Blooms of Promise
            As a kid growing up in Upstate New York, I reveled in cold, dark winters. Snow country folk are a hardy bunch, the harshness of winter only making us stronger. Much as I loved winter, I was transfixed each year when somewhere from under the sparkling snow, daffodils would force their way up to the surface. Those green shoots and yellow buds were a perennial wonder to me, proving the power of spring blooms to overcome the forces of winter.
            Even climates without snow can have long, grueling winters with a damp cold that sinks into your bones. I complain about the cold in San Francisco more than I ever did in snowy New York, where we would comment that the temperature was finally rising UP to freezing.
            After a long stretch of chilly, gray days, seeing buds on trees lifts the spirits. Foreshadowing warmer days to come, we watch for plum blossoms in late winter and cherry blossoms in early spring.
            The stars of the show even during winter, however, are the dazzling magnolia blossoms that appear in many varieties and colors, whether in backyards or city parks.
            The annual show put on by glorious magnolias reminds us that the cycles of nature bring bold beauty even after the darkest, toughest stretches—indeed, even in the very midst of a difficult, chilling time.
            We take heart from the signs of beauty and goodness around us, and walk forward with a lighter step.
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Magnolia Stroll-San Francisco Botanical Gardens, leading visitors through an important and varied collection of stunning magnolia trees, interspersed with other wonderful plant varieties at San Francisco’s Botanical Gardens.
            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 46): Magnolia Stroll-San Francisco Botanical Gardens

Seeing Beyond
            For caregivers tasked with maintaining the health, safety and hopefully happiness of a loved one unable to function independently, every day is a mixture of stark contrasts. Dark, doubtful moments are hopefully counterbalanced by a sense of goodness and gratitude.
            This may be even more true for the individual dealing with the extraordinary challenges. A parent with dementia and mobility issues. A child with autism, neurosensory disorders, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy. A loved one dealing with a head injury, stroke, or seizures. The list is infinite.
            It would be very easy for an affected individual or a caregiver to fall into depression or despair. The ability to look beyond the darker parts of a day—or a week, a year, a decade—and find light and hope, is a key to survival. Gallows humor is another saving grace. If we couldn’t laugh through our toughest moments, we would not be able to go on.
            Seeing the light beyond the shadows is an ongoing theme of HikingAutism.com, because it is such a core element for carrying onward.
            This is a basic truth for any person, any community, any country. When things are at their darkest, we stop, remind ourselves of the goodness in ourselves and others, and keep moving ahead.
            Taking that brief moment every day to absorb nature’s comforts—a view from a hilltop, the smell of fresh earth underfoot on a trail, an ocean vista, a flower popping up through a city sidewalk, a small plant we’re tending in our kitchen window—helps remind us of the bright spots.
            Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Fort Miley at Lands End, takes readers to an easily overlooked hill above San Francisco’s Lands End that has history embedded within its woodsy scenery.
            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 124: Fort Miley at Lands End

Rough Waters
            Living a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean, when we see an orange Coast Guard helicopter flying toward the beach, our hearts sink. When helicopters and fire trucks hover near the water’s edge, it’s likely that someone got in trouble with big surf or rip tides, or slipped off a cliff or a boat.
            It’s scary, and it’s sad. We check the local news, hoping no lives were lost.
            This disconcerting scene has repeated countless times over long years living at the edge of the powerful Pacific. Yet we still visit the beach. We take walks, we take photos, we absorb quiet moments of nature’s solace where sand meets water.
            We respect the power of the ocean. When there’s a high surf warning, we stay away. We try to follow the rule of never turning our back on the ocean. Sneaker waves really do sneak up on people.
            Despite our efforts, we have been hit by rogue waves, enough to get wet, knocked off our feet and lose some equipment, but not enough to get pulled out away from shore, fortunately.
            There are many forces in the world that swell unexpectedly, sometimes with great danger. Listen for warnings. Stay vigilant. Stay safe and peaceful.
            We don’t stop enjoying the goodness and beauty of the ocean, despite its unpredictable dangerous swells, and we won’t stop appreciating the goodness and beauty of our world, and all the good people in it. Stay safe.
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Pillar Point Harbor – Mavericks Beach, a place where just offshore, some of the biggest waves a human can ride draw the best surfers from all over the world.
            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 101): Pillar Point Harbor – Mavericks Beach

Light Through Dark Forest
            Roaming through a deep forest passage, view sometimes blocked by tangled branches, can both exhilarate and exhaust us. We may find ourselves there by happenstance or by choice.
            Goodbyes to loved ones who left this earth unexpectedly. Bad fall, bad biopsy, breathing in the wrong air. Job gone, school sites closed, support systems on hold. In this pandemic, many have suffered through more than one of these traumatic ordeals.
            We fall onto a temporarily murky, twisting and difficult path through no fault of our own. Yet we will set one foot in front of the other and walk, because moving onward is in our nature.
            Give up sure work to do something creative. Welcome a new member into the home, be they human or animal. Undertake a challenging course of study for better opportunities down the line. These are conscious choices to walk down an unsure, partially obscured path, emboldened by the hope that things will brighten as we plod onward.
            The promise of bright open spaces ahead draws us powerfully forward. Sitting stagnantly on the cold, soggy dirt of a dispiriting trail for too long is not helpful. We get up, brush off the damp earth, and move our feet again.
            Sometimes the misty, spooky stretches of a path have a haunting beauty that remains in our minds long after the bright stretches fade. Tales of our shadowy stretches mark us with thrilling badges of accomplishment. We survived the lurking creatures that rustled the bushes along our trail.
            We see light ahead, and we walk forward. Bathing in the sunshine, we know we will walk along challenging, clouded trails again in the future, and also that we will reach the sunny clearings again over time.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Devil’s Gulch, leads walkers through mossy, damp, shady trails, as well as open sky spaces with rounded grassy hills and turkey vultures flying overhead, a perfect example of the joys of both dark and light on a trail.
            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 123: Devil’s Gulch

Bright Spots Ahead
            After what feels like an endless stretch of the world facing chaos on the health, political and economic fronts, we can all at least hope for better things in the coming months as a new year unfolds.
            May we all feel free to dip our toes into the shimmering waters of optimism as we face ongoing personal and collective challenges.
            Look to the horizon, gaze out a window, take a little walk in your neighborhood—look for a small bright spot somewhere. Even the smallest shining light can warm world-weary hearts.
            As we do in our frequently careworn household, please keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Lake Merced-Harding Park Stroll, which describes a short, easy walk with lake and golf course views at the southern end of San Francisco.
            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 35): Lake Merced-Harding Park Stroll

The Glow of Companionship
            Navigating slippery rocks along a fast running creek, following subtle paths through back fields past frog ponds and fallen barns, hiking up sandy, pine tree-lined paths for an Adirondack view. Through steamy summers and icy winters, my childhood was filled with simple but wondrous walks in rural Upstate New York.
            Barbed wire fence to step through? We learned to do that on our own from an early age, but it was nice to have dad or a brother there to step on the lower wire and lift the middle wire to make it less likely to tear a hole in your jacket.
            I walked countless miles in the company of my brothers, dad, and friends. Hard to believe that many of those miles were walked in silence (for those who know me to never stop talking). But we did often walk in silence, broken only by a quiet comment when a rabbit or pheasant was spotted in the distance.
            There is an indescribable sense of camaraderie that comes with walking together, even without sharing words.
            Now I walk miles of ocean view paths and steep rocky trails with my severely autistic son in the San Francisco Bay Area. For him, not talking incessantly (as I often do) is not a choice. Difficulty with language means that long conversations are not possible for him.
            And yet he has companionship as he walks his many miles. Mom, dad, big brother, family friends.
            He has also had the good fortune of walking side by side with treasured special needs helpers, whether on nature trails or city streets. Their gift is the warm glow of care and friendship as he navigates his way through a world that is extra challenging for those whose neurosensory systems process things differently. His life is better for it though he may not easily say thank you.
            May we all enjoy walks alone when we want them, but have the joy of a trail buddy on parts of our paths through life.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Dipsea Trail from Pantoll, introduces a scenic portion of a favorite Mt. Tam loop hike, leading through dark and twisty tree-lined paths as well as broad open spaces with grand ocean views.
            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 122: Dipsea Trail from Pantoll

Embracing the Fog
            Fog is a paradoxical thing. At the western edge of San Francisco, we have a love-hate relationship with it.
            Buried under the grayest misty skies, we drive twenty blocks east and burst past the gray wall into sunshine. People wearing short sleeves wonder why I’m wearing a down jacket and scarf.
            But sometimes the whole city, if not the whole region, is immersed in fog.
            On the densest days, you can’t see ten feet in front of you. Like blinding snowstorms, the heaviest fog makes for hazardous driving.
            Thick white mist enveloping everything in a sense of mystery has a quirky appeal. What’s around the next corner? We can guess by the hazy shape ahead, but we can’t be sure until we either come face to face with the object, or the fog clears.
            Not clearly seeing what’s in front of us can be unnerving, but there’s also something comforting about the embrace of a soft, buffering fluffiness. That unfocused haze, not having a clear view ahead, can be liberating.
            We can’t control everything about our futures, personally or as a general society, so in uncertain times, let yourself float in innocent blindness temporarily. Stop to sense the elements of calm and quiet for a moment.
            A more well-defined reality, and your ability to navigate it, will emerge of its own accord when the fog lifts.
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Dragonfly Creek to Fort Scott - Presidio, a relatively short but interesting walk in San Francisco’s Presidio, with the photo above showing Fort Scott in a sudden blast of fog.
            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 107): Dragonfly Creek to Fort Scott - Presidio

Our Own Special Icons
            Dramatic red towers rising above deep blue water from rocky cliffs on either side, the Golden Gate Bridge is a visual icon.
            Worn out tourist stereotype? Not for me.
            I’ve been looking at the bridge as part of my neighborhood scenery for decades now, and it always takes my breath away.
            Tips of the towers peeking through thick fog, or clean red edges looming brightly against a vibrant blue sky, it always knocks my socks off.
            It certainly has a “looks like a postcard” quality, but I let the entrancing image transport me from day to day worries into a mental vacation mode. I cannot count the times that I’ve been looking at the bridge on a particularly stunning day and said out loud, “We live right here, for gosh sakes. How crazy is that?”
            May everyone have something nearby that makes them feel like they live in a special, beautiful place, and that allows them to forget the world’s troubles for a few moments.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Eagle’s Point, leads readers to one of many great locations for gazing out at the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and the Marin Headlands.
            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 121: Eagle’s Point

A Softer Light
            Sometimes the world turns so quickly and haphazardly that it’s hard to find solid ground to stand on. Visually I think of bold, vividly contrasting colors that jar our sense of stability.
            Pendulums eventually swing, and storms eventually lull, even the longest, harshest ones.
            After extended chaos, it’s hard to feel there will ever be calm. And yet the skies soften to pale pastels, and a sense of peace sneaks back.
            I can usually find a few moments of tranquility with time spent outdoors, even in a literal storm, but placid soft-hued light falling over rolling hills offers an easier portal to serenity.
            May all of us find ways to tap into the soothing, hazy light of a pastoral sunset, even in tumultuous times.
            This week’s Hike Notes are from the archives, Tennessee Valley Fox Trail, a hike with mild inclines and the Pacific horizon in view, perfect for tapping into nature’s calming forces.
            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 42): Tennessee Valley Fox Trail

View from on High
            The nitty-gritty details of life can feel overwhelming during this closely restricted time of the pandemic. It’s easier to feel dragged under by minor issues of the daily grind without enough ways to clear our heads. There are fewer activities outside our own homes, less interaction with people, little chance to travel and get a sense of distance.
            We may not be easily able to travel far as the crow flies under current circumstances, but what if we rise upward?
            It’s amazing how powerfully we can change our sense of perspective when we stand on a high hill or mountain, or at the window of a tall building, and gaze out at the distance.
            Even in a densely packed city like San Francisco, there are ways to rise out of the claustrophobic city street level and gain a refreshing wide view. Famous for its steep hills, San Francisco features many charming and quirky stair walks that offer grand views for short (though steep) walks.
            Climbing up step after step, some huffing and puffing more than others, we find ourselves far from the madding crowd, and can take a moment to reset our outlook, remembering that we are just small dots in a big world. I don’t know why realizing our insignificance in the world is a relief, but it does help alleviate pressure of expectations and clear the mind.
            This week’s Hike Notes, Jack Early Park – San Francisco Stair Walk, leads readers to one of San Francisco’s many alluring stair walks, this one with glorious views of San Francisco Bay, including Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, and Mt. Tamalpais.
            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 120: Jack Early Park – San Francisco Stair Walk