Hiking Adventure Plan

from website: http://www.oocities.org/rhorii/OutdoorPhotoGallery.html

One of the most amazing things about the Bay Area is how close we are to a variety of beautiful parks that offer trails that lead to amazing vistas.  One of these parks is the Santa Teresa County Park.  I've recently hiked to Coyote Peak via the Coyote Peak Trail (see fancy pic above) while visiting Santa Teresa County Park.  Although I've been to Coyote Peak once before, I was amazed by the view and fell in love with this park all over again.  Also, this second time around, I was impressed by how (kind of) easy the trail was and by how many different activities this park offers (trail biking and picnicking).  This got me thinking:  a)  I have a craving to throw a BBQ and b)  I've got to bring more people to this awesome location!

Soo....  Here's the plan (you might want to refer to the trail map here):

We will meet in the parking lot in the morning (about 9:30 am or 10:00 am).  The hiking will start immediately with the Hidden Springs Trail, connecting to the Coyote Peak Trail to the right, then check out the views at Coyote Peak (0.8 mi., about 40 minutes).  

View from Coyote Peak.  From website:  http://www.oocities.org/rhorii/OutdoorPhotoGallery.html

After, we start our descent by continuing on Coyote Peak Trail, then take the Rocky Ridge Trail to our right back to the parking lot and picnic area (2.2 mi., about 1 hour).  By the time we get back to the parking lot, it would be about noon, which is the perfect time to find a shady picnic spot (including grill) and have a BBQ!

Group picnic area (reservations required).  From website:  http://www.oocities.org/rhorii/OutdoorPhotoGallery.html

The food:

For the hike, I can make individual fruit kits for each guest.  I'm thinking a small bunch of grapes, a clementine, and a whole banana (for at the beginning of the hike).

For the BBQ, I'd probably keep it simple, as I predict we are going to feel pretty lazy after the hike.  I would probably splurge on gourmet sausages, corn on the cob (Mexican style, maybe?), and a simple salad.  I'd also have on hand all the popular trimmings: grilled bell peppers, grilled onions, diced fresh onions, dijon mustard, classic yellow mustard, ketchup, mayo, sauerkraut, relish, banana peppers, sriracha, celery salt, and seasoned salt.  Add some potato chips to munch on and watermelon (if in season) as a dessert, and I'll say we've got ourselves a hearty lunch!

The Drinks:

What's a picnic without lemonade?  I'll probably bust out my strawberry lemonade and some cute  paper straws.  Of course, what's a BBQ without alcohol?  I'd keep it simple and have a few 6 packs of microbrews on ice.

The Prep:

In order to have anything be both detailed and successful is to, well, plan it to a T.  To prep for this outing, I'm going to address each food item and my plan for accommodating it.

1. The fruit kits:  I'd buy and wash the clementines and grapes the day before, then separate them into quart sized ziplocs labeled with each guest's name.  Knowing myself, I'll probably try to draw some fun pictures as well.  I'd also provide a paper towel in each ziploc because it helps keep the fruits dry and can serve as a napkin in a pinch.  The bananas will be handed out in the parking lot as we prepare to head out onto the trail.
   
2. The Sausage Feast:  I'd plan on at least two sausages per guest.  There's no prep needed for sausages.  For the grilled bell peppers (the more colors, the fancier), I'd pre-slice them, toss them lightly in olive oil, then put them in a ziploc.  For the grilled onions, I'd do the same.  The last time I served sausages with grilled onions and bell peppers, I used one medium onion and two bell peppers for 3 people (just thought I'd provide a loose guide).  For the diced onions, I'd dice them then store in a water tight, locking tupperware (and just serve it from the tupperware.  I'm no Martha Stewart.  =P).  I'd also pre-wrap each bun in foil so that it can warm up and hopefully get chewy on the grill.
   
3. The (maybe Mexican) Corn:  If I were lazy, I'd just simply microwave the corn with the husk on (I don't know how long) the night before to precook it.  I'd then bag the corn and store cold until we start barbecuing.  I'd heat it up on the grill until the husk is singed.  Serve with butter.  If I weren't lazy, I'd make my version of Mexican Corn (which is probably wrong).  I would invest in a condiment squirt bottle and fill it with a mixture of Mexican cream, chili powder, salt, (a pinch of) sugar, and lime the night before.  I have never paid attention to the proportions (sorry!), and I just guess what it's supposed to taste like.  On the day of, I would peel back the husks of the precooked corn, sprinkle it liberally with chili powder, then squirt the Mexican cream mixture on the kernels, then pop it straight on the grill until the kernels are slightly singed, using the husks to rotate the corn.  My hope is that precooking the corn will help make it singe faster.
   
4. Salad:  I'd just buy a salad mix of my choice, prewashed, of course.  I'd also make a champagne vinegar, olive oil, fresh garlic, salt, and dijon mustard mix the night before and toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.  I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it was highly recommended by my coworker.  I would guess it was 1/3 champagne vinegar, 2/3 olive oil, and everything else to taste.  Forgive me and adjust accordingly if I'm wrong.
   
5. Freckled lemonade:  I'd pre-slice the lemons and the strawberries, then assemble on site.  My recipe is:  2 cans pink lemonade frozen concentrate, 6 cans drinking water (use the pink lemonade cans to measure), 2 lemons, thinly sliced in rounds, 2 baskets of strawberries, de-stemmed and sliced, 1/2 jar strawberry topping (NOT jam, found in the ice cream isle usually).  On the day of, add the pink lemonade concentrate, water, and lemon to an appropriately sized punch bowl.  Mash the lemon slices with a ladle to extract some "freshness."  Add the strawberry topping, followed by the ice and the strawberries.  Mix gently before serving.  I've never been this fancy before, but you can add a sprig of mint to each glass if you'd like.  It's a really beautiful punch.

The Equipment:

I'll include a suggested list of materials for a legit bbq.

• two large coolers to carry everything.  I'd have one for the drinks and one for the food, packing the meat on the bottom to avoid contamination.
  
• 1 personal sized cooler to be filled with ice for the condiments
  
• Ice, enough to fill both coolers, plus one intact bag to use for the punch
  
• Napkins, plastic forks, knives
  
• Cups, plates
  
• Tongs to man the grill
  
• A manly man to man the grill (optional)
  
• A bag of coal to fuel all the manly grilling (necessary)
  
• Foil to roast the grilled onions and bell pepper.  Optional: use a grilling basket similar to this instead.
  
• bottle opener
  
• large cutting board and knife to cut the watermelon
  
• a punch bowl and ladle
  
• a large, plastic bowl or tupperware for the salad, and servers for the salad
  
• paper towels for messes
  
• tablecloth, disposable or otherwise
  
• games or frisbee or whatevs
  
• a source of music
  
• all the food.  You can't forget the food.  Lol.
  
• Optional:  Last year, I bought this nifty "Camp Pack-N-Prep Tote/Table", which I'm working on supplying with enough salad plates, dinner plates, and cups for 8 people.  So, I am well equipped to bring pretty melamine plates and acrylic glasses for a more sophisticated feel than disposable paper ones.  So far, I only have cups, but I'm waiting for this salad plate and this dinner plate to go on sale first.  Who knows?  I might lose patience and buy it full price.  I patched a sample image of the two plates together below.  Too excited!
  

Images were modified from Target.com

There you go!  A nice, outdoorsy outing with some definitely fancy options.  =P