Wildlife Magnets
A hiking buddy/autism helper who my son and I hiked countless trail miles with had amazing luck spotting wildlife. “There’s a whale!” he’d say from a coastal path. “Look, a pod of dolphins!” My lens-dependent eyes struggled to spot seals and sea lions he said were right offshore. I envied his 20/20 vision. Over our years of outings, we saw raccoons, deer, rabbits, river otters, snakes, lizards, salamanders, skinks, California quail, coyotes, and even a bobcat once. We have yet to see a mountain lion reveal itself, which is as it should be. We saw red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, Coopers hawks, turkey vultures, and a wide variety of waterfowl and songbirds, but our hiking buddy was often the first one to spot them, and when out on our own, our family often came up dry for wildlife viewing. Sometimes it feels like there are people who have magical luck seeing animals on the trail. I recently had the privilege of playing trail guide for Australian autism researcher Travis Saunders (read about his Churchill Fellowship research project here) and his family. They are on an international journey studying how walking in nature helps people on the autism spectrum. I described our local animals, thinking we weren’t likely to see many. On their first full day in the San Francisco Bay Area, the family saw a coyote right out on a city street. On a hike at Lands End, we had a red-tailed hawk swoop low right in front of us. On our last outing together in the Marin Headlands, we had two gray foxes scoot across the road in front of us. Then we saw a family of four sea otters playing in Rodeo Lagoon as we walked by. My family and I don’t always find wildlife easily, so I’m glad to hike with people who naturally stumble onto animals along the trail. If you’re a person who effortlessly spots wildlife without even trying, consider yourself lucky! This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Heather Cutoff Trail, take readers to an area where I captured a closeup of a bobcat ambling lazily along the roadside without a worry in the world, and where an intense switchback trail awaits hikers. 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 This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: Hike Notes 177: Heather Cutoff Trail
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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
February 2025
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