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 New this week: Hike Notes 116: Eldridge Grade-Windy Ridge
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Lisa LouisSharing insights and hiking highlights (Hikes, Hike Search by Area) from the special needs caregiver front in San Francisco. Archives
November 2024
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