View Full Version : Lone Star Trail
Pete Moss
05-22-2008, 14:34
I am thinking about doing a portion of this trail over Memorial Day weekend and was wondering if anyone had any expirience with this trail? Water?Best sections? etc.?
berninbush
05-22-2008, 15:05
I'm assuming you're talking about the Lone Star Trail in southeast Texas. That's a long way to come from Nashville for the weekend! Any particular reason you're coming down here?
I've hiked the western end of the trail, miles 0 through 18. There's generally plenty of water. This time of year, you can expect it to be very hot, humid, and somewhat overgrown and cob-webby. There's a lot of lovely pine woods, though. The best camping spot on the trail in the western end is less than a mile in from a road crossing/ trailhead, on the shore of Lake Conroe. There will almost certainly be others camping there, but if you want privacy you can bushwhack up the shore a bit.
Google "Lone Star Hiking Club" for their website, maps, and trail guide. Or type it into the Whiteblaze search feature to find several threads we've had on this trail.
Pete Moss
05-22-2008, 15:10
cool, that was kinda the plan, there seem to be some nice loops on that west side that you can adjust the hike as you go to shorter or longer, depending on how I feel.
Live in Austin now, but am relocating to Nashville after a southbound thru in July. Need to get out and do some shakedown over Memorial day!!
Once again, truly appriciate your input berninbush!!!
Check out this trailjournal:
She also wrote a guide for it. You may want to ping her for info directly.
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3965
Have fun!
berninbush
05-22-2008, 16:36
Yes, I'll second Mags' link. I have emailed with Nocona and she was very nice and helpful. She just had a baby a couple of months ago I think... at least she was due then. She sent me parts of her guide to look at, but she's trying to get the whole thing published.
Besides the stretch from the FM1375 trailhead to Lake Conroe, the section I've hiked the most is the Little Lake Creek wilderness area. You can park on the trailhead at FM149. There's a loop in this section, formed by a southward "dip" in the LSHT plus the "shortcut" of the North Wilderness Trail. The NWT in particular is crossed by several deep gullies with a couple of inches of water flowing in the bottom, so be prepared to do a little climbing and get your feet wet.
How many miles do you want to hike?
Nocona is good people.
Here's the announcement of the little one:
http://mailman.hack.net/pipermail/cdt-l/2008-February/001907.html
Her and Bald Eagle found out the pregnancy on their CDT thru-hike attempt!
If you read her CDT journal as well (in Augusta..), you can read all about it.
berninbush
05-22-2008, 16:48
Thanks for the link, Mags. I should email her again with congrats. Maybe she'll send me her guide to the next section on my "list." (I'm trying to "section hike" the LST... I know that sounds funny when it's just 100 miles long, but I'm working with an 8-to-4:30 job so I only get out on weekends, and I'm slow!)
Pete Moss
05-22-2008, 17:41
Yes, I'll second Mags' link. I have emailed with Nocona and she was very nice and helpful. She just had a baby a couple of months ago I think... at least she was due then. She sent me parts of her guide to look at, but she's trying to get the whole thing published.
Besides the stretch from the FM1375 trailhead to Lake Conroe, the section I've hiked the most is the Little Lake Creek wilderness area. You can park on the trailhead at FM149. There's a loop in this section, formed by a southward "dip" in the LSHT plus the "shortcut" of the North Wilderness Trail. The NWT in particular is crossed by several deep gullies with a couple of inches of water flowing in the bottom, so be prepared to do a little climbing and get your feet wet.
How many miles do you want to hike?
Thanks guys!!! I'm thinking about heading into the trailhead off FM149 and just playing it by ear as I will have to bring the dog with me,(unfortunately no babysitters for him available). Ideally, I would do about 12-15 a day, with him though will be more like 7-8 a day. He is the concern for water as well. But should make a good 3 day trip. Leaving Friday after work and coming in monday.
berninbush
05-22-2008, 18:22
I don't think you'll have problems finding water. I'm sure there are times in summer droughts when all the little creeks dry up, but I doubt that's the case right now. If you really get desperate, you're never very far from a road crossing anyway. The last few times I've been out there I had the opposite problem... too MUCH water! The area around mile markers 17-18 was extremely swampy; I was wading more than hiking.
The extreme west end of the trail (on FS219, just off FM149) looked to me to be little-used when I was out there last July. There were times I was completely dependent on the blazes to figure out where it went next, as there was no treadway visible. The other FM149 trailhead east of Little Lake Creek Wilderness is more used. You can still go a long time without seeing anyone at times. Dunno how busy it will be this weekend.
My biggest advice would be to listen to your body and not overdo it. Texas heat, even in May, is in a class by itself. The trees provide shade but they also block breezes and trap in humidity. The Mexican siesta is an excellent invention... don't be afraid to use it if the middle of the day is unbearable!
Pete Moss
05-22-2008, 18:31
Houser, my dog, is a firm believer in the afternoon siesta...for that matter I am too!! Might have to take a fishing rod and just park it by the lake on afternoon
Great trail, hot, humid, and buggy, typical Texas. Wish there were more ups and downs, but I did enjoy my hikes there. Good luck this weekend!
berninbush
05-23-2008, 15:32
Pete, if you go down there, please let us know how your trip was. I haven't been up there since March so I'd like to hear what conditions on the west end of the trail are like. :)
Pete Moss
05-27-2008, 18:35
Got back Sunday afternoon, we left a day early. It was entirely to hot for the dog. It must have been in the upper 90's and Humid. We would walk for about 30 minutes and then the dog would have to rest for 20. So we did about 15-20 miles total. Trail was a little overgrown and there was a little bit of water around. We also saw a fairly large herd of Deer at dusk on Friday. One got within 10 ft of us and didnt see us, it got on the trail and caught me out of the corner of its eye. I was standing very still and just said "boo!"
The Deer fell over and rolled...startled and trying to get away, it tripped over its own legs...It ran away and I laughed histerically!!!!
berninbush
07-15-2008, 15:54
*just looked back over some old threads and saw this*
:) That's a great deer story. I'd love to hear it from the deer's point of view!!
I'm having LSHT thoughts again, but want to wait til it cools off (October or so). I'm pretty used to heat, but last time I went out in July I had to quit due to heat exhaustion and an allergic reaction. The combination of heat and humidity can be deadly, especially when you're fighting overgrowth. If I go out now, it'll probably be for an evening-night-morning trip to avoid the heat of the day.
Sorry I missed this thread -- I was quite busy with a new baby back in March. (BTW, thanks for the kind words Mags and others.)
I do have a completed guidebook with maps -- it's being discussed with a publisher as I type. I hope to have it in print by the end of this year. In the meantime, I'm always willing to share draft versions "for review" by any other hikers, esp. those who will use it in the trail and give me any feedback. Just send me an email at
[email protected].
And for any other wondering what seasons are best for a thru-hike, or any hike for that matter, I highly recommend January, Feb or March. Temps are usually mild to cool, bugs are nonexistant and the trail is typically all yours to enjoy. Other months are doable, but you do have to take precautions against the heat and bugs (and sometimes, the hunters).
The LST is a neat little trail. I consider it one required for the Triple Crown of Tiny Trails (LST, Pinhoti Trail, Wonderland).
Update: Lone Star Trail's first official printed guidebook now for sale at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Star-Hiking-Trail-Official/dp/0899975046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259084137&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Star-Hiking-Trail-Official/dp/0899975046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259084137&sr=8-1)
Monster13
11-24-2009, 22:34
Update: Lone Star Trail's first official printed guidebook now for sale at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Star-Hiking-Trail-Official/dp/0899975046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259084137&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Star-Hiking-Trail-Official/dp/0899975046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259084137&sr=8-1)
Thanks for posting this and bringing this thread to the top. I would have missed it otherwise and may have missed this trail! My husband and I moved to San Antonio in June this summer (military). I've been trying to find places to hike, but haven't really ventured too far (have mostly stayed at Government Canyon, although we did do the summit and part of the loop trail at Enchanted Rock, but that's the farthest we've been so far). The LST will make a great first long hike to do before my AT thru hike in 2011! :sun
Shutterbug
11-25-2009, 11:16
Thanks for posting this and bringing this thread to the top. I would have missed it otherwise and may have missed this trail! My husband and I moved to San Antonio in June this summer (military). I've been trying to find places to hike, but haven't really ventured too far (have mostly stayed at Government Canyon, although we did do the summit and part of the loop trail at Enchanted Rock, but that's the farthest we've been so far). The LST will make a great first long hike to do before my AT thru hike in 2011! :sun
From San Antonio, it isn't far to Big Bend National Park. There are some good trails there.
Monster13
11-25-2009, 16:22
From San Antonio, it isn't far to Big Bend National Park. There are some good trails there.
Big Bend's on the far west side of the state...a good four or five hours from San Antonio. That was where I was originally planning to do my first long trip, but the LST seems to be a little closer.
Schuetzen
11-25-2009, 17:48
Or-Kid:
Your in Texas now 4-5 hours is nothing.
skinewmexico
11-25-2009, 20:21
Or-Kid:
Your in Texas now 4-5 hours is nothing.
No kidding. I live in West Texas, and it's 5 hours to anything worth doing. Including San Antonio. Well, OK, I can get to Guadelupe Mountains National Park in 2 hours.
Schuetzen
11-25-2009, 23:55
I wish I could get to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in 2 hours.
MuffinMan11
11-26-2009, 00:21
It is definetly hard in Texas being a backpacker. In Fort Worth I have the Cross Timbers Trail on Lake Texoma about 1.5 Hours and everything else is at least 4 hours away. To add to that the heat limits the time frame. And then to top that off hunting seasons quite a few trails limit you to certain campsites only. And hunting season is the best time to be out. Needless to say I can probably hike the Cross Timbers trail with my eyes closed and its not very long either. I know of the LSHT, 4C, and one I did in Georgetown years ago. Anyone know of others in the area that are fairly close?
It is definetly hard in Texas being a backpacker. In Fort Worth I have the Cross Timbers Trail on Lake Texoma about 1.5 Hours and everything else is at least 4 hours away. To add to that the heat limits the time frame. And then to top that off hunting seasons quite a few trails limit you to certain campsites only. And hunting season is the best time to be out. Needless to say I can probably hike the Cross Timbers trail with my eyes closed and its not very long either. I know of the LSHT, 4C, and one I did in Georgetown years ago. Anyone know of others in the area that are fairly close?
pick up the 60 day hikes book for texas. None are long distance, but some are 5 to 10 miles and very close to you. Lake Worth area and such.