#1. Hiking the Camino de Santiago. Independent traveler Susan Alcorn will present a narrated digital slide show of her five-week 500-mile trek along Spain's ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, the burial place of the disciple St. James. Program length: 30-40 minutes with question period following.

"Come walk with Susan and Ralph Alcorn through quaint medieval towns in the high mountains of the Pyrenees, across the fertile red soils of the Rioja region, to the lush green Galician Hills. Susan will give you pointers for planning your own Camino adventure, including gear, expenses, lodging and what to expect about life on this centuries-old trail."

#2. A reading from Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago, by Susan Alcorn. This is the story of her five-week, 500-mile trek along Spain's ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, the burial place of the disciple St. James. In Camino Chronicle, Susan combines her journal entries with legends, history, and cultural insights. Program length: 20-30 minutes with question and answer period.

#3. Hiking the John Muir Trail. Independent travelers Susan and Ralph Alcorn will present a digital slide presentation of their experiences section-hiking the JMT. The John Muir Trail, from Yosemite Valley south to Mt. Whitney, is the crown jewel of High Sierra trails; its 221 miles showcase some of the finest mountain scenery in the continental U.S. Program length: 30-40 minutes with question and answer period following.

Susan will also read short excerpts of her book, We're in the Mountains, Not over the Hill-Tales and Tips From Seasoned Women Backpackers (Shepherd Canyon Books). This is a program designed to support not only the armchair traveler, but also the aspiring 'thru-hiker' or those who plan to backpack the trail in segments. They will find out the experts' tips on trip planning, packing light and avoiding encounters with bears.

A partial listing of previous programs:

Friday, November 7, 2009. 7:00 PM. Sierra Club Singleaires of Los Gatos, CA Contact: Rita Baum. baumrita "at sign" sbcglobal.net. Phone: 408-866-9158.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 7:00 PM. REI Fremont, 43962 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538. (510) 651-0305. Hiking the Camino de Santiago. Contact Polly Bolling, REI Program Coordinator. 

Monday, July 13, 2009. 5:30-7:00 PM. Book Passage, 1 Ferry Bldg # 42, San Francisco, CA 94111. (415) 835-1020. A reading from Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago. A Left Coast Writers' event hosted by Colette O'Brien. Five writers are reading about "The Great Outdoors."

Thursday, July 30, 2009. REI Brentwood (brand new store!), Ste 100, 2475 Sand Creek Rd, Brentwood, CA 94513. (925) 516-3540. See REI Fremont July 7 program above for details..

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 7:00 PM. REI Fremont, 43962 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538. (510) 651-0305.