Being my “home trail”, I’ve section hiked almost all of the LSHT but have never had the opportunity to thru hike it. The LSHT is a 96.4 mile (end-to-end) hikers-only trail, 128 miles with associated loops. It’s the longest continuous footpath in Texas, winding through several parcels of the Sam Houston National Forest with some road walking between. The trail is wonderfully maintained, blazed, mile-marked and signed mostly by volunteers associated with the LSHT Club.

I planned a 4˝ to 5 day west-to-east solo hike, but it became clear on the second day that a nasty weather system would probably cut my hike short. So I had to choose between limiting my mileage, or pushing my limits and finishing a full day early (see “Trip Log” below). Here’s some information that may assist someone who wants to through hike the trail…

Sources of information:
Karen Somer’s LSHT Guidebook
LSHT Club – great source for maps, thru-hikers guide and current conditions; also a Facebook page
Maprika – phone app that uses GPS to locate you on geo-referenced LSHT section maps

Prescribed burns: The Forest Service uses controlled burns, usually in the winter and spring, to reduce the threat of more devastating fires. This clears the underbrush which makes tree selection for hammocking in sections that have been burned in the last year or two ridiculously easy. But it can complicate planning. I called the FS a couple days before starting and was told that because it’s been wet this year they haven’t been able to keep on schedule, so they’re pretty anxious to get out there and burn it when they can, starting in the west. They usually post a sign at the trailheads a day before, and sweep the trail to make sure nobody is present. A map of sections to be burned is posted at the LSHT Club website but there is no fixed schedule. On the flip-side, in the summer/fall there are often burn bans. Current Texas burn bans are posted by county here.

Water availability: Water is available at three faucets – Stubblefield Campground, Evergreen Church, and Double Lake Campground. The trail crosses several permanent streams. The most appealing to me were Big Creek, Alligator Creek and Caney Creek (water should be treated, of course). You could draw water from the San Jacinto in two places and Winters Bayou, but they drain farmland upstream so I’d be hesitant. Other streams are less reliable – see the “Drops” ratings on the LSHT club website. I chose to stash water near (intended) overnight spots and ended up never having to use the Sawyer Squeeze I carried.

Trash disposal: The only places I saw were Stubblefield and Double Lake campgrounds. There must be a dumpster in Evergreen, but I didn’t see one.

Trail conditions: Mostly easy walking on soft pine needles or quiet country roads. Some quick up-and-downs across ravines. There are bridges across all the major drainages, except the northern San Jacinto River crossing where there’s a slightly longer alternative route if the water is high. The trail was wet/swampy near Caney Creek, in the Winters Bayou section, and just short of FM2296. For reference, it’s been a wet year so far and it had rained about ˝ inch the day before I started.

Trail traffic: Very little. I was surprised to see a camo tarp/hammock around noon on day 2. I greeted the tarp and from it emerged a fellow going the other direction, he said at about 5 miles a day (the three week plan). I met two families on the trail in the Big Creek section. But that’s it for other hikers.

Sort of funny moments
1 – While on a road walk, two Chihuahuas ran up to me, barking. They rolled in perfect unison trying to reverse direction as soon as I raised my hiking poles
2 – I crossed Boswell Creek twice, as shown on the maps. What I didn’t realize is that I crossed back on the same branch, so I ended up backtracking on the trail that got me there – and then walking for quite a distance before realizing it (if only trees in the forest can hear a curse, was the curse ever spoken?). I didn’t think it was funny at the time.

Trip Log:
Day 1 – Thursday Feb. 27
Visited the 70’ statue of Sam Houston on the way to the first water drop. I’d be passing nearby on foot the following day in the forest that is his namesake. Stashed water and food in a bear canister off Evelyn Road. Drove to mid-point of Big Woods section and stashed more water, and another gallon at TH#6. Began hiking at 10:30 AM. Made it to Hurricane Cove (great hanging spot on the shore of Lake Conroe) and decided to push on. There’s a spot near M19 that looks appealing on the map, but it’s not. Lots of dead trees still standing there and swampy near the lake front. I wouldn’t recommend it, but I found a decent spot as daylight was running out. Could have pushed on to Stubblefield, though.

Day 2 – Friday Feb. 28
Hiked 3/4 mile to have breakfast at a picnic table at Stubblefield (also flush toilets, warm water, trash disposal). This is where I learned from my wife that the front coming Sunday was not just thunderstorms, but temperatures potentially into the mid-20’s, for which I was not prepared. I figured I’d have to do 3 consecutive 26-mile days (and my personal best for backpacking was 22 miles) to save the thru-hike. It also meant that my water drops were in the wrong places and I’d have to be carrying water longer distances to my overnights. But that’s what I decided to do. Elkins Lake spillway was a wet crossing for trail running shoes, so I changed into my red plastic Vivobarefoot camp shoes seen in my avatar picture. Be careful – it’s a very slippery surface. I started to feel pain in my left shin after a 2 mile road walk, and probably from trying to push my walking speed. I made it to my intended second night campsite off Evelyn Rd. and re-supplied food from the bear canister, and left trash. Carried water for dinner/breakfast down the pleasant but seemingly never-ending Four Notch Road. Ended up camping a couple miles into the Four Notch Section. A personal best 26-mile day, but could I repeat it twice more?

Day 3 – Saturday March 1
After breakfast in a steady mist, continued hiking. Had the Boswell Creek fiasco. With the shin hurting more, this was a low point for morale. Started a steady diet of Neproxin and Ibuprofen (when does perseverance become folly?) Came to my last water drop in Big Woods and ended up dumping most of it out because I only had to get ~6 miles to Evergreen for more. I carried enough water for dinner that evening, and camped about a mile west of the San Jacinto River. Carrying the water down Rt. 945 in humid ~80 degree temperatures was a low point. My shin hurt as much as ever, and my feet were revolting (“You said it. They stink on ice" – Mel Brooks).

Day 4 – Sunday March 2
Woke up about an hour before dawn and packed up camp in the mist and made my way down the trail with a headlamp. Time was of the essence, as the weather would start to get bad mid-afternoon and I was still 26 miles from the end of the trail. Came up to the San Jacinto River at dawn and was surprised at how much water was in it. I had committed to crossing it when I didn’t take the detour a mile back to where a road crosses it. I donned the red camp shoes and picked my way across a partially submerged log (the hairiest moment of the trip). Had breakfast at Double Lake 4 miles later. With no time for a shower, I filled up with enough water to get me to the end (the choice is filling from Big Creek ~4 miles later vs. carrying a few liters the extra distance). I chose the latter as it was faster. I finished the final 21 miles in just over 7 hours without stopping except to pull food from my pack and to talk briefly with two families. As I was looking for the 26 mile marker around 4:15, I felt the temperature instantly drop about 5 degrees. That was followed by cool raindrops for the last ˝ mile. In the next hour as I drove home, the temperatures would plunge into the 30’s with wind gusts up to 30 mph. By morning the wind chill was in the single digits. Since everything I was carrying was damp from the relentless humidity, I would have had big problems that night, so I made the right decision to get off the trail.

Addendum:
I don’t think I’ve ever had a shin splint before – at least I think that’s what it is. It changed my stride a bit, and I ended up with a quarter-sized blister on the ball of my left foot. I’m not sure which hurts more, but I look like the Walking Dead today. Otherwise, I’m fine – not much muscle soreness or other ill effects. I know I pushed past my limit and if this was a longer thru hike I would have had to abort. Lesson learned – try not to become time-constrained or push mileage too hard, especially when you have more to hike. Thanks to my wife and son, who re-positioned my car from TH#1 to TH#15 while I was on the trail. My wife thinks I’m nuts, but I’m happy to say that I've thru hiked the LSHT in 3 days and 6 hours.