Each fall, the Berkeley Buddhist studies community celebrates the beginning of the new academic year with a hike followed by a picnic. This tradition, which began in 2009, brings together faculty, students, postdocs, visiting scholars, as well as their friends and families. The event is an opportunity for everyone to reconnect after being away for the summer, to get to know the newcomers to our community, and to delight in the natural beauty of the parklands that lie just outside the Bay Area. (Hikes and picnics have been staged from Stinson Beach, Point Reyes, Mount Tam, Tennessee Valley, and so on.) The 10-14 mile circular routes along the rugged Pacific coastline ensure that everyone builds up a good appetite and has a story to tell.