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Texas Backpacking?
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Apr 26, 2010 at 1:12 pm #1602295
I live in East Texas and I'm looking for new places. I was headed for the 4C trail but heard that it was 20 miles of flat ground with bad water. I started going up to Arkansas to the Ouchita Mountains and just fell in love with some of those trails. (Eagle Rock loop, the most) It takes about 3 hours to get there but well worth it. And yes we have bass fishing, (I live on Lake Fork) But the lake is getting so crowded, that I took up backpacking! I don't know if that is good or bad yet but I'm enjoying learning from you guys.
Apr 26, 2010 at 2:21 pm #1602332Thanks to all for the info on Texas backpacking opportunities. I remember riding across Tx in a bus while going to Philmont & was impressed by the the variety of landscapes & wide open spaces. When you guys secede to escape the oncoming crush of socialism, can this Georgia boy move there? :)
Apr 29, 2010 at 6:35 am #1603496Thanks Michael, i'm sitting here typing instead of working as well. I'll let you know how the permit goes, but from what I hear, fall is the popular time out there. Hiking without water is a bit new for me, although I have backpacked in Canyonlands at Moab. I ordered an MSR Dromlite 6L bag that looks like it will work quite well. I hate the thought of all that water weight as a typical 3 day hike for me I would have a 25 lb pack.
Apr 30, 2010 at 9:23 am #1604043I live in Fairfax Virginia. Last March 26 I flew to San Antonio to pick up a car and drive to Big Bend for a week. It took 6 hours at 80mph – the daytime speed limit to get to Panther Junction. A long drive but I spent six days there and it is a place I could go back to and spend many more days. Driving in Texas is a lot better than here where I live, you actually get somewhere instead of parked on the interstate.
Apr 30, 2010 at 9:40 am #1604056@ Randy,
You shouldn't have a single issue acquiring a permit for the many backcountry sites in the Guads, not very many people get up there for backpacking trips after spring break and before October once it cools down again. Mostly due to water availability issues and heat. When you do go, just show up at the Pine Springs Campground or Dog Canyon station when the doors open up and you'll be fine. There is a no reservation policy, first come first serve.
Doing a 3rd week in May trip up to any of the sites in the Bowl or up on the ridge is going to be quite hot hiking out of the Pine Springs campgrounds and there likely won't be a mouses tear worth of moisture up there, expect temps in the mid 80's -90's. Be prepared to tank some water up the switchbacks, pick your poison as they're all physically demanding, no real easy way up to the ridge. But the Guads are well worth the effort for the solitude.
May 3, 2010 at 7:27 am #1605235Thanks for the info Eugene! I appreciate it. I was anticipating packing in some substantial water, so that confirmed my research. Any special highlights or features I should try to get to while I'm there? I'm also debating on what kind of shelter to bring. It will either be a bivy with a tarp, North face Trek Bivy tent or a Marmot one person tent.If the nights are hot, I'm leaning towards the Marmot tent as it is all ventilation on the inside panels and I used that one in Moab a couple of times. So far I have gotten everything to fit in a Golite adventure racing pack.
May 5, 2010 at 8:30 am #1606353As a native Texan recently removed to Georgia, I can say that Big Bend and New Mexico are still my favorite places to backpack. I was just at Big Bend in March, and the weather and scenery was amazing. It actually reached freezing temps the second night we were out! The thing I love about Big Bend though is that off trail hiking is pretty much mandatory since you are "required" to camp pretty far away from the trail. If you are good with a compass and map you can go where ever you want (while in the backcountry and not the south rim).
It's funny, too. When I went in March it was spring break for everyone in Texas. We were "forced" to backpack the first night we were out, which the ranger we got our permit from apparently assumed we were not prepared to do. He told us not to go too far from the main road (assuming we were stupid college kids just out to "commune with nature" i guess…) and was surprised when we told him we were planning to be out in the backcountry for three days with the equipment to purify and carry extra water. So we ended up out there in the "middle of nowhere" with no one around for miles. It was an awesome feeling, especially eating breakfast/dinner on top of the closest peaks…
So there's my story about backpacking in Texas.
May 5, 2010 at 4:00 pm #1606621For College Station/Bryan people, Sam Houston National Forest's closest trailhead is 45 minutes away, with many others not much further. They recently burned a large portion of the western section of the forest which provides a different kind of setting, and plenty of dry to half-burnt wood for fires. Also no permits or fees (park at hiking only trailheads)
May 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm #1613729Thanks for all your advice. I had a great time in the Guads this past weekend. The weather was great and I was the only one in the backcountry. Didn't see a single person in 3 days out there. There sure is no water anywhere! I packed in about 2.5 gallons and did ok with that. May try Big Bend later this year.
May 25, 2010 at 3:21 pm #1613739Hey Randy,
Glad to hear you had a good time up in the Guadalupes. I'm sure it was quite hot with all the warm weather and cloudless skies we've been having the last week. So there wasn't a drop of moisture up there on the ridges? Wow. Post some pics sometime if you took some.
May 26, 2010 at 2:56 pm #1614138It was hot and dry up there. I could'nt even see any water down in McKittrick Canyon. There was a wildfire burning just over the ridge from McKittrick Canyon where I was the second night and I could hear slurry bombers dropping their loads all afternoon and evening. I'll post some pics later this week.
May 27, 2010 at 6:33 am #1614427 -
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