Abundance of Riches
            Reflecting at the end of a year of traumatic news stories (every year seems to qualify) and great personal loss (I lost both parents in recent months), I still find countless things to be grateful for.
            Among the many things I’m thankful for, the healing power of nature stands out every year. It is a consistent force of goodness that has helped me since earliest childhood, improved my severely autistic son’s life, and helped our family move forward amidst extraordinary challenges.
            Sorting methodically through two or three hundred hike images to choose ten photos for each Hike Notes post allows me to revisit a trail.
            Choosing a single photo for a standalone Insights post can be tough.
            Last week’s “Persistence” Insights featured a sunset shot that I chose after winnowing down from over a hundred shots to eighteen. I struggled to make a final choice.
            For this week’s image , I wanted to share four of the runner up photos from that sunset visit to Lovers Point in Pacific Grove. One location in a brief visit offered a treasure trove of stunning images.
            As we look toward the new year, may we all recall people, places and events that brightened our past year. Let us celebrate the positives as we navigate the inevitable negatives. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Asilomar State Beach, another stunning beach in Pacific Grove, California, close to the site of the sunset images featured in this post taken at Lovers Point.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 76): Asilomar State Beach
 
            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

Persistence
            Sensory overload and the need for routine make it difficult for my severely autistic son to take even a nearby overnight trip. It’s not that he doesn’t want to see new places, but it’s hard for him.
            For years it was difficult for him just to get out of bed, to step out our front door, or to get in the car, much less get back out of the car to interact with the outside world. He was frozen, and so were we as a family.
            Despite discouragement, we make it an ongoing process to help Sean join and enjoy family excursions. Having our older son home for the holidays was a rare opportunity for us to take a short road trip together.
            With so much hectic activity around the holidays, leaving home the week before Christmas felt a little overwhelming, but this was our chance to visit Monterey and its famous aquarium.
            We drove south along beautiful Route 1 from San Francisco, zipping past usual hiking stops in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.
            “Straight!” Sean said several times, excited to go farther than usual. We got to Santa Cruz and stopped for lunch at his beloved Chipotle. Lunch after a drive and a hike usually means time to turn back home.
            Back in the car, when Sean realized we were still driving onward, he loudly repeated, “Mel’s! Mel’s!” meaning, “I want to go home!” Driving past Mel’s Drive-in is part of Sean’s “going home” driving route in San Francisco. 
            Though less panicked than when he was younger, Sean was not happy when we took our bags into a motel.
            Walking outdoors being one of Sean’s greatest calming factors, a bayside walk and a stroll around Monterey shops helped. 
            Gluten free pepperoni pizza in a cozy restaurant helped even more. We were able to reply to Sean’s repeated call for “Mel’s!” that yes, we WOULD drive past Mel’s to go home, on Thursday, after sleeping two nights at the motel.
            Sean surprised us during lunch the next day by saying “Notebook! Pencil pen!” He chose two spiral notebooks at a store before we returned to the aquarium to tire ourselves out before our last night in the motel.
            I put the notebooks and pen on a bed. He opened both notebooks so two pages each were open, and then drew lines to create four blocks of drawing space on each page.
            Next time I turned around, every quadrant of every page had the exact same word written: “Home.” Sean was more at ease after solidifying his message on paper. Knowing we’d drive home the next day, he enjoyed our sunset walk around Lovers Point. We’d stopped briefly there on a previous trip, but this time it was a one-minute walk from our motel.
            Despite a few quirky moments in crowded public spaces, the trip was mostly a happy success. We have photos of Sean smiling in front of the giant kelp exhibit with his dad and brother, happily eating pizza next to me, and looking calmly out at the ocean scenery to prove it.
            Anxious as I get when I plan trips like this, it’s important to make the effort. Not giving up—even when things feel impossible—would be a disservice to Sean and to the rest of us. To readers feeling daunted by life circumstances, don’t stop trying! Even small incremental progress, and “two steps forward, one step back,” is worth working toward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Lovers Point Sunset Stroll, a small park in Pacific Grove near Monterey that produces magical colors at sunset.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 104): Lovers Point Sunset Stroll
 
            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

Leaves and Shadows
            Leaves and their shadows fluttering in a breeze highlight my favorite trail moments. Add a wooden footbridge and I fall into my own little hiker nirvana.
            I don’t know why the leaf-and-shadow light-and-motion combination brings a visceral wave of emotion. I’ve logged most of my hiking miles in California as an adult, but I wonder if the deeply entrenched memories created in childhood are part of why I feel this inexplicable “high” with flickering leaf shadows.
            Leaves were part of the seasonal lore of my Upstate New York childhood. Seasons evolved as much by leaf status as they did by temperature and whether we had sun, rain or snow. Bright, neon green leaves meant spring was upon us. Full, deeper greens meant summer was in full swing. Just as we felt the summer warmth, the leaves would start turning, in a mixture of browns, yellows, oranges and reds, eventually dropping to leave bare branches.
            Having sun to make shadows and a bit of a breeze to move the leaves was enough to entrance me when I was little. There were no wooden footbridges in the fields and forests around my house, though. (We waded through creeks, or walked over them when they were frozen enough.) Now I hike trails where there are many small bridges, so I get a double whammy of leaf-shadow-induced nostalgia combined with the mysterious charm of a wooden footbridge looming ahead in a forest.
            Sensory observations that switch our brains to positive vibe mode are treasures. Allowing small details around us to temporarily occupy our psyche muffles the busy noise in our brains, helping clear stubborn negative thoughts.
            I wish everyone several moments each day of sensory positivity, whether outdoors in nature or in some other environment that brings you a happy welling of the heart. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Matt Davis Trail-West Point Inn to Bootjack, takes readers on the return section of a loop hike between Bootjack Campground and West Point Inn on Mt. Tam (covered in three separate posts: Old Stage Road to West Point Inn, Nora Trail-West Point Inn Connector, and Matt Davis Trail-West Point Inn to Bootjack).
            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 194: Matt Davis Trail-West Point Inn to Bootjack
 

Winter Light
            Right before the pandemic, which feels like forever ago, Sean and I went for a December hike with our long-standing autism-support hiking buddy. Changing schedules reduced opportunities for hikes with him, but we found an open afternoon.
            Mid December meant we were close to the shortest day of the year, with the sun setting well before 5 PM. Our late afternoon start had us hitting the trail close to sunset.
            We chose old, familiar turf so we wouldn’t get lost as it got dark. The twilight highlighted driftwood sculptures as we made our way across Rodeo Beach in Marin. The last bit of sunlight gave an orange tinge to the sandy trail leading up the bluff.
            We saw another pair of hikers, red jackets popping against the dark green brush covering the hill. Red tips of ice plants mixed with their green bases, like a sea of Christmas decorations waving over the ground. We found our way to a vista point bench before the sun was truly down.
            On the horizon, one bright light appeared, then another. Crab season had started, and the lights of the crab boats created their own constellation on the water.
            By this point, we were out of sunlight, and we wandered off track through the ice plants as we made our way back down the hill to the beach. Like a string of holiday lights, the distant crab boats led us back toward our starting point.
            A coyote walked ahead of us nonchalantly, not caring about us hikers.
            Chilly ocean air, lights on the ocean, and dramatic blues and rosy oranges above the black horizon brought back memories of childhood winter walks in snowy Upstate New York. I’d start a subzero evening walk with just enough time to be back for dinner. Trudging through deep snowdrifts, the glow of the snow and the lights on the windows of our old house guided me home through the dark.
            There is a peace in twilight and cold that only comes in winter, a time when we contemplate family and loved ones, and reflect on the year behind us. Walking in the cold and dark also has a cleansing effect, eliminating cluttered thoughts, allowing us to simply feel the bite of the cold on our cheeks and instinctually find our footing in the dark.
            I wish everyone moments of quiet contemplation as we walk through the darkest days of the year, ready to move forward into brighter days.
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Rodeo Lagoon Loop-Marin Headlands, a 1.5 mile loop hike that circles a lagoon, rises up for higher views, and also features a beach walk.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 110): Rodeo Lagoon Loop-Marin Headlands
 
            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

Across Time and Space
            Two years ago in an Insights post titled “Connections,” I wrote about my severely autistic son’s behavior toward his big brother, who was about to move away to London. Language-challenged Sean reverted to actions we hadn’t seen in years. Unable to verbalize his emotions, he showed frustration by trying to bite his brother’s arm.
            Processing the concept of a loved one moving away or coming home to visit for a short time is not easy for Sean. He does, however, have a powerful sense of intuition.
            Though he did not explicitly understand one morning two years ago that his brother would be on a plane by the time he got home from his support program, Sean engaged his brother in long eye contact and smiles before he left for his day. He knew somehow that it was time to show extra love to his brother.
            Now, for a second year in a row, big brother is coming home from England to stay through the holidays. Typically, instead of big hugs and smiles when Sean first sees his brother after a long absence, he almost ignores him. It’s as if he’s not sure to trust that his brother is actually real.
            Before a full day passes, though, Sean will be sitting close to his brother on the sofa. He’ll hold his hand on family hikes. Sean will revert to his old habit of yelling his brother’s name loudly and repeatedly for the duration of his visit, his way of insisting that his brother stay nearby.
            And then when the holidays are done we’ll start all over again as big brother flies back to his job in London.
            Being the sibling of a special needs sister or brother is not a typical life experience. It can be very challenging, but also presents the opportunity to be more patient, more understanding, and more adaptable.
            Cheers to all the brothers and sisters who do their best navigating their own lives while being supportive of special needs siblings and caregiver parents. They are members of a hidden club who don’t receive enough acknowledgement!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Stinson Beach, one of Marin County’s most iconic beaches, great for long walks whether in summer or winter.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 147): Stinson Beach
 
            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