Our leaders are volunteers from the group who spend time scouting new hikes, ensuring familiar ones are still accessible, sending emails to suggest routes to the locations, advising members on parking, bathroom stops or other important information.

Because of our ages, 55 to about 85, several of us have experienced bone fractures over the years or have the onset of a visual impairment. Some members simply find they can no long hike the distances they once tackled or manage the elevations they used to climb. Because of this we find we need to abandon some former popular hikes in favor of ones that better meet our needs now.

Two favorite hikes of ours are under the auspices of CSPA. Pescadero Marsh allows the senior group to engage in spectacular bird watching (use your Merlin ID app!) and feel a world away when you are incredibly close to Highway 1. Although parts of the beach area under the highway can be a challenge, much of the trails, especially the Sequoia Audubon and North Pond trails, have little elevation and provide benches at strategic points along the way. The town of Pescadero is close by for lunch and a bit of shopping.

The group has been to Ano Nuevo both in the roving season and the breeding season. The roving season allows for a leisurely hike at a pace the group can manage. Once again birding is a favorite activity as is plant identification where members use the Seek app to help identify unfamiliar plants. Of course, any molting elephant seals or juveniles sparring are special treats too. During the breeding season, some in the group sign up for the regular walking tours. But those who feel that is too taxing, the equal access van is available to get seniors to a boardwalk trailhead and then be guided by a trained docent to see the seals in action.

While we hike, we often meet small groups of seniors who are out together in a less formal way, just a few hikers who have decided to experience the outdoors in the company of friends who recognize that keeping active and having social connections help them maintain their health and keep smiles on their faces. Whether you find your community in a formal group or a casually gathered one, you can add joy to your life and maybe … a few years as well!

– Cheryl Besden​, Coastside State Parks Association Board Member