Hola amigos. I just returned from Spain after walking the Camino Invierno. It was an amazing experience, which I will write about later. Alas, there’s a lot of great Camino events and hikes happening this month in Northern California. If you happen to be visiting the area, feel free to join any of these events! For wellness events, visit my other website at lferris.com.
Huddart Park Hike with Silicon Valley Chapter
Saturday, June 1, 9 AM
Woodside, CA
Join the awesome pilgrims of the Silicon Valley chapter for this hike. Meet at the Woodside Elementary School at the corner of Woodside and Ablion. Parking available at the school. We’ll walk from the school to Huddart Park. Options of 2 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles and 9 miles round trip. Lunch afterwards at Buck’s. For trail maps and more info go to parks.smcgov.org/huddart-park. Bring the usual-water, snacks, good hiking shoes and sunscreen.
3195 Woodside Rd, Woodside, California 94062
Event for American Pilgrims on the Camino – Silicon Valley
Lake Merritt Walk in Oakland – Every First Saturday
Saturday, June 1, 10:30 AM
Join our popular and easy walk that takes place on the first Saturday of the month, rain or shine. Meet at the Pergola (aka “The Columns”) on the east side of Oakland’s Lake Merritt at 10:30 AM and start walking by 10:45 AM. It’s a level, 3.3-mile walk around the lake that takes about an hour. Whether you’re a newbie or Camino veteran, everyone is welcome. Bring your questions, answers and pilgrim spirit! But leave the dogs at home (for insurance purposes.) Stay for lunch after the walk at a local restaurant, location TBD. If you’re on the NorCal Facebook group, join event.
Attention members attending this walk: Be the first to check out items from our revamped NorCal Chapter Library! It’s as easy as Uno – Dos – Tres!
1. Request up to 3 items using the new form: https://forms.gle/SJiVuMYxkzkuJNKL8
2. Pick up your items at the Lake Merritt walk from a library volunteer and write your name on the item’s pocket card. You may keep them for up to 4 weeks.
3. Return items to a library volunteer at the next Lake Merritt walk or NorCal chapter event (per request form)
Camino 101 Series: First Steps
Tuesday, June 4 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
REI Sacramento
Join the Sacramento Pilgrims the 1st session of their 3-part Camino 101 Series: First Steps!
So, you have decided to walk the Camino de Santiago?
Making the decision to walk the Camino oftentimes brings into focus many practical questions that need answers. The first might be “How do I get to the start of the Camino?” or even before that, “Where is the start of the Camino??” We will discuss many of the popular options for where to start your Camino, as well as review popular tools and websites to help plan your trip to Spain (or France or Portugal). Once you have landed, we’ll discuss the many options for using local trains, buses, and/or shared transport to help you arrive to your starting point. Lastly, we will discuss the options for getting back home from Santiago de Compostela, or wherever your Camino stage ends.
This presentation is intended to address some of the practical questions of “How do I get started?” and we will be including our experience and “how to” which will be helpful to anyone planning their first Camino.
Free event at the Sacramento Cal Expo REI, however, you must register to reserve a seat: Register Here
REI – Sacramento
1790 Expo Pkwy
Sacramento, CA 95819 United States + Google Map
Follow Sacramento Pilgrims Chapter.
Next in the series:
REI Camino 101: Gear & Packing Tips
June 25 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
REI – Sacramento
Click for details
REI Camino 101: Resources
July 23, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
REI – Sacramento
Click for details
Using Poles for Hiking & Outdoor Exercise
With Jayah Faye Paley (highly recommended!)
Free Sessions at REI stores: June 5 San Carlos; June 11 Dublin; July 17 Berkeley; July 24 Corte Madera
Power & performance with trekking poles! Whether you’re a beginner hiker, a back packer, a cross-training athlete or someone who faces mobility challenges, learn how and why optimal use of poles significantly improves your performance and confidence on the trail. Using poles while hiking or walking engages your whole body and is terrific exercise. Save your knees as well as improve endurance, balance, spine function, agility, core strength and weight management. Optimal use of poles means achieving the many benefits without creating stress or strain in the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, even the neck. This session will include a discussion of movements and techniques that provide a noticeable difference in your spine function and posture. Jayah Faye Paley, creator of two award-winning DVDs (one for hikers and one for people with mobility challenges) (www.PolesForMobility.com), will discuss how anatomically-optimal use of poles can expand your horizons and make it easier to enjoy the trails. You spend less time looking at your feet and more time really being in nature.
Wednesday, June 5, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
San Carlos REI
Register here
Tuesday, June 11, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Dublin REI
Register here
Wednesday, July 17, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Berkeley REI
Register here
Wednesday, July 24, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Corte Madera REI
Register here
Redwood Regional Park Hike in Oakland
Sunday, June 9, 2019
10 am – 3 pm
Join us for a hike and picnic in Redwood Regional Park, which has the largest remaining natural stand of coastal redwoods in the East Bay. Due to trail closures this year, we have to break with tradition and take the West Ridge Trail. It begins with a steep climb (~3/4 mi) then levels out into a pleasant stretch along the ridgeline to Redwood Bowl where we’ll stop for lunch. For our return, we’ll head to the top of Redwood Peak then wind our way down the switchbacks of French and Fern Trails to Redwood Creek and take the popular Stream Trail through the cool, redwood forest. Total mileage is about 6 miles with 1,063 feet of elevation gain. This is a fairly challenging hike and a good training opportunity.
Meet us by 10:00 AM for check-in and briefing at the Canyon Meadow Staging Area, inside the Redwood Gate entrance of the park (https://goo.gl/maps/Kz6CNYTqvyB2). There are several parking lots in the staging area – we’ll be at the last one closest to the Stream Trailhead. Restrooms and water are available. There is little/no phone reception in the staging area to contact us if you are running late. Please plan to arrive early to make the meet-up time and/or use the facilities. We expect to arrive back at the trailhead around 3:30 PM. No RSVP required. Led by Guy Joaquin, chapter coordinator.
More details from email or on the Facebook Event
Save the Date
Feast of Saint James Potluck with Guest Speaker Alexander Shaia
Thursday, July 25, 6 – 9 pm
Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Piedmont, CA
Date / Time:
Thursday, July 25, 6 – 9 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM (We appreciate volunteers to help with setup or cleanup)
Location:
Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Gibson Center
322 St. James Drive, Piedmont, CA 94611
A free parking lot is located at the Corpus Christi school behind the church at 1 Estates Drive.
The Gibson Center is downstairs from the west side of the parking lot.
As always, we encourage carpools, public transportation and Lyft or Uber.
More details will be added to my July events post and emailed to NorCal chapter subscribers. Sign up for our NorCal Chapter Email list.
In case you missed it, read the interview with Karin Kiser, author and peregrina who has been spotted picking up trash on the Camino! Karin recently published two mini guidebooks, Your Inner Camino and After the Camino.
I brought the green booklet on my Camino because I like to have something meaningful to read each day, yet the small size didn’t weigh me down. I’ll read the yellow one soon, because the PCBs (post-Camino Blues) are a thing!
Oh, and they are available in Spanish too.
Conjunto de 2 libros: El camino hacia tu interior y Después del camino
Order the paperbacks at: www.CaminoChroniclesPress.com
Order the Kindle edition on Amazon.
Northern California Chapter T-Shirts
NorCal T-Shirts in lightweight tri-blend fabric with the shell design on front and “Solvitur Ambulando – It is solved by walking” on the back.
The Camino Provides Patches
The Camino Provides 2019 Patch
Now that I’m home, patch orders resume with my usual fast turnaround (3-5 days!) Original (no date) and 2019 patches are $4 each at etsy.com/shop/caminoprovides.
My mission is to celebrate the Camino de Santiago and the pilgrim’s journey, from the calling to Compostela and beyond. I do this by sharing informative tips on training, gear, and routes; by promoting Camino related events in the Bay Area; by interviewing pilgrims and sharing inspiring stories; and by curating content relevant to the Camino. Purchases help to defray the costs of hosting and managing this blog so that I can keep sharing the Camino love!
To everyone heading out on a pilgrimage or staying home, Buen Camino!
Laurie
There are always opportunities to train for or learn about the Camino. 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.
For those who live elsewhere, there are Camino hot spots all over the USA and the American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC) website has a listing of local chapters where you can find Camino events.
Subscribe to our NorCal Chapter email list.
Join the Peregrinos Northern California Facebook group (closed group for Northern California residents only)
Visit the Northern California Chapter page on the American Pilgrims on the Camino website.
The Camino Provides 