Over the Ridge
            “Detour sign ahead. We’ll have to turn here,” I’d say as our family was on one of our regular routes to a familiar destination. “Uh oh,” I’d be thinking as I turned the steering wheel.
            When our boys were younger, deviating from our traditional route usually meant tears and panic in my younger son, who is profoundly affected by autism. Until his early teens, any departure from his known, established activities triggered a fight or flight meltdown.
            For most of us, knowing what to expect helps us avoid anxiety. This feeling can be extreme for some individuals on the autism spectrum.
            The hyper vigilance about knowing what is coming up ahead can be debilitating, because it brings a constant level of stress and anxiety about the next week, the next day, the next minute.
            By spending time on new trails where none of us had been before, our son became more flexible about facing the unknown. Not only could he hike a new trail and enjoy it, but over the years, he could more calmly face stressful situations like doctor or dentist visits, or going to a new school setting.
            The rest of the family learned to go with the flow more easily as well. We can all enjoy trying a new adventure, and more level-headedly face upcoming challenges.
            None of us knows for sure what awaits us over the next ridge. Being able to face new situations with a sense of equanimity is a skill we continuously learn over our lifetimes.
            May we all face the world chin up as we walk our various paths, and find our way step by step.
            For those who missed it, HikingAutism was recently interviewed by Wilderness Times. Here’s my interview in their I Love the Outdoors series.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Rodeo Valley Trail-Marin Headlands, leads readers through a low valley section of the Marin Headlands that rises up to great views of the rolling hills of the headlands with the Golden Gate Bridge peeking up from behind.
            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, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 163: Rodeo Valley Trail-Marin Headlands

Remembering Ourselves
            “I’ll be able to read books again one day when I don’t have so much work.”
            “Going for a fitness class would be so helpful, but I don’t have time.”
            “I can take a trip some day in the future. I need to stay here to take care of everyone.”
            Putting our own needs by the wayside is a common issue for caregivers. Like the often-cited line about parents putting their oxygen mask on first so they can take care of their children in an airplane emergency, caregivers often need reminding to take care of ourselves. That’s what will allow us to stay mentally and physically healthy enough to continue taking care of others.
            The role of caregiver comes in countless forms and variations, including parents of young children, adult children taking care of aging parents, and situations requiring exceptional levels of care for loved ones facing physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive challenges of all varieties. It also includes pet owners.
            Caregivers finding backup support so we can take even a short break is important, but it sometimes feels impossible.
            When we can’t get a real break, looking at images of places that bring joy and hope can lift us up. Looking up trails I’d like to explore is one of my helpful escapes.
            May we all remember to take a moment each day to do something comforting and uplifting for ourselves. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Kent Lake from Shafter Bridge, a site in the Marin Watershed that reminds me of the beautiful Adirondacks where I grew up.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 112): Kent Lake from Shafter Bridge
 
            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

Around the Bend
            We recently revisited a trail in Pacifica on which deer, rabbits and California quail invariably make an appearance. We never know exactly when we’ll spot quail families skittering through a field, rabbits nibbling plants along the bushes, or deer grazing at the edge of a field, but they always appear at some point.
            Until they don’t. Our recent hike started with a surprise when we saw a group of hikers staring at the flat grass near the edge of the trail. “Snake!” they said when we looked questioningly. “A big one.”
            A short way on, we saw several quail families feeding in the pale, dry grass. When we got to the stretch of trail with thicker brush at the sides, we started seeing rabbits. “As expected!” I said, happy to see noses and ears wiggling.
            The deer defied expectations and never emerged. Snakes, on the other hand, surprised us more than once as they slithered close to the edge of the trail.
            Life is a process of mediating between expectations and reality, on small scales like the animals we hope to see on a hike, and on bigger scales like achievement goals and life dreams.
            That does not always mean the negative twist of having high expectations and being disappointed. We sometimes expect the worst and are surprised by things turning out well. Either case involves an emotional rollercoaster.
            What if we modify the qualitative “good versus bad” view of our expectations? What if we look at that next bend in the trail, simply open our minds to whatever we might see, and don’t put a positive or negative label on it?
            We expected to see deer on our trail but saw snakes instead. It was interesting, and we learned something new about animal life in that area.
            May the turns in our paths expand our horizons. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, San Pedro Valley Park-Weiler Ranch Road Trail, leads walkers on a mile-in-mile-out path that is fairly flat, and offers a high probability of seeing wildlife.
            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, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 162: San Pedro Valley Park-Weiler Ranch Road Trail

Comfort Close to Home
            A little over ten years ago, we’d been feeling trapped at home because our younger son’s sensory processing issues related to autism became so extreme he could barely leave his room anymore.
            With a lot of hard work, unconditional love, and gifted helpers, Sean made his way from hiding under a blanket to confidently hiking mountain trails. Since that time ten years ago, there has not been a single day that Sean did not get outside.
            If he wasn’t at school or his special needs program, he was out walking somewhere, rain or shine.
            Mild cold? He still went for a drive and a short walk.
            Atmospheric river filling our street corners with calf-deep rushing water? Sean still insisted on going for a walk. 
            Wildfire smoke so dense it darkens the noon sky? Sean still had to get out. We took a scenic closed-window car drive for an eerie view of the Golden Gate Bridge, which emerged phantom-like from a brownish orange haze.
            He didn’t miss a single day of getting out of the house—even if only for a short walk—for ten years. Until this week.
            Covid hit our house all at once. Quarantined at home, we’re pushing day five of Sean not going out. When we all feel well enough and are not contagious, we’ll go for a nearby, easy walk. When feeling tired and ill, close, familiar places are a comfort. We won’t walk far, but we’ll soak up the fresh air and sunlight.
            May we all find even a small dose of nature—if only a window view of the sky and birds—even when we’re not feeling our best.
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Sutro Baths, a place near our house and close to our hearts. It offers stunning views of pelicans, ships, and crashing waves, but doesn’t require a lot of walking to enjoy.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 70): Sutro Baths
 
            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

Old Made New
            Looking at the neat corners and smooth lines of the historic battery exhibits at Battery Bluff Park in the Presidio of San Francisco, you wouldn’t think these are well over a hundred years old. In truth, the structures we see now are the updated, rebuilt versions of the old military batteries.
            To retain some things, we need to change them. With luck, the key essence of an old object will remain, even after undergoing changes dictated by the ravages of time.
            Many cells in our bodies are in an ongoing process of being regenerated, so our physical selves are continuously evolving.
            Our perspectives on the world change over time as we gain experience, so our mental and emotional selves are constantly being updated as well.
            When the world looks dark and damaged, remember that flowers sprout in unexpected places, cloud patterns break and the sun emerges, and rain can fall even after a long drought.
            Just as old structures can be renewed, so can people. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Battery Bluff-The Presidio, takes readers to an updated set of historic military batteries in San Francisco’s Presidio, offering an easy paved walk with glorious views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, and Angel Island.
            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, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 161: Battery Bluff-The Presidio