Quieting the Mind
            Blossoms fluttering in the breeze. Cloud-speckled sky reflected in a pond. A split path beckoning in two directions.
            Focusing on those simple things can clear away the clattering clutter in our heads.
            During my years living in Japan, finding a quiet moment to still the mind became a genuine necessity. City life meant crowded trains, crowded streets, hustle and bustle on every front: work, shopping, even leisure time. Stress—from outside, and from within.
            Quiet places to escape the stressful cacophony are more easily found outdoors, but I learned in Japan to find my Zen moments anywhere. A small, second story window in a rattletrap apartment, too high to see out, provided the sound of a nearby bamboo tree swaying in the breeze. I still miss gazing up at the moving shadow of that bamboo tree, and the calming moments it offered.
            But still, given the choice, I go outdoors to find mind-stilling spaces. The calming force of nature is also one of the best medicines I offer my special needs son. 
            Not every outing has to be a long hike. Finding a place to stop and contemplate falling flower petals can be just as reenergizing.
            This week’s Hike Notes introduce a Japanese Tea Garden Stroll, an easy walk through the garden paths of the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 56: Japanese Tea Garden Stroll

Fumbling Through the Fog
            Pummeling sensory overload and other neurological challenges had my autism spectrum son struggling in a deep fog for years. He could barely navigate the world (Home).
            Phases of struggling through a blind haze can happen in anyone’s life, for all sorts of reasons.
            Caregivers of extraordinarily challenged loved ones sometimes fumble through amorphous mystery zones. There is no universal guidebook on how to offer the best help, because everyone is unique.
            How can I provide a happy life for my son as he gets older? I reach through misty vapors of the unknown looking for answers.
            Sometimes I set life’s stresses aside, and walk literally through the fog with my son. Mountain trails of Marin, the surf line along a San Francisco beach—we have no shortage of misty locales.
            My mental haze when fretting about life versus my sense of clarity when out on a trail—even on the foggiest day—stand in illustrative contrast. I sense the same in my son.
            This week’s Hike Notes lead up to Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, a head-clearing hike whether in a mist that limits visibility to ten feet or clear skies that open the view to landmarks fifty miles away.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 55: Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach

Favorite, Secret Places
            In a year of posting hikes on HikingAutism.com, I have yet to post any of my top favorites. Most of us have people, places, and things so special to us that we’re not inclined to share them.
            In the early stretch of our special needs son’s breaking free from his housebound state and getting outdoors (Home, In Memory and Thanks), California was suffering from on-and-off drought conditions. Finding an actively running waterfall felt like searching for a rare bird.
            In winter when we’d get some rain, I’d think, “Now is the chance to hike to a waterfall!”
            The Bill Williams Trail in Marin County stood out on a list of waterfall hikes. My son, his hiking guide buddy and I headed up the trail, thinking the first small falls we saw in the forest was “the waterfall,” but turns out the bigger falls are deeper in the forest.
            Something about running water mesmerizes my son and tames his sensory overload, a bonus to getting outdoors near creeks, waterfalls and ocean waves.
            The main falls on the Bill Williams Trail are nice, but the magical spot for me is a wooden bridge at the base of the creek, leading to a mysterious, woodsy stairway.
            This week’s Hike Notes lead along Bill Williams – Tucker Trail Waterfall Hike, one of my favorite destinations in the always wondrous Marin Watershed.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 54: Bill Williams – Tucker Trail Waterfall Hike

In Our Own Backyards
            One of my biggest boosts comes from trying out a new rugged trail, away from my city home, especially with my special needs son.
            Obstacles sometimes block those bigger hikes.
            Wildfire-related air quality problems. Heavy rain and winds. Work deadlines. Colds and flu. 
            Lack of backup. “Sean and I can try a new trail on our own!” I think. My autistic son outweighs me by thirty pounds and can present unpredictable challenges. I am reminded that being solo caregiver in a remote area with no cell phone service is not wise. Other family members or helpers aren’t always available.
            When longer outdoor adventures are on the back burner, we find a bit of nature close to home. At San Francisco’s western edge, natural beauty abounds in every direction. Our neighborhood nature-meets-the-city locations are our extended backyard.
            Everyone can find a breath of fresh air nearby. City dweller? Grow plants on your apartment windowsill. Take a walk. You’ll be surprised where you see a bird, a flower, a plant you haven’t noticed before. Find the closest parks or open spaces on a map. The solace of fresh air and a little exercise might be closer than you think.
            This week’s Hike Notes introduce a Lobos Valley Boardwalk Stroll, an easy little walk right here in the city of San Francisco that our family takes when we’re short of energy, time, or tolerance for weekend traffic. 
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 53: Lobos Valley Boardwalk Stroll

A Matter of Perspective
            Some of us are destined to be worriers.
            As a small child, I used to cry over everything. “Oversensitive,” was the assessment. The wind blowing a certain way could touch a heartstring and bring tears.
            As the mother of a son with severe neurological and developmental challenges, I can look back at my young self and laugh. “Now I really have reasons to worry and cry!” Gallows humor is the savior of the special needs family.
            We may not be able to change our instinctive reactions to life, but can find better ways to cope with tough times.
            When it’s hard to put things in perspective, I find peace watching hummingbirds flit between flowers on our front porch, looking out our dusty back window toward the ocean, or gazing at the horizon from a hiking trail.
            This week’s Hike Notes lead along the Rhubarb to Miwok Trail Overlook, a hike that starts near Tennessee Valley on the sometimes spooky, moss-blanketed Rhubarb Trail, then takes a northward rising turn on the Miwok Trail for uplifting views in all directions.
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 52: Rhubarb to Miwok Trail Overlook