Huntsville State Park offers 21 miles of trails through the natural beauty of the East Texas Pineywoods. Two of my favorite trails at the park are the Triple C and the Chinquapin Trails. These two trails wind their way through one of the most beautiful forested sections of the park. I was especially excited to hike the Triple C Trail — named in honor of the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was formed in March 1933 when our nation was in the grip of the Great Depression. With more than twenty-five percent of the population unemployed, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took decisive action to help the unemployed. The CCC was one of Roosevelt’s first New Deal programs and harnessed the strength of our nation’s youth to help conserve our natural resources.
Operating from 1933 to 1942, the CCC engaged in conservation initiatives in national and state parks around the nation. Today, the CCC is recognized as the single greatest conservation program in our history. The conservation initiatives of the program not only developed young men through disciplined outdoor labor, they also fueled concern for our natural resources and laid the foundation for the tenets of modern conservation.
As I hiked the Triple C Trail, I thought about the young men who labored during the Great Depression in the area near the trail. Their boot prints are no longer visible in the East Texas soil. Their names are not recorded on any plaque. The only thing that remains are remnants of their labor along a trail through the woods — one that has given countless numbers of people across the years access to one of the most beautiful places in the Lone Star State.
When you think about it, we are all the beneficiaries of the labor of those who came before us or those who worked hard to make something that we enjoy today. Whether a hiking trail or a home or even the car that we drive, our lives are made better in many ways because of the labor of others.
The next time you are in East Texas, swing by Hunstville State Park, lace up your hiking boots, and hit the trail. And, as you walk among the tall trees, make it a point to think about the young men who lived during the Great Depression and were a part of a program that inspired the preservation of our natural resources for the enjoyment of generations to come. May their example inspire us to leave a legacy that can be enjoyed by future generations.
Hiking
Guadalupe Peak
Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, is located where the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert meets the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains.
Rising a modest 8,750 feet above sea level, Guadalupe Peak is not high compared to other peaks in the world. And, it’s not even considered the signature peak of the Guadalupe Mountain range. That designation belongs to the massive 8,085-foot high limestone bulwark known as El Capitan.
Guadalupe Peak is, however, the highest place you can go in the Lone Star State — and that alone makes the strenuous hike to the top worthwhile.
I started my journey to the highest point in Texas long before I packed my gear. Before venturing to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, I read everything I could find on Guadalupe Peak and watched several YouTube videos posted by hikers who had made the trek to the top of the mountain. I also studied trail maps to get a better understanding of the trail and its many switchbacks.
When I arrived at the park I checked in at the park office and chatted with the rangers about the hike. I spent the night at the campground and was up before sunrise the following day. I filled my hydration pack, tossed some Cliff Bars into my pack, grabbed my trekking pole and headed for the trailhead.
The trail to the top of Guadalupe Peak is just over four miles, but it’s all uphill. The National Park Service has rated this hike as strenuous because the trail steadily rises 3,000 vertical feet along the way. They are not kidding when they say strenuous. It was very strenuous.
The first mile and a half of the hike is the toughest because of the drastic elevation gain. Hiking this section of the trail is like climbing uneven stairs for a mile and a half. After that point, the trail has lots of switchbacks that steadily take you higher and higher into these mountains that were once the stronghold of Mescalero Apaches.
The trail to the top go Guadalupe Peak is absolutely breathtaking. The final section of the trail offers a fantastic view of the backside of El Capitan and the surrounding country. After 2 hours and 50 minutes, I hiked the final switchback to the top and shouted for joy when I saw the marker at the top of the peak.
There are no words to describe what I felt when I reached the highest point in Texas. I was a kid again. I spent about 30 minutes at the summit — enjoying the view and the solitude.
On the way down I met a guy named Chet, the only other person who hiked to the summit on that day. We had a nice conversation and thought it was cool that he and I were the only two human beings on the face of the earth who stood on the highest point in Texas on December 2, 2014.
I smiled all the way down the mountain and logged a round-trip time of 5 hours and 40 minutes. Not bad for a 58 year-old guy who is still wild at heart. Standing on the highest point in Texas was an experience I will never forget. Hiking to the highest point in Texas should definitely be on the bucket list of any able-bodied Texas adventurer.
Hike at Your Own Pace
I have loved the outdoors since I was a kid. I was fortunate to be a member of an active Boy Scout Troop that took us on many hiking and backpacking adventures. My favorite adventure was in July 1972 at the Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch in the Davis Mountains of far West Texas. Camping at Buffalo Trail was a dream come true for me and my South Texas buddies. We logged lots of hours hiking up and down mountain trails, enjoyed cooking our own meals, and felt like pioneers when we drank water from a cold stream.
I still have my Boy Scout Handbook and several of my Merit Badge handbooks as well. As a Scout, I spent hours poring over the pages of these manuals, learning to do things like tie knots and make my own survival kits. My grandmother made my first sleeping bag because they were not as readily available in stores then as they are today. My homemade sleeping bag served me well for a number of years. My Dad gave me his Boy Scout hatchet and my Mom bought me an official Boy Scout knife.
For a number of years I lost some connection with the outdoors because of my busy schedule of writing, travel, and the plain old pressures of the daily grind. In recent years, however, my son helped me to reconnect with the outdoors by inviting me to join him in kayaking, doing ultra-marathon canoe races, camping out, and hiking. I’m glad he did. Getting outdoors again flipped my outdoor adventure switch back on — and it has stayed on ever since.
Last year I managed to bike and hike a little more than a thousand miles on Texas trails, including thru-hiking the Lone Star Hiking Trail. The great thing about biking and hiking is that you can take things at your own pace — no need to get in a hurry. I set my own goals last year of hiking every trail at Brazos Bend, Stephen F. Austin, and Palmetto — three state parks not far from home. I am in the process of doing the same at a couple of other state parks this year. All at my own pace. Just a few miles at a time.
Don’t be satisfied with watching Bear Grylls eat bugs and have his own epic adventures on television. Take some intentional steps to enjoy the great outdoors in the Lone Star State. Do some online research to find a state park or walking trails near you and then go on a hike. Start slow and go at a pace that you can enjoy. Set a goal to walk all of the trails (over time) that are a fit for your physical conditioning. Invite a friend to join you. Walk slowly. Stop often to breathe deeply and to listen to the sounds of nature. I guarantee you’ll enjoy the experience.
Below is a quick checklist of some basic items you will need for a leisurely walk in the woods. More on these items in future blog posts.
• Comfortable shoes (a half-size bigger will give your feet room to expand)
• Trekking pole (a personal preference)
• Water bottle or hydration pack
• Trail mix or granola bars
• Trail map (available at any park office)
• Survival Kit (I carry a compact survival / first aid kit in my hydration pack)
I hope to see you somewhere on a hiking trail in the great State of Texas.
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