAutism, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 177: Heather Cutoff Trail

​Perennial Joy
            Growing up in Upstate New York with its long, cold winters, I watched each year for daffodils to push up through patches of ice-crusted snow, with tulips following soon after. Lilacs followed with their intoxicating fragrance and color, and the apple trees behind our house blossomed in early summer after the wild roses appeared.
            We can’t set our clocks by the appearance of flower blossoms, but we can tell what season we’re in. Over decades of living in San Francisco, I learned to watch for plum blossoms in late January, tulips and daffodils in February, and cherry blossoms to make their glorious debut by March or April.
            Magnolias, some with petals as large as my hand, surprise us with their bold blooms as early as mid-December, continuing to dazzle into March. We visit the botanical gardens to see the magnolias every year, seeing infinite variations of giant petals and angular branches artfully arranged against a bright sky background.
            As life takes its twists and turns of light and dark, happy and sad, it is a comfort to know that flowers will show up each year, regardless of what else is happening. May we all take time to notice the reliable sources of joy around us.
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Magnolia Stroll-San Francisco Botanical Garden,which introduces the botanical garden’s remarkable collection of magnolias.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 46): Magnolia Stroll-San Francisco Botanical Garden
 
            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. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism

The Easy Path
            “No pain, no gain!”
            “Go big or go home!”
            We’re told that if we don’t push ourselves to the extreme, it’s not even worth trying. It’s important to push ourselves sometimes, but trying to live up to those phrases constantly sets us back more than moves us forward.
            Few things make me feel better than getting my autistic son out for a steep mountain hike. After years of battling sensory obstacles just to get outdoors, long hikes are an accomplishment for him and our entire family. But some days, just getting fresh air and taking an easy stroll is enough.
            If you know your day will be better by going out for a walk, but aren’t feeling at your peak, go where your energy level guides you. Taking the easy path is not only okay, sometimes it’s exactly what we need for our physical and mental health.
            Listen to your mind and body, be kind to yourself, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Coyote Creek Boardwalk Stroll, offers a short, scenic stroll with Mt. Tam in view from a wooden boardwalk near Bothin Marsh in Mill Valley.
            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. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            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 on Facebook at HikingAutism, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 176: Coyote Creek Boardwalk Stroll

The Long Hard Climb
            Last week I set aside work and special needs mom duties to travel and see my own mother. My severely autistic son requires high intensity supervision, so leaving for even a short time triggers anxiety and guilt. My husband and I take turns so the other can visit extended family, but several years usually elapse between visits.
            With a full day of air travel on either end, I spent three days decked out in Covid protective gear in the quarantine section of a health care facility with my mom.
            Like most of us, my mom has experienced some long, hard stretches of life. Having to spend time in a hospital for health issues has intensified the simple desire to get back to her own home, despite challenges in navigating daily life.
            We see a daunting, steep stretch of trail ahead. We may breathe a deep sigh before starting, but we keep marching forward. Why? Partly because that’s the only option life presents us. And partly because the grueling stretches of life sometimes reveal great rewards. We reach a resting spot, take in the scenery, and see how far we’ve come, and what a beautiful view there is.
            May we all find simple joys in our life endeavors. For some of us, the humble goal of seeing our distant loved ones, and helping them find their way home, is as big an accomplishment as someone else’s mountain climbing triumph.
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Carson Falls, one of several Marin County waterfalls which offer the reward of beauty after a rigorous hike.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 133): Carson Falls
 
            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. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism