Labyrinth
The word “labyrinth” usually brings to my mind a mysterious, intriguing set of twists and turns at best, and intertwining passages so complex they lead to frustration and despair at worst. The current state of the world feels like a labyrinthine mixture of health, political, environmental, and social turmoil—overlapping in such a disorganized, maddening way that it feels we’ll never find our way out. Several months of this have led to an overwhelming need for mental health services, with a shortage of resources to help many suffering from anger, confusion and hopelessness in this dark stretch. Labyrinth images are featured in many ancient cultures, without my negative slant. Maze type labyrinths—with some paths ending in dead ends, others leading to a desired destination—function as entertainment. Meander type labyrinths have a starting point that leads along a set path. It twists and turns, but those who walk it will be guided to a set destination point. Aside from offering entertainment and aesthetic beauty in their patterns, labyrinths are sometimes used for spiritual meditation purposes. Walkers might choose a single thought, focusing only on that as they make a mental and physical journey following the labyrinth path. Perhaps if we treat the current troubled times in this calming, meditative way—walking our way over a path while focusing on one issue we wish to come to terms with—challenges will feel less out of control and more within our power to process. We don’t need a formally laid out labyrinth path to do this. We can pick a thought to focus on, close our eyes to embrace that idea, and keep that focus while walking a distance we’ve set for ourselves, whether it be outdoors or on an imaginary path in our living room. Real labyrinth paths can be found in surprising places, though. This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Labyrinth at Lands End, a special spot on a cliff above San Francisco’s Mile Rock Beach, with grand views of the Pacific, the Marin Headlands, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives. 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! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 43): Labyrinth at Lands End
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A Special Light
I love Mt. Tam. Before I had the opportunity to hike there, the name “Mt. Tam” reverberated with an iconic power, reflecting tales of spectacular trails, and terrifying news stories about the Mt. Tam Killer. Its place on my exploration wish list oozed both enticement and intimidation. By the time my two sons were big enough to physically handle a Mt. Tam hike, we’d become virtually housebound by my younger son’s extreme neurosensory challenges. Getting to Mt. Tam felt like an impossible dream. The miraculous help of our “autism whisperer” (In Memory and Thanks) got us across the Golden Gate Bridge to nearby Marin trails, but he passed away unexpectedly before we progressed to Mt. Tam. Fate then connected us with an outdoorsman special needs helper who knew many Mt. Tam trails. After school outings meant heading across the bridge in mid afternoon. Hikes started with the sun casting long shadows, and often ended when the sun was setting (or hiking by moonlight). With my son’s recent shift from the school system to a program that ends later in the day, opportunities to hike Mt. Tam with help are rare. I’m the main trail guide now, and getting the whole crew synchronized for a drive to a Mt. Tam trailhead can be challenging. Dodging weekend crowds also means hiking earlier in the day, when the light is less dramatic. The magical late afternoon light that predominates my photo archives of late afternoon Mt. Tam hikes reflects my son’s dramatic growth as his world expands, on a hiking trail or anywhere. Flickering shadows in golden light also reflect my boundless gratitude for living in a beautiful place, and having kind spirits who support us as we continue our journey. This week’s Hike Notes, Eldridge Grade - Windy Ridge, lead readers on trails that feature the best Mt. Tam has to offer, especially when late day shadows are at play. The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives. 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! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share. New this week: Hike Notes 116: Eldridge Grade - Windy Ridge Like Nothing Else
My older son and I greet each other every morning with cynical smiles, saying, “Well, at least things can’t get any worse!” And we are proven wrong. Six months at home due to the pandemic has been hard on everyone. This is an ever-evolving challenge for many on multiple fronts: Finances, relationships, mental health. And for many, even the basics are in jeopardy: Food, clothing and shelter. In California, the fire season hit early and hard. After weeks of burning, the hazardous air quality kept people from a primary sanity-saver, time outdoors in nature. Then we were hit with a heat wave. Even cool, foggy San Francisco reached a 100 degree record. Just as things started to cool a bit, fires exploded further afar. Places like Colorado, and then Oregon and Washington were dealing with deadly infernos. One morning in early September, it felt like the sun never rose in San Francisco. Multiple layers of smoke from fires near and far blocked the sun. All we could see was an orange-brown sky, even at midday. Our noon was like nighttime on Mars. Oddly, the air was still moderately breathable that day. The next day the sun burned brighter through the smoke, but the harmful particles sunk lower. Code purple hazardous air quality has continued for days. The cumulative pummeling of these days is like nothing else. And yet we hope. We do not give up. We don’t stop checking in on our neighbors and friends. We get groceries, fully masked for pandemic and smoke, for those who can’t get their own. And we think about a day when we can again enjoy the simple freedom of taking a walk as a pandemic sanity-saver. This Golden Gate Bridge photo was shot late afternoon on the “San Francisco on Mars” day when the sun finally burned through a bit. It was even darker at noon. This Insights post would normally introduce a hike from the archives on a related theme, but the dire days this week offered no companion hike. Instead, here is a link to the Quick View Hike List, which includes all the Hike Notes so far (115 and counting!), listed by region. We can enjoy looking at places for future visits when nature’s fury has settled enough to let us back outdoors. The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives. 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! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share. This week’s Hike Notes link to skim through for future outings when the smoke has cleared: Quick View Hike List Crisp and Clear
I spent several years living in Japan during my twenties. Learning Japanese is not just a matter of phonetics and grammar, it also involves deciphering pictogram-like character combinations. The character for “autumn” is a combination of two characters, “grain” and “fire.” The character for “clear weather” is a combination of two characters, “sun” and “blue.” These two compound characters together make akibare (ah-kee-bah-ray), which essentially means, “autumn clear skies.” Having experienced several autumns in Kyoto, Japan, akibare evokes for me a crisp blue sky radiating vibrantly above the rich orange and red maple leaves accessorizing ancient temple grounds. People pointing to the sky saying akibare invariably wear a glowing smile of appreciation. Japan’s zingy blue October and November skies resonate with a magical power. San Francisco seasons don’t always follow the expected pattern. Our summers are often chilly and damp, our late autumn days may be bright and crisp or enshrouded in thick fog, and winter might surprise us with warm sunny days. Bay Area hikers don’t know from one minute to the next if they’ll be boxed in by fog, or exhilarated by clear blue skies. I love a moody, foggy hike, but I also love days when our local skies reverberate with the same magical blue of an akibare day in Japan. In our present days of smoky haze, literally and figuratively, I dream of the clarity of stark azure skies. This week’s Hike Notes introduce readers to El Polin Spring – Presidio Walk, a newly updated trail area that introduces an old historic part of San Francisco’s Presidio to visitors. The long list of Hikes can be found on the Quick View Hike List and on the main Hikes page. All past Insights posts can also be viewed in the Insights/Hike Update News archives. 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! Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Please feel free to share. New this week: Hike Notes 115: El Polin Spring – Presidio Walk |
Lisa LouisSharing insights and hiking highlights (Hikes, Hike Search by Area) from the special needs caregiver front in San Francisco. Archives
February 2025
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