Grateful
            My mom used to tell people, “If someone gave Lisa a brown paper bag filled with dog poop, she’d still say thank you and mean it.” She was right.
            Rambling on a new trail on Thanksgiving Day, I was thinking about the simple things I’m grateful for. I am constantly aware of how lucky I am to live in the San Francisco Bay Area—a hodgepodge of urban centers intermeshed with stunning natural beauty in every direction.
            My house is small, but I am surrounded by treasures. I live one block from Golden Gate Park, and a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. A short drive north over the Golden Gate Bridge leads to the iconic beauty of Marin. A brief drive south brings access to breathtaking beaches and deep forest trails. There is also plenty of inspiring nature across the bay to the east.
            I think I would appreciate local beauty any place I lived. I felt gratitude for my Upstate New York stomping grounds as a kid, and for the ancient magic of Kyoto, Japan where I lived in my twenties.
            Gratitude is something we can learn to apply to our current reality, rather than always reaching for something other.
            Not everyone has a car to get to the places I write about. I am grateful for my beat-up old Honda.
            Not everyone has the physical ability to move around with ease. I am grateful for a body that still moves me along a trail despite arthritis in my feet.
            Not everyone has loved ones nearby. I recently lost both parents, but am grateful for family and friends, for kind strangers I meet in everyday life, and for the connections I’ve made in the disabilities and nature fields through HikingAutism.com.
            May we all acknowledge the simple things that bring us joy, remembering to appreciate what we have rather than be preoccupied with what we don’t have.
            Thank you to gracious readers who continue to walk with me on HikingAutism.com!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Nora Trail-West Point Inn Connector, takes readers down the half-mile switchback connector trail that is part of a loop hike between Bootjack Campground and West Point Inn on Mt. Tam (covered in three separate posts).
            (Photo note: The photo for most Insights posts are from the hike covered in the Hike Notes they’re paired with. This photo, however, was taken at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve on Thanksgiving Day, which inspired thoughts for the post.)
            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 193: Nora Trail-West Point Inn Connector

Walking Together: Behind the Design
            Our older son, a graphic designer, helped me create designs that reflect the uplifting spirit of HikingAutism.com. It has been wonderful to see people enjoying items with the first design, the “Just Get to the Trailhead” silhouette of Sean chugging up a steep hill. Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement!
            The second design introduced here is a silhouette image of two figures walking. I’m referring to this series of products as “Walking Together” because that’s the simple truth of what we do with our severely autistic son to make his and our lives better. We walk together.
            I see other families navigating autism or other physical or developmental challenges, and am always impressed when I see them trying a wide variety of activities. I know how much work it takes to find accessible and welcoming facilities and the support to try something new.
            Sean has worked hard to overcome extreme sensory overload and other obstacles that had him hiding under a blanket at home. With help, Sean got back out in the world for hiking. He has also had the courage to try rock climbing, kayaking, and overnight cabin stays with dedicated and patient guidance. Helpers brave enough to stick with our family and not let us give up have been key to us breaking free from near isolation.
            Still, the most comforting, uplifting activity we do with Sean is just getting outdoors and walking. Rain or shine, we’re out hiking every day that he’s not at his day program.
            Sean doesn’t talk much, but tolerates me commenting on the scenery to him as we walk side by side. He’s one of my favorite hiking buddies.
            To see the “Walking Together” design on various items, check out the HikingAutism Support/Shop page, or go directly to the HikingAutism Printify popup shop. The design reference photo of Sean and me walking together was taken on a hike under glowing autumn light in China Camp State Park in Marin County.
            The simple act of walking outdoors—alone or with a companion—is one of life’s priceless gifts. If getting outside to walk is not an option, open a window or door to look out at the sky and listen for birds. Nature is a no-cost prescription to alleviate stress!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is China Camp Campsite to Chicken Coop Hill, a pretty walk with bay views amid rolling hills in San Rafael, CA.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 49): China Camp Campsite to Chicken Coop Hill
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area 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. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop or directly at the HikingAutism Printify Popup Shop. 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! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777

Alternate Routes
            I started sharing hikes and insights on the HikingAutism.com website about five years ago, but the project to get my severely autistic son out from under his sensory-protective shell and out into the world started more than ten years back.
            In those early years, I took snapshots on a little workhorse digital pocket camera so I’d have images to share with Sean when we got home. His ability to process the world through visual images is much more powerful than his facility with language.
            I didn’t always get great photos in the early years, and on a few hikes at iconic places, I simply didn’t capture enough photos to create a hike post from.
            One such early hike was to West Point Inn, a hallmark hiking destination on Mt. Tam. For years I’ve thought about going back to take better photos for a hike post.
            Taking exactly the same footsteps we took before isn’t always the best choice. After stewing about returning to West Point Inn for years, I pulled out a map and realized there are multiple options for getting there.
            My younger brother visited recently to process the loss of our mom and dad. It felt like the perfect opportunity to climb up to West Point Inn using an alternate route from the one Sean and I first climbed with our old hiking buddy years before.
            It was a joy making a return hike to West Point Inn, with great weather, great company, and refreshing new views on trails I hadn’t walked before.
            When returning to the same place via exactly the same route doesn’t feel quite right, try switching up your path to expand your views and discover new things to appreciate.
            Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Old Stage Road to West Point Inn, takes readers up the ascending half of a loop hike between Bootjack Campground and West Point Inn on Mt. Tam.
            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 192: Old Stage Road to West Point Inn

When Things Go Right
            Most of us notice immediately when things go wrong. It’s easy to remark on things that upset us. Yet we often forget to acknowledge when things go right.
            A year ago, I was worried about my mom’s health, but she rallied and forged ahead into the new year. Instead, my father passed away unexpectedly in May. Five months later, my mom followed. When a loved one dies, it’s hard not to feel that the world has gone awry.
            But we keep walking, embracing our best memories and looking for ways to make sense of loss.
            This week, one of my brothers is visiting from afar to do some memorial activities around our mom’s recent passing, and to emotionally regroup together.
            In our busy days since he arrived, with many things we wanted to accomplish, every activity has gone just right. How odd for life to twist a sad time into small positives that feel happy and fulfilling.
            Today, as a nature break, we had a specific trail plan for a hike on Mt. Tam. It started from a trailhead where my autistic son and I recently also had a well-set trail plan. On that day with my son, we fell astray from our planned route, leading to an unexpected bushwhacking climb straight up a steep part of Mt. Tam.
            Today, however, our drive, the weather, and the hike itself were just perfect. Even the hummingbirds posed for a photo op. 
            In the midst of life’s challenges, we don’t often give a shout out when things go especially right. May we all remember to count our good days with as much emphasis as we count the hard days. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Mountain Theater from Bootjack Campground, a hike where our trail plans went off track, but our off-trail adventure made reaching our destination all the more memorable.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 164): Mountain Theater from Bootjack Campground
 
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area 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. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. 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! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777