Wandering in the Mist

Wandering in the Mist
            Living at the western edge of San Francisco means living in fog. Not 365 days of the year, but sometimes it feels that way.
            We complain about overcast skies, wondering when we’ll see sun and blue sky again.
            Confession: A lot of us actually like the fog. 
            In the rare stretches of sunny hot weather, which means anything above 80 °F, by day three, we’re begging for cool foggy air again.
            Fog can get so thick you can’t see a car ten feet in front of you. Walking on a misty, tree-lined path, sometimes you can’t see what’s coming around the corner.
            Here it is, the saw-it-coming-a-mile-away hikingautism.com metaphor: Life in the special needs world, and I would argue life for anyone, sometimes feels like walking through dense fog.
            Not knowing what’s lurking in the hazy space ahead can be foreboding. Parts of the path might actually lead through dark, troubling places.
            But there are also happy surprises. We walk past a dense, dark line of trees, and follow a sharp bend in the trail. Suddenly before us, a serene, mist-covered lake appears. The sun burns through the haze above, and birds float on the water below.
            We can’t control our life paths completely, just like we can’t control the weather. If we’re lucky, we have good people to walk together with part of the way. When you least expect it, a bright glow of goodness may counterbalance a dark stretch.
            This week’s Hike Notes introduce a Lake Merced-Harding Park Stroll, an easy walk in the southwest corner San Francisco. Every outing does not have to be a strenuous hike. Sometimes a little fresh air, pretty scenery, and a short walk are just what we need. (A longer Lake Merced walk will appear in a future post.)
            Please feel free to share. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photos!
            The list of hikes is getting long! Please check the Quick View Hike List or scroll down the main Hikes page to see the current list of hike notes.
New this week:
Hike Notes 35: Lake Merced-Harding Park Stroll