Portlandia (Portland, Oregon) Chapter

The regional chapter of American PIlgrims for the western Oregon area is centered on Portland. Broadly stated, the purpose of this local chapter is to keep members connected to the Camino and to introduce new people to the phenomenon.  We plan to accomplish this in a number of ways, such as social events, walks, mentoring future pilgrims and serving as a venue for hospitalero training through American Pilgrims.

• To offer opportunities for local pilgrims to gather and hold events related to the Camino.
• To mentor future pilgrims, promote the pilgrimage and American Pilgrims through social gatherings.
• To serve as a venue for hospitalero training in the Pacific Northwest.                                  

The chapter will be scheduling walks, talks, potlucks and much more! These will be listed here but you may also want to check the Local and Regional Events page for other events that may be of interest. Contact chapter coordinators Kathy Kennerly or John Pigott at PortlandiaChapter@americanpilgrims.com for more information or to be added to the chapter e-mail list.

SPECIAL NOTE:

The Portlandia Chapter will be having a special shell ceremony for those who are planning to leave on pilgrimage soon (April/May). If you would like to participate in this ceremony, please send us a note at PortlandiaChapter@americanpilgrims.com to let us know so we have enough shells for everyone.

EVENTS:

Scheduled Events

VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON
American Pilgrims Portlandia Chapter Sunday Stroll
Sunday, May 19, 2013, 2:00 p.m.

We will be doing our stroll along the Columbia Slough in North Portland. It will be approximately 4 miles round trip and take just under 2 hours to complete. The trail is on a quiet, paved route, with gentle slopes and stunning views of wildlife (birders bring your binoculars!) along the Columbia Slough. We’ll walk to PIR before turning around and returning the way we came.

Directions: Head WEST on N Columbia Blvd. Turn RIGHT at 5100 N Columbia Blvd, then LEFT onto N Columbia Ct. for on street parking. The meeting point will be at a public art piece, featuring birds near the intersection of Columbia Blvd and Columbia Ct. There is quite a bit of construction in the area, but we'll try to be there early with appropriate Camino clothing so you can find us. Afterwards, we will meet at Kenton Station (8303 N Denver) for no-host drinks and snacks. We’ll walk, talk and probably laugh some. Come try out your new gear and/or get advice from seasoned pilgrims on what to wear and what to take.

Recent Events

Sunday Strolls, Sunday, January 20 and February 17, 2013:
The Portlandia Chapter had its regular Sunday Strolls, Sunday, January 20 and February 17 at Columbia Slough in North Portland and the Pittock Mansion hike.

Talk: Preparing for Your Camino, Tuesday, February 19, 2013:
Camino veteran and Portlandia Chapter co-coordinator Heather Knight presented a talk on how to prepare for your Camino walk.

Tapas Potluck, Vancouver, Washington, Saturday, March 9, 2013:
Talk about winter pilgrimage and the Camino portugués were on tap at a tapas potluck.

Sunday Strolls, Sunday, March 17, 2013:
The Portlandia Chapter had its regular Sunday Stroll, Sunday, March 17 around the Fort Vancouver installation in Vancouver.

Sunday Strolls, Sunday, April 21, 2013:
The Portlandia Chapter had its regular Sunday Stroll, Sunday, April 21 along the Leif Erikson Trail in Vancouver.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Local Resources
For Training and Preparation, we are working at compiling a list of local Portland-area (really, anywhere in Western Oregon north of Eugene) resources for pilgrims preparing for walking the Camino. Places to buy gear, favorite trails or walking routes, etc. If you have a recommendation, please send us an email and we'll add it to the list. This information will be put into a Google Doc that everyone can access when it is completed.

Camino mentoring
Some of you may have questions about planning your Camino and some of you may be interested in sharing your Camino knowledge with others. If you are interested in serving as a mentor to a future pilgrim, please send us an email (PortlandiaChapter@americanpilgrims.com) with your contact information (email, phone and what route/when you walked). If you are a future pilgrim would like to be mentored, please send us an email with your contact information (email, phone and what route you are thinking about walking). If we have some matches, we'll put you in contact with one another. As always, Kathy and I are always willing and able to get together with anyone planning their Camino walk to answer questions and give advice.