Here’s a roundup of Camino related and hiking events in the East Bay Area for the month of August.  For those who live elsewhere there are “Camino hotspots” all over America and the APOC website has a listing of local chapters where you can find Camino events. There are also many active Facebook groups to learn about events in your region.

Saturday, August 1, 10:30 am: Lake Merritt Walk

This is an informal gathering that takes place on the first Saturday of the month, rain or shine. The group meets at the Lake Merritt Pergola on the east side of Oakland’s Lake Merritt at 10:30 am and starts walking promptly at 10:45 am. It’s a level walk 3.3 miles around the lake (see image at right) and takes about an hour.  If you decide to join one of these walks, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to find parking as there are many activities on Saturday morning in the Lake Merritt area.

Sign up for the next Lake Merritt walk on Saturday Sept. 5.

REI Berkeley 40th Birthday Party

Okay, this might be a stretch as a Camino event, but we all love REI, right?  Let’s celebrate it!
Saturday, August 15, 2015, 10 am –  4 pm Berkeley REI
Has it been 40 years already? Since opening our doors in 1975 we are still going strong because of community members like you, and we want to say thanks! Join us in celebrating REI Berkeley’s 40th Anniversary on Saturday, August 15th. This is a special celebration to toast REI Members in the Berkeley community with complimentary food from Off The Grid food trucks and local beer from Sierra Nevada Brewery in a custom Klean Kanteen pint. The party wouldn’t be complete without a 40th anniversary cake from Whole Foods Market. Member-only gifts include free lunch and beer, custom t-shirt screen printing and more. Plus, the REI Village will be onsite giving away sunglasses, Instagram photos & games for all. Join us at 10am for our free Ultimate Cup of Camp Coffee Class with REI and Allegro Coffee Roasters. Then, don’t miss out on learning about the great work from our community partners Hipcamp, Bay Area Ridge Trail and OneTam. So mark your calendars and come out to celebrate with us. No registration necessary.

Looking for a backpack? REI helped me! See The Quest for a Camino Backpack

Mission Walk Completion

Mission San Francisco de Asís to Mission Santa Clara
When: Wednesday, August 19th, 9:05 a.m.
Where: Meet at Menlo Park CalTrain Station… in the sitting area of the station
Organized by Jill Ballard

Join us for a mid-week walk. The last 2 months we started walking from Mission Dolores towards Mission Santa Clara. We will set out from the Menlo Park Caltrain station and end at Mission Santa Clara.

Please RSVP on the Facebook event so we  know who is coming, and spread the word!
https://www.facebook.com/events/153823311616822/

Camino Brewing Company at Beer Mile

August 22, 1 – 7 pm, Treasure Island, San Francisco
Beer Mile World Classic: Curated Menu, Craft Beer Pairings, Lawn Games…and the World’s Best Drinking Race!

UPDATE: Living Social now has discount tickets to the Beer Mile event. See Living Social Deal.

The founders of Camino Brewing Company completed the Camino twice, and their transformative journey continues to this day. For Allen and Nathan, pilgrimage has become a way of life, and Beer Pilgrimage is becoming a livelihood.  Camino Brewing Co. will be donating a batch of home-brewed Café con Leche Stout with Chromatic Coffee at the “underground” Beer Mile Event on Saturday August 22. For information, visit www.beermilesf.com.

The story behind Camino Brewing’s Café con Leche Stout

Every morning we awoke in one of the pilgrims hostels and, facing our daily goal of a fifty mile ride, made our way to the closest café to prepare with a cup (or two) of Café con Leche.

Café con Leche Stout is our homage to those amazing Spanish coffees that got our legs moving each morning, and provided fuel along the way. Our deep dark stout is made sweet and creamy by milk sugar, making this beer a perfect showcase for a variety of coffees roasted by San Jose’s own Chromatic Coffee. We hope this beer takes you back to that perfect cup of café con leche.

Learn more at: http://www.caminobrewing.com/

Pole Hiking Workshops in Oakland

Have you ever wanted to try hiking poles? The East Bay Regional Parks District offers poles technique workshops and hikes.

Saturday, August 22, 9am – 3:15pm
Poles:  Hiking Skills & Techniques Plus Hike #10010
Location: Redwood (Canyon Meadow Staging Area)
7867 Redwood Road Oakland, CA 94619

I have included the following September hiking events because they fill up fast. Registration for events below opens August 4.

Thursday, September 17, 9:30am – 1pm
Poles: Basic Hiking Skills & Techniques #10891
Roberts Recreation Area: Redwood Bowl Staging Area
Morning seminar helps hikers learn poles, trail and body skills. Beginner to experienced hikers will learn techniques without the additional time or challenge of a practice hike. Uphill: Improve power, endurance, spine function. Downhill: Learn techniques for feeling safer and preserving joints – Save your knees!

Saturday, September 19, 9am – 1pm
Poles 3: Energetic Practice Hike # 10893
Redwood: Canyon Meadow Staging Area
Come hike with us! Enjoy majestic views on trails while practicing and enhancing poles skills. Improve your performance and learn additional techniques for navigating difficult and varied terrain. “Test drive” different pole models to learn which fit best or bring your own. Includes 3 mile hike. Previous pole hiking instruction REQUIRED.

Registration required. Visit http://www.ebparks.org/

See East Bay Regional Parks District newsletters for more details.  July-August 2015

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If you know of any Camino related events for the SF Bay Area that should be included in the monthly roundup, please use the comment form below, or email me.

If you are lucky enough to live near a REI store, there are many workshops and occasional discussions with Camino book authors and guides. Check http://www.rei.com/ for events in your area.

Buen Camino!