Pawprints in the Sand
            Footprints stretch ahead on a sandy beach, the sound of the waves rolling up and back, a pelican flying overhead. A trail of footprints often triggers memories of people who I walked together with earlier in life but are no longer here.
            Waves rhythmically sweep up over the sand, clearing away those signs of previous visitors, but we still remember them.
            The other day a funny meme popped up online about taking a mental health day at work because of missing one’s dog. I jokingly commented that my dog died when I was a kid, but I still miss him. Do I still get to take the mental health day?
            Truth is, I do still miss my dog. He was my faithful walking companion along the fields, forests and creeks where I grew up, in sun, rain, or blinding snow. I don’t think we ever forget beloved pets.
            We recently visited a beach that officially allowed dogs off leash. Many happy dogs ran along the sand, leaving trails of pawprints behind them. 
            Is there some sign in nature that brings you memories of lost loved ones? Embrace those opportunities. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Pacifica Esplanade Beach, is a small beach in Pacifica where dogs can run leash-free, and the views are stunning.
            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 211: Pacifica Esplanade Beach

Running with the Wind
            Unfettered by the obligations and emotional baggage we accumulate as adults, young children can open their hearts and run wild with the wind, feet taking them wherever the roll of a hill or the turn of a path leads them.
            That feeling of joy and freedom is priceless. Can we tap into that open-spirited sense of running down a hill with reckless abandon in our constricted adult lives?
            The closest I come to that pure-hearted sense of adventure is when I’m out on a trail. I feel the earth push back as I pound one foot after the other, breeze blowing on my face, trees, sky and birds filling my view and blocking out extraneous thoughts.
            My autistic son has retained much of his blind innocence even as a young adult. It can be contagious. 
            One beautiful but windy day on the aptly named Windy Ridge Trail, Sean knew we were on the return leg of the hike, and saw a downhill stretch ahead. He broke into a run, hopping and yelling happily as he went.
            His hiking buddy and I ran along with him, partly to keep Sean safe, but also because it felt good. I ran downhill with the wind blowing at my back, laughing as I tried to catch up and take photos at the same time. I felt like my young girl self, running wildly around the yard with my brothers again.
            The featured hike from the archives this week is Eldridge Grade-Windy Ridge, a Mt. Tam hike offering tree-covered paths and open spaces with broad mountain views.
            Find activities that reawaken that feeling of wild abandon. They refresh both body and mind! 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 116: Eldridge Grade-Windy Ridge

Falling Leaves
            I haven’t lived in Upstate New York for decades, but when I see photos of red and orange leaves reflecting perfectly against an Adirondack Lake, my heart bursts. The magical feeling stirred by autumn colors run in my blood.
            Maple, oak, or eucalyptus, I love an atmospheric leaf on the ground anywhere. Scattered leaves create their own unique mood, whether on a forest trail or a city sidewalk.
            In my busy adult life full of responsibilities and challenges, walking along a leaf-covered trail stirs up memories of childhood walks under bright maple trees. I am transported to a simpler time.
            One of the most valuable lessons I learned from early childhood was that just walking outdoors makes the world slow down. Worries racing through my head no longer seemed so important.
            Nature helps us put things in perspective. We can’t all go to a spectacular hiking spot easily. Check out a nearby flower garden. Find a few moments to look out your window and see what’s flying in the sky or moving on the ground. Water the plant on your windowsill. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week the featured hike from the archives is Purisima Creek Trail from Higgins Canyon Road, a hike along a deep forest trail that features a refreshing combination of redwoods and oak, marked by patches of moss and fern on a path paralleling a creek.
 
            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 172: Purisima Creek Trail from Higgins Canyon Road

The Long Slow Road
            Jutting ferns, spongy green moss, the rich smell of moist earth. A creek babbles as sunlight fights past branches from hundreds of feet above, creating dappled light on the ground. Redwood forests are magical, shady places.
            Muir Woods is a favorite, but its extreme popularity means timed reservations are required to visit from the official parking lot. For those of us with the ability to hike steep trails, hiking down into Muir Woods from a ridge high above has become a popular alternative. 
            Most of the trail options for hiking in and out of Muir Woods from above are pretty steep in places. A less steep option is the Alice Eastwood Camp trail and road that cuts through a campground midway up the mountainside. I remembered the shallower grade climb from a previous hike, so revisited the Alice Eastwood Trail for the ascending leg of a Muir Woods hike to report on this “easier” hike option.
            Turns out that a lower grade incline doesn’t feel that much easier when it’s long. The old kids-in-the-car phrase, “Are we there yet?” ran through my head repeatedly as we made yet another turn on the slowly rising road to the ridge where we’d parked. “Maybe short and steep” next time, I thought to myself.
            We don’t always have the choice between a quick, steep chug up a hill and a long, slow winding climb. Life includes a mixture of both. Shifting gears according to our current challenges is a constantly evolving life skill. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Alice Eastwood Camp Hike-Muir Woods, takes readers on a trail through a camp site between Muir Woods and the ridge above, offering a long, easy grade redwood hike.
            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 210: Alice Eastwood Camp Hike-Muir Woods