Super Bloom on the Edge
            Facing a steep cliff overlooking the Pacific, with fog obscuring the horizon, it looks like people are walking to the edge of the world.
            The view on this bluff is even more stunning than usual, covered by a dense carpet of yellow wildflowers. Orange, purple, white and pink combine with various shades of yellow to create a mesmerizing color palette.
            This week I’ve been on watch for loved ones who are “on the edge” in a different way, battling dire health problems. Regardless of family worries, daily duties can’t be ignored. Having a severely autistic son who is totally dependent means I can’t stop for long to ponder matters of life, death and love.
            When taking my son on a walk this week, heart aching with worry, there was magic when we rose to the top of the bluff. A brushstroke of yellow covered all the way to the cliff edge, leaving space in my mind for nothing but awe at the power and beauty of nature.
            May we all embrace the daily miracles nature offers, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Mori Point, a great place for viewing the Pacific, sometimes with whales in view, or taking a walk along the beach after walking Bootleggers Steps down from the bluff.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 12): Mori Point
 
            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

Walking the Given Path
            Some people passively follow whatever path opens ahead. Others thrive on forging new, independent trails. Some of us alternate between these two extremes.
            Life doesn’t always give us a choice. The relationship we cultivated doesn’t work out. The favorite aunt we wanted to live forever passes away. The goal of becoming a veterinarian turns into a career as a teacher, or an accountant, or a waitress.
            Sometimes we’re on a trail and find ourselves in a spot with no clear signs of which way to go. We use our instincts to feel our way to the next clear trail section. The process of finding a sure trail after losing our way hones skills and builds confidence.
            I love rough dirt trails as well as bushwhacking through unmarked areas, but it’s also comforting to be guided by an easy to follow boardwalk or fence. 
            In the photo gallery for a new World Walks contribution from Florida, all paths are lined with a wooden boardwalk or bridge. I love the thought of wandering through the floodplain forest, guided by wooden structures underfoot.
            Check out St. Francis Trail-Ocala National Forest, third in a series of Florida World Walks, this one near Deland, Florida. (Click the World Walks link to see how to submit your own favorite walk!)
            The wooden boardwalk and paths shown in the St. Francis Trail-Ocala National Forest gallery reminded me of a wooden boardwalk through an unusual geological area. This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Jug Handle Ecological Staircase-Mendocino, a hike that features a wooden boardwalk through a fascinating pygmy forest in Mendocino County.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 139): Jug Handle Ecological Staircase-Mendocino
 
            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

Another World
            Dealing with extraordinary physical, cognitive or neurological challenges can be isolating. Those of us in the disability community sometimes feel like we’re living in an alternate world from everyday society.
            For our family, going out in public is daunting because our severely autistic son’s sensory processing issues, communication difficulties, and unpredictable behavior sometimes makes navigating the “normal world” feel impossible.
            Work and caregiving duties limit my ability to meet in person, so social media has been a great way to connect with other nature and hiking enthusiasts, as well as autism and special needs advocates.
            The walks people share in the World Walks section of HikingAutism allow me to enjoy “armchair traveling” myself while sharing great places with readers. 
            One of my social media friends shares photos of the Palouse region in Washington State. I’d never heard of the Palouse until seeing his posts, and often feel that the terrain looks slightly unearthly. Steptoe Butte State Park Hike, a new World Walks contribution this week, highlights that very quality of the Palouse. Check out the stunning scenery on the Steptoe Butte State Park Hike page.
            That sense of a place similar yet different from earth brought to mind a Marin County hike. This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Ring Mountain-Tiburon, a place that has unusual geological formations and rare plants.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 24): Ring Mountain-Tiburon
 
            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 Micro View
            “Just look out at the horizon and take a deep breath. It will clear your mind,” more than one wise soul has instructed me.
            Sure enough, realizing how small I am in the bigger scheme of things is both humbling and liberating. My problems just aren’t that important in the greater universe.
            Taking this kind of macro view has long been a well-known stress-busting tool.
            On the flip side, my severely autistic son spends a lot of time looking intensely at objects up close. It wouldn’t be good if he used this micro view all the time, but looking closely at objects that fascinate him seems to bring a sense of comfort.
            Though concentrating on upsetting issues too intensely for a long time is not helpful, focusing on an object that brings a sense of peace and beauty can be as helpful in clearing our minds as looking far out at a distance.
            Living in a city, the horizon is not always in view for an emotional “perspective adjustment.” Finding a flower, a mushroom, or an unusual tree bark pattern to look closely at to the exclusion of everything around it—cars, people, buildings—can bring as much sense of quiet awe as the horizon does. Stepping out on my front porch in the morning and looking at a single flower works wonders.
            May we all find objects—distant or right in front of our noses—that help us tune out the negative and clear our hearts to let positive thoughts come in. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Rhododendron Dell Golden Gate Park Stroll, introduces readers to one of many special areas in San Francisco’s large and varied Golden Gate Park.
            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 179: Rhododendron Dell Golden Gate Park Stroll

Teachers
            A friend from what feels like several lifetimes ago recently informed me that our master karate teacher had died. I still carry the physical and mental confidence I gained from studying karate as a college student decades later. One small correction in form by our teacher—made without words by repositioning a foot or adjusting an arm by even half an inch—taught students more than any verbal instruction could.
            I was reminded of the powerful role teachers play in our lives. Little do they know—and how often we ourselves forget—the impact they have on students.
            There are as many different teaching styles as there are learning styles. For those who missed the podcast telling the heart wrenching yet uplifting story of how a gifted young special ed teacher helped our severely autistic son, you can hear it here.
(https://www.gritgraceinspiration.com/podcast/hiking-autism/)
            Podcast host Kevin Lowe, who inspires others through his positive determination after losing his sight at age 17, followed our full interview about Sean’s wonderful teacher with a short episode suggesting ways any of us can make a helpful difference in the world. You can hear that episode here.
​(https://www.gritgraceinspiration.com/podcast/small-acts-of-kindness/)
            Teachers appreciate hearing a thank you. May we all stop to remember those who have guided us to higher knowledge, even those who are no longer here to hear the words. The good things people teach live on through their students.
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Gray Whale Cove Trail, a steep trail that takes strength to climb but offers breathtaking views worth the effort.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 93): Gray Whale Cove Trail
 
            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