Lone Star Trail Seg #17: Tarkington Loop: 9.6 miles
Details
Hot weather is a thing so we have to leave early to get off the trail early. Tarkington segment of our trek is on the eastern end of the Lone Star Trail and as such it is incrementally a bit more humid, hotter, more bugs, and thicker vegetation. But only relatively more. This late spring hike takes us through the Gulf Coastal Plain in much the same biome as the Big Thicket so keep your eye out for wildlife. Free bottle of water to anyone who sees an Ivory-billed Woodpecker( and a $50,000 reward). Weather will most likely be hot. (see weather link below, and weather report in photos). See you on the trail.
Be prepared for the extra effort. This is a relatively strenuous course through miles of bottom land.
About HATs and our hikes
https://www.hatsandmore.org/
HATs organizers are not guides nor do we have any special training. We are here to come up with hiking ideas and get the hike started. Take the same precautions you would if hiking alone, including the fitness needed to make long hikes. Then enjoy the hike among friends.
COVID PRECAUTIONS:
Bring and wear a mask when not hiking and follow the best practices to prevent the transmission of COVID. We have had a COVID spreading incident in a carpool and recommend that you don't carpool.
Gathering Place:
Trailhead #13
Directions to Trailhead #13
(FM 2666, Coldspring, TX 77331)
Call or text Alan at 713 863 8038 if you need help.
The Hike:
Weather Forecast:
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=30.343&lon=-95.0897&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=graphical
Hike map is in the photos.
Special Note: Any hikers with the Avenza Maps App can download the file: [Tarkington Loop.pdf](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hQso8rE9yWA3WRfa6q3n7O5xIO06Bxn2)
Next, email the PDF file to your iPhone. Open the pdf in your phone and "share" it with Avenza Maps. That way you can see exactly where you are on the geolocated map during the entire hike. With this you will always know exactly where you are. (Thanks Tom)
More maps and tracks:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c-2xORpyaBQRnXuEiyLTw_M4-TImu6gk
After Hike Event:
The Back Pew Brewing Co.
https://www.backpewbrewing.com/
26452 Sorters McClellan Rd, Porter, TX 77365
Google Maps Directions
Indoor and outdoor seating.
To find your place on your personal path to hike the LSHT, see our progress sheet. Starting with Quest 5, we will simplify scorekeeping by trimming the list to include active hikers only. All you have to do is show up to be counted.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zEtzUZKDpnMAhztfpL1Q5oc6fO6EPrU_
COMMUNITY CARPOOL:
Alan Foster is setting up a Community Carpool.
Everyone gets a ride or a rider
Leaving at 6:15 AM sharp
Judson Robinson, Jr. Community Center.
2020 Hermann Dr, Houston, TX 77004
Judson Robinson Pick Up point
From the Official Guidebook for the Lone Star Trail
"One of the hidden jewels of Texas, the Lone Star Hiking Trail is the only long-distance National Recreation Trail in the state. At 128 miles (including loop trails), it is also the state’s longest continuously marked and maintained footpath. The trail meanders through flat and gently rolling forests of pine, oak, and mixed hardwood, and cypress swamps and bayous in the famed Big Thicket area in east Texas, in the Sam Houston National Forest. The seemingly endless variation of forests, much of it designated wilderness, provides a paradise for tree-lovers and bird watchers year-round. The trail is well-suited for both short and long hikes (of up to 10 days), appealing to dayhikers, overnight backpackers, long-distance hikers, and others seeking a peaceful outing."
Lone Star Trail Seg #17: Tarkington Loop: 9.6 miles