Nature’s Artful Distraction
            My TV, computer, phone, and radio scream, “War! Pandemic! Political instability!” Sometimes all those devices are blasting harsh realities simultaneously. Compelled to bear witness to the dark happenings of the world, I know I need to counterbalance with peaceful breaks.
            As I drive my family along the coast for our Sunday outing, the color of the ocean evolves from gray, to blue, to a deep green, and—at a moment when the sun and atmosphere do a magical dance together—to a monochromatic, high-contrast pattern of sparkles and whitecaps against the dark underside of the waves. The sky morphs from the foggy gray of our Ocean Beach neighborhood to a vibrant, electric blue that remains for the duration of our hike, other than a feathery jet trail painted by the wind.
            The rhythm of feet hitting the trail drums away thoughts of violence and tragedy absorbed from my screens. The wind blows images of war and disease away even further. 
            Weather-sculpted trees come into view, standing in contrast against a background of bright blue ocean and pale sandy path. The iconic columnar forms stop me in my tracks. My eyes drink up the tree-shadow pattern.
            At least for a few brief moments, everything but visual beauty disappears. And when I go back home to my screens and the news, I’m standing on more stable, solid ground, ready to keep facing forward.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Poplar Beach-Wavecrest Walk, leads readers down to the pounding waves along Poplar Beach, and along the flat and easy Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail into the Wavecrest Open Space 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.
            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 155: Poplar Beach-Wavecrest Walk

Finding a Brighter Perspective
            War and pandemic make the world look grim on a grand scale, but personal challenges also make life feel bleak—loneliness, illness, trouble in relationships or work. When our world view has taken a dark turn, physically shifting to a new viewing spot can refresh our perspective.
            Walk up a hill or to an open space where you can see the horizon. Watch the sky reflected in a sidewalk puddle, a pond, or the ocean. Open your window and listen to the birds, feel the breeze, see the light changing.
            Changing our vantage point can trigger a sense of encouragement that felt elusive a moment before. Get up, get out, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Rhubarb to Miwok Trail Overlook, a hike that starts on a narrow, shady path and then rises up to broad views from a hill.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 52): Rhubarb to Miwok Trail Overlook
 
            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

Views Old and New
            As I look past branches toward the blue Pacific from a San Francisco hilltop, I see the Golden Gate Bridge and the twin towers of St. Ignatius Church.
            When the Mount Olympus hilltop monument was created, there were no trees, no houses, no church towers, and no bridge. At its dedication in 1887, it stood on a bare hill with 360-degree views of a barely developed San Francisco, the geographic center of the city.
            Houses and buildings mushroomed over the years, filling in what was once empty space. It must have been astounding to see the Golden Gate Bridge extending across the entryway to the San Francisco Bay when it opened in 1937.
            Where a statue once rose proudly from its pedestal—starkly outlined against the sky—there is now a statue-less base surrounded by trees that partially obstruct the view in all directions. The sky, the ocean, and the Marin Headlands are all still visible despite the cluttered foreground. Views can change remarkably over time while allowing the original background to remain. 
            The basic values we learn as children become our foundation for looking at life. I’m grateful that my parents instilled elements like kindness, consideration of others, and the power of truth and goodness in me and my brothers from our earliest days. Though years of life experience have caused my view of the world to evolve, the power of those ever-present core items is a comfort. May the foundation we established early on allow us to keep walking forward even through dark times.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Mount Olympus-Monument Way Stairs, introduces one of San Francisco’s many interesting stair walks, this one leading to views that include the Pacific Ocean, the Marin Headlands, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
            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 154: Mount Olympus-Monument Way Stairs

Rough Waters
            War, pandemic, drought, fire, and famine—all these existing simultaneously would feel like world disasters reaching biblical proportions. That seems unimaginable, but watch the news. Each of these is actively happening somewhere in the world.
            Modern media has pummeled us so relentlessly with shocking images that many have become desensitized. And yet--
            We see an interview with a daughter whose elderly father died in a nursing home without the chance to say goodbye face to face due to the pandemic, and tears rise.
            We follow a reporter as a woman shows debris-filled rooms in her home where village children were sheltering for safety until it was bombed, and our tears flow together with the reporter’s.
            When historic level disasters occur, we feel compelled to watch the news. Disconcerting as it is to absorb unsettling reporting hour after hour, we almost feel more anxious when we turn it off.
            Good souls of the world will always bear witness for each other, but it’s important to take sanity breaks. Briefly escaping the harsh realities of the world through a book, movie, or even an adventurous hike allows me to come back to reality feeling more able to bear troubling news, and to be helpful in some way.
            Nothing says mental escape for me more than an engaging pirate tale, whether in books or movies. Years ago I heard about a beach called Pirates Cove in Marin County, which instantly put it toward the top of my wish list. As with other hikes, the time spent pounding feet on a trail to get there put a temporary pause on the world’s troubles.
            Taking at least brief breaks from dark news, whether outdoors in nature or in some sort of indoor escape, is necessary for survival. Mind and spirit refreshed, we may come back to the present moment more able to offer a helping hand.
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Muir Beach to Pirates Cove, a small beach down a steep rocky hill after walking high ridge trails with glorious views of the Pacific.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 4): Muir Beach to Pirates Cove
 
            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