Loning the Lone Star Trail

Halloween this year turned out to be a blast! It was on the same day it normally is every year, except it just took me awhile to get around to posting about it. I decided to go backpacking along the Lone Star Trail in Sam Houston National Forest! I finally got to test out my shiny new equipment (not actually shiny, just new-ish). 

This was my first solo backpacking adventure, so I wanted to make sure I didn't mess anything up or get lost or anything like that. I followed protocol on informing people where I'd be and when, and called the ranger office to get tips and advice (thank you Shelly). Good thing I did that too; it was hunting season, so I had to deck out in all orange.

I got all my gear packed up and water filled and rolled out early Saturday morning. I wasn't too sure what I'd be running into, but I tried to pick a lofty goal for mileage and hopefully in a good part. The goal: 13 miles along miles 45 and 58 of the LST (a little info here- the lone star trail is a 130 mile thru-hiking trail)

The trail was filled with lots of pine trees, aluminum tree tags to mark the way, and, best of all, silence. I forget how silent nature can be, and how beautiful it is. Despite not having a nice lake, valley, hills, mountain, water formation, or rock formation to look forward to having the opportunity to hike and be with the earth in its natural noise was perfect. There were the occasional squirrels romping and deers be frightened, and at night, it was silence mixed with a symphony of coyote calls on both sides of my camp.

It turns out after a day of hiking with a semi-heavy load (~30 lbs.), your body may get a little sore the next day. Getting started made me feel like an old man, but once my body got used to the weight again, I was off to head back to my car.

On the return trip, during the road hiking portions of the trail, I ran into a few other people driving and asking me if I was lost. I had to inform them that I was actually on a trail, but it just looks like a road to other people.

I made it back in one piece, and only wetted my appetite for my next outdoor adventure!

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