By Brandt Mannchen
Recently, I got away from my home, feeling a bit less isolated due to the Covid pandemic, and hiked with two new friends (Melanie and Dan) in Sam Houston National Forest on the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT).
For those who don’t know about the LSHT, in 1966 Sierrans came up with the idea of a 100-mile hiking trail, back when hiking trails were as scarce as unicorns. With a lot of effort, and help from Boy Scouts and other like-minded persons, the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and later the Houston Regional Group laid out, marked, maintained, and has protected the LSHT. With its’ loops, the LSHT is 128 miles of backcountry, wilderness-like, hiking trail that goes from near Richards, Texas to almost Cleveland, Texas.
We started where the LSHT leaves the Double Lake Recreation Area, at Forest Road (FR) 220. The LSHT originally followed Double Lake Branch on its’ banks to the confluence with Henry Lake Branch and then Big Creek. Due to erosion and sedimentation from the LSHT, in the late 1990’s the U.S. Forest Service moved it away from Double Lake Branch. The LSHT now parallels this beautiful East Texas stream and occasionally reveals its watery charm as the LSHT winds along slopes of Loblolly Pine and Southern Hardwoods.
We met early, due to the intense climate-change enhanced Texas heat, and began our hike. The total distance was about 5 miles. We made the hike in two and one-half hours and met several hikers as we moved forward. I enjoyed seeing pea plant blooms and Southern Magnolias, Witch Hazel, Dwarf Paw Paw, Red Maple, American Holly, White Oak, and a host of other green friends.
When we entered Big Creek Scenic Area, we took the White Oak Trail and ascended to an old logging tramway where the LSHT heads west and leaves the scenic area. We turned east on the tramway trail and came out at the Big Creek Scenic Area parking lot.
It was just starting to swelter, so we bade each other a fond farewell and I headed back to Humble. This was a good early morning hike and just the thing to put the ka-bosh on the Covid Blues. I want to come back soon and enjoy more serene, green, trail walks!