So I'm sitting in this three-day, 13-hour-a-day Landmark Education self-improvement seminar in San Francisco, and all I could think about was escaping through one of the (hermetically sealed) windows and making a dash for Nob Hill, the only thing resembling a steep incline in the area.

It was during the dinner break during the final day of the seminar that I conspired with Paul Schutzman and Mai-Ling Garcia -- two of the very cool people with whom I'd made a connection during our three days of captivity -- to invent a means by which to keep in touch (the three of us having rejected Landmark's invention for keeping in touch, which was to sign up for more Landmark course).

Thus was born The Circle of Trust & Beer Hiking Club (accent on sarcasm).

Our first hike was in Feb. 2012. We became a Meetup group in Sept. 2012. The Circle quickly evolved beyond its Landmark roots. We are now, simply, an extraordinary confluence of hills, hops and humans (like you) who find their bliss above sea level -- and then gladly sacrifice all those burned calories to the beer gods.

In February 2013, we expanded our circumference to include the newest wedge in our hiking family: The Semi-Circle of Trust & Beer -- for those who like it higher, harder and longer. Their hikes, that is. The Semi-Circle has but one prerequisite: No Rookies. In other words, your first hike with our group can't be a Semi-Circle hike. Because you have to be IN The Circle before you can penetrate the velvet rope of the Semi-Circle.

Some more worthless stuff you might like to know about The Circle of Trust & Beer Hiking Club:

Starting Time
As a rule, hikes start at Noon -- but may be 30 or 60 minutes earlier during the darkest months of Daylight Standard Time.

Age
You must be 21 (the beer thing). But even if you're not imbibing, it's adults only. And no drinking like a minor -- horse-shit beers from Milwaukee, St. Louis or Detroit are frowned upon.

Your Status
On your profile, the line directly underneath your name indicates the number of Circle of Trust & Beer (and Semi-Circle) hikes you've conquered. If none, you're still a "Rookie." You should really do something about that. Now.

44: Our Number
There are plenty of hiking Meetup groups that will pile as many people onto as possible. But we have no desire to become the Disneyland of hiking clubs. We'd rather get to know all of our Trustees and facilitate the type of bonding that trails were made for. So our RSVP limit for all hikes is 44. That number also takes into consideration arrangement we have to make with restaurants/pubs to accommodate us for our post-hike elbow bending.

But if you're interested in a hike that has already hit its limit of 44, don't hesitate to RSVP for the Waiting List. Trustees are pretty conscience about changing their RSVP (to "No") when their circumstances change, so those on the Waiting List tend to move up quickly, especially in the final days before the hike.

About Our Hikes
We hike in Marin, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties -- and we do an annual outing in Yosemite National Park (May 17-19). Our hikes are moderate -- usually in the 6-9 mile range, with anywhere from 1,100 to 1,700 feet of vertical gain. Our hikes range from 3 to 5 hours (taking into account picture-taking and a short stop for trail munchies). We pick hikes with big visual payoffs and great post-trail beer-bonding experiences. Check out our next Circle of Trust & Beer Hike.

If you like your hikes with a bit more zest, we've created ...

Semi-Circle of Trust & Beer Hikes
Added in February 2013 in response to a faction of Trustees that wanted it higher, harder and longer, the Semi-Circle is for experienced, hearty hikers who like to sweat the steeper inclines, loftier hills and longer trails. The 2,000-foot elevation mark will be common, as will 9-10 mile hikes. As mentioned earlier, our lone prerequisite: No Rookies. Check out next Semi-Circle outing.

Dog-Gone Hikes
For the record, we dig dogs. Just not on our hikes, where they can hazardously swoop underfoot of hikers on steep terrain and return from off-trail excursions covered with easily transferable poison oak. There's no shortage of Meetups geared toward hikers and hounds.

Fitness Level
There's no judgment in The Circle. But you should be fit enough to climb the challenging hills we regularly encounter. Because Circle hikes are populated by hikers with an array of paces, we use checkpoints to make sure everybody is rounded up.

Gear
You know your body better than anybody, but ... don't be that person who comes to hikes without the basics: plenty of water, nutrition to get you through a solid workout, and additional layers -- abrupt chilling winds and fog are common in Bay Area hills. As for shoes, some hikers feel comfortable in sneakers ... but they suck for steep or rocky descends.

Celebrating the Hike
The "& Beer" part of our title stems from our tradition of stopping at a watering hole or restaurant near the hike and bending an elbow or two. Everybody is usually pretty hungry, too -- but you've earned it. It's very casual (after all, we're in sweaty hiking attire), so we choose the places accordingly. On average, we  probably spend 90 minutes drinking, eating, connecting ... and hazing Rookie hikers into singing their high school fight songs. Just kidding. Sort of.

Carpooling
Yeah, we're for it. Go ecology!

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Welcome to the Circle, Rookie! Don't hesitate to email with questions.

Brian Higgins (Alameda, CA)
Founder & Hike Organizer