Unlike most thru-hikes the LST, at just under 100 miles, can be done in one 5-6 day section so I don’t have to worry about resupplies.
Trail Access/Plan
The western terminus (LST Trail Head #1) is about 75 miles (90 minutes) from downtown Houston. Roberta will drive me early Sunday morning so I can get a full day of hiking in on the first day.
| Day | Distance | LST Mile | Comment |
| 1 | 16.6 | 16.6 | Camp at Lake Conroe |
| 2 | 16.6 | 33.2 | Alligator Creek |
| 3 | 18.1 | 51.3 | Primitive CG |
| 4 | 17.3 | 68.6 | Primitive CG |
| 5 | 15.8 | 83.6 | Primitive CG |
| 6 | 12.8 | 96.4 | Eastern Trail Terminus |
Water
It’s always about the water! The LST trail organization uses a “drop” system. Each water source is assigned a drop number (1-5). Then entire trail is assigned a drop number (currently 1.5) so any source with a drop number larger than that should have water. Water seems to be fairly plentiful (though there are a couple of ~15 mile dry sections) so I will not be caching water.
Weather
The weather forecast for the Conroe area looks pretty good, with one exception, Monday. Possibly heavy rain is forecast. On the plus side that should mean plenty of water to drink. On the down side, besides getting wet, this could make the East Fork of the San Jacinto ford more difficult (the old bridge washed out in Harvey).
Pack Weight
Even though this is a winter hike I won’t be needing micro-spikes or heavy winter clothes. Fully loaded with 6 days of food and 2 L of water my pack weighs in a just under 30 lbs.
| Item | Wt (Lbs) |
| Pack/Tent/Pad/Quilt | 6.5 |
| Cooking (Stove/Fuel) | 1.0 |
| Hydration (Bladder/Filter/etc) | 1.2 |
| Toiletries/First Aid | 1.7 |
| Clothing (Packed) | 3.6 |
| Electronics (Battery/SPOT/Cables) | 1.5 |
| Food (6 days) | 9.1 |
| Water (2L) | 4.4 |
| Total | 29.0 |
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