Signs of the Season
            Red and orange leaves, a snappy chill in the air, morning frost on the ground. These were the classic signs of autumn where I grew up in Upstate New York. It was and still is my favorite season.
            Golden grass waving in the wind, blazing in contrast against a deep blue sky. This is my image of late summer and early autumn in the rolling hills of Northern California. Rains in late autumn will turn the hills green again.
            Hopefully most of us love the manifestations of the seasons on our home turf, whatever that may look like.
            The featured hike from the archives is Loma Alta-Smith Ridge, a hike that involves a fair amount of climbing with a payoff of 360 degree panoramic views, and the beautiful contrast of gold against blue in the dry season.
            If we’re lucky, we can fall in love with the varying traits of the seasons in multiple locations. Keep putting one foot forward!
 
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. 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. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
Hike Notes 28: Loma Alta-Smith Ridge

Chugging Up the Hill
            Working through my son’s complex web of autism symptoms to get him out in the world has been a heart wrenching, years-long effort. 
            Just getting him to a trailhead felt like a miracle. Once at a trail, his sensory overload made it hard for him to move forward. We did what we called the “Fred and Ginger shuffle” to get him moving.
            Sean would hug one of us parents, eyes closed and head on one of our shoulders. The parent played Fred Astaire, moving forward while guiding Sean’s reluctant Ginger Rogers backward, inch by inch, foot by foot, until he loosened up and was able to face forward and walk. He started and stopped frequently, and we had to do the Fred and Ginger dance several times on one hike, but we were moving.
            Over years of hiking, Sean’s ability to walk independently grew. Hiking poles were initially a good stabilizing tool, but eventually Sean stopped using them.
            Next thing we knew, he was charging up steep hills at a fast clip. Now we’re the ones working to keep up with him.
            Steep hills—literal hills and the hills of life’s challenges—can look daunting from the bottom, but there’s usually something gratifying at the top. A grand view, or a sense of accomplishment or relief.
            When I huff and puff on really steep stretches, I remember how lucky I am to be in a stunning location, and how grateful I am that I have to chase my confident hiker Sean up the hill.
            This week the featured hike from the archives is Pedro Point South Ridge Trail, a sometimes steep and often windy trail in the Pedro Point Headlands with breathtaking views.
            Next time you’re facing up a steep hill, remember we are all fortunate to have the ability to try, even if it takes a long time and we need help to get to the top. There’s usually something to be thankful for after the climb. Keep putting one foot forward!
 
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. 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. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
Hike Notes 33: Pedro Point South Ridge Trail

Urban Oasis
            I stand quietly, watching leaf shadows flicker. Tree branches arch into a round frame before me. Small ripples distort reflections of trees on the other side of a small lake. A tiny island pops up from the intensely blue-green water. 
            How far from my city home did I have to drive to stand at this calming place? Ten miles? A hundred? Actually, it was barely half a mile.
            Despite constant news stories about crime and homelessness in major urban areas, cities can also be home to sites of natural beauty. As a fairly large city, San Francisco has an abundance of riches when it comes to nature within an urban setting.
            Golden Gate Park in San Francisco was established over 150 years ago as a place for people to enjoy leisure activities in stunning natural beauty. Parts of the park need upgrading as years go on, and Middle Lake along the Chain of Lakes was the recent recipient of a major makeover.
            As nearby neighbors, we watched and waited to see what the walking trails would be like when the lake reopened. I prefer wild, rough trails to carefully landscaped paths, but was pleasantly surprised. I felt transported by the landscape design with trails leading walkers along the curves of the lake, highlighted by creeks and shallow waterfalls, patches of flowers making an Impressionist painting with their overlapping colors, and charming wooden fences drawing us forward.
            Are there any unexplored nature sites to visit where you live? Take a little time to see what’s on offer, and keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Middle Lake-Golden Gate Park, takes readers on a visit to the recently restored and landscaped middle of the three lakes along Chain of Lakes Drive in Golden Gate Park.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. 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. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 209: Middle Lake-Golden Gate Park

The Hills Are Alive
            Snakelike trails cut across the peaks of the Marin Headlands, leading hikers through terrain marked by coyote brush and patches of grayish green rocks. After climbing a mix of steep stairs and gradual inclines, a push over the last rolling hills leads to an abandoned cement structure. Standing at the peak, we look down at the Pacific Ocean, Rodeo Lagoon, and ruins of historic military batteries. Turkey vultures tip their wings drunkenly above the highest ridge.
            Hill 88 is an uninspiring name for a place with such stunning views. On clear days, you can see for miles in every direction, like the opening scene of The Sound of Music where Julie Andrews belts out “The Hills Are Alive” as she spins in a circle on a glorious mountain top.
            On foggy days, you can’t see six feet ahead. Extreme fog has its own unique aesthetic appeal, but for those who like to have visibility for miles, autumn tends to be when the Bay Area has its best weather. There is no guarantee when thick fog will or won’t swoop in, so be prepared for both.
            The clarity of mind brought by walking in nature helps us see past tangled emotions and life circumstances, whether we’re walking under clear skies or cloudy.
            The featured hike from the archives is Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach, a hike that involves a fair amount of climbing with a payoff of 360 degree panoramic views.
            May your feet carry you to places that offer a clearer vision of yourself, even if the skies are murky. Keep putting one foot forward!
 
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. 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. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
Hike Notes 55: Hill 88 from Rodeo Beach

Late Discoveries
            I like flowers as much as the next person. I even manage to plant porch flower boxes every year that people stop their cars or pause their walks to ask about. Having said that, I am not an expert on any particular type of flower, and my garden plants are shamefully neglected.
            I appreciate the intense fascination people have for particular flowers: orchid lovers devoted to their rare treasures, people who care for their roses like children.
            I heard people wax poetic about dahlias for decades, but it wasn’t until I lived in San Francisco that I came to know what dahlias are.
            A dahlia afficionado in our neighborhood cultivates a large patch of beautiful dahlias each year. My sons and I would walk over to see them in bloom. Dazzled by the wide variety, we still don’t know what traits make a dahlia a dahlia.
            Recently, we visited the Dahlia Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park which is in an easily accessed location from many of our walks. How did we overlook it for so many years?
            What an eye opener. Underwater sea anemone reborn as plants? Pom-poms that have transformed into flowers? The variety of shapes and colors is astounding.
            What a joy to “discover” something amazing that eluded our view for years. If we look more closely nearby, we may find something to add a fresh burst of color to our outlook. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Dahlia Garden-Golden Gate Park, takes readers on a visit to the Dahlia Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which features over 700 varieties of stunning dahlias.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
            If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. 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. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
New this week:
Hike Notes 208: Dahlia Garden-Golden Gate Park