During my second attempt at thru-hiking the Lone Star Trail, I kept a simple trail journal to capture how each day unfolded — the miles, the small wins, the challenges, and the moments that stood out most. While my other posts focus on planning, gear, and logistics, this one is more personal.

This Lone Star Trail thru-hike journal is a day-by-day reflection of my experience on trail, written in real time as I moved through the forest. It’s not meant to be a guide or a checklist, but a snapshot of what life on trail actually felt like during my second attempt. If you’re curious about the quieter moments between the miles, this is where I share them.

Read More: My 1st Attempt Thru-Hiking the Lone Star Hiking Trail

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Day 1 — A Familiar Trail, A Better Start

Date: December 30th, 2025
Start: Richards, TX Trailhead #1 – 10:05 am
End: Kelly’s Pond Roadway – 5:41 pm
Trail Mileage: 14.2 miles
Conditions: Sunny and 55°F, down to 32°F at night

Getting back out on the trail for a second time felt incredible. Almost immediately, I was flooded with memories from my last attempt, how I felt then, and how different things felt now.

This time around, I was far more comfortable, thanks in large part to the weather. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and the cooler temperatures made the miles feel easier and more enjoyable.

I didn’t see much activity on the trail. One woman was running near mile one as she headed off-trail, and around mile three, I passed a group of guys hiking in the opposite direction. Other than that, it was quiet. I didn’t spot any wildlife.

I still had to move with a sense of urgency to make it to Kelly’s Pond before dark, but this time I made a smarter call. Instead of hiking the extra 1.1 miles to the campground as I did on my last attempt, I grabbed one of the sites along Kelly Pond Road. Last time through, I didn’t realize those roadside sites were open to hikers, and I was also pushing hard to reach the campground for water. In my head, Kelly’s Pond meant there would be water available — but that wasn’t the case. I arrived at camp still empty-handed, which was a huge disappointment and something I wanted to avoid this time around.

Stopping along the road instead of hiking all the way to the campground made the evening feel far more manageable and saved me from an unnecessary road walk. While the campground is nice and did feel slightly safer than the roadside sites, it wasn’t enough to justify hiking that entire stretch of road again.

As the sun set and temperatures dropped quickly, I set up camp and cooked a warm dinner of beef noodles with vegetables using my MSR PocketRocket Deluxe and Toaks 750ml pot. I had recently received both items as gifts and was excited (and honestly a little curious) to finally put them to the test on trail. It fired up fast, boiled water quickly, and made the whole end-of-day routine feel simple, which is exactly what you want when you’re tired, cold, and racing daylight.

With overnight lows forecasted around 36 degrees, I didn’t waste any time layering up. I put on all my cold-weather gear and tucked my water filter and electronics into my sleeping bag — a small but important habit in colder temps that helps prevent freezing and extends the life of your gear.

Even though I still felt a bit rushed today, I never felt overwhelmed. I had enough time to truly enjoy being back on the trail, notice the contrast between summer and winter conditions, and ease back into the rhythm of hiking. I ended the day feeling good, no blisters, no pain, and grateful to be back where I felt like I belonged.

Watch My Day 1 Recap on YouTube: A Perfect Start on My Second Attempt

Day 2: A Rough Night, a Warm Sunrise, and Ringing in the New Year

Date: December 31st, 2025
Start: Kelly’s Pond Roadway – 10:02 am
End: West Huntsville Primitive Camp – 6:04 pm
Trail Mileage: 14.7 miles
Conditions: Freezing morning temps, up to 65°F, and Sunny afternoon

Last night was cold; it got down to 33°, and sleep didn’t come easily. I tossed and turned, waking up chilled more times than I can count. Even so, I was incredibly thankful I had packed my Naturehike duck down booties. They were a new addition to my pack and hadn’t been tested before this trip, but they made a noticeable difference. I’m not built for cold weather, and my hands and feet are always the first to go. They absolutely earned their spot in my pack!

I originally woke up around 6 a.m., hoping to get moving, but a migraine had other plans. Temperature and air pressure changes are big triggers for me, so I came prepared with medication. After taking it, I was able to get a bit more rest before starting the day.

Getting out of the tent was tough. Overnight, ice had formed on everything, and once the sun came up, it began melting fast. Packing up felt painfully slow, and nearly all my gear ended up wet in the process. Still, seeing the sun rise was a win. It warmed things up almost immediately and lifted my mood along with the temperature.

Once I was back on trail, I felt like a new person. The rough night faded quickly, replaced by gratitude and excitement to be out there again. Since I’d hiked this section before, I knew Lake Stubblefield would deliver some great views, and it didn’t disappoint.

At Lake Stubblefield Campground, I stopped to use the restroom and refill my water bottles, despite the very obvious signs saying facilities were for paying overnight guests only. Whether I was more exhausted last time or the signage wasn’t as noticeable, I don’t remember it feeling quite so unwelcoming. Either way, I kept things respectful. I took a short lunch break, laid my tent out in the sun to dry, left no trace, and was back on trail within about 30 minutes.

After leaving the campground, the trail crossed a bridge where I could see a crowd of people out fishing. It was a perfect day for it, and it made me happy to see so many people enjoying the water. The next stretch brought steep ravines (thankfully dry), a handful of interesting mushrooms, and more moss than my camera probably needed.

I was mentally prepared for the long road walk toward the end of the day, knowing it would lead me to one of my favorite campsites on the trail — West Huntsville Primitive Camp. I arrived after dark, just as fireworks started popping in the distance to welcome the New Year. Lying in my tent, I couldn’t help but feel deeply grateful to be closing out 2025 outdoors, reattempting my longest backpacking trip yet, and exactly where I wanted to be.

Watch My Day 2 Recap on YouTube: Familiar Miles and New Perspectives

Day 3 — New Year, Familiar Miles, and a Better Outcome

Date: January 1st, 2026
Start: West Huntsville Primitive Camp – 9:02 am
End: Four Notch Hunters Camp – 6:02 pm
Trail Mileage: 16.2 miles
Conditions: Sunny and around 70° most of the day

Sometimes when you’re out on trail, you forget what day it is. I rolled into camp last night, got all set up, and quickly remembered, via the fireworks starting around 8 pm, that tonight is the last night of 2025. I got out of my tent once the fireworks started to try to spot them, but I could not. Thankfully, the fireworks only went off for a couple of hours, and I fell asleep quickly. Despite the noise, I slept like a baby and woke up feeling really great. Last time I came through and camped here, I also slept exceptionally well.

In the morning, I woke up feeling happy, full of life, and ready to take on the day. I packed up much quicker than usual because my tent was completely dry! No dew at all! I was shocked, but felt blessed. I cooked some oatmeal, actually sat down to enjoy it and enjoy the campsite, and hit the trail around 9:00 am.

As I started hiking, I realized I couldn’t quite remember what the day had in store for me — including the long road walk ahead — which probably contributed to my high spirits. I was just happy to be outside, starting the new year with a First Day Hike. The weather was perfect, and it only continued to get better as the day went on.

One of the first milestones was reaching the Elkins Lake community. There’s a sign here that reads “Water for hikers,” and while I couldn’t find the source on my last attempt, I found it this time. I filled up two liters of cold, fresh hose water and crossed the dam. It’s such a peaceful, beautiful spot along the trail, and one of my favorites.

I didn’t see anyone else until I reached the area near Huntsville State Park, where a few day hikers were out taking photos and one guy was trail running. At one point, he ran past me, and about an hour later, passed me again going the opposite direction. The contrast between my fully loaded pack and his tiny hydration vest made me laugh as he zipped by.

Right after Huntsville State Park, I hit the road walk, the same one that nearly ended my hike last time. I was a bit nervous. On my previous attempt, this stretch gave me terrible blisters, I ran out of water, and became dehydrated. It was brutal. This time, though, the conditions were completely different. The temperatures were manageable, I had plenty of water, and I made a smarter choice to stop, air out my feet, and rest for a bit along the way.

I made it through. It was still not enjoyable, but it wasn’t brutal, nor did it about take me out. Making it to the Phelps section right after the road walk, still energized, motivated, and healthy, was extra rewarding.

A few miles into the Phelps section, there is a sign for the LSHT HighPoint, marking the highest level of elevation along the trail — a whole 445′! At the high point, there is a small box with a notebook and a pen inside where you can write a little something, and I was happy to do so. I was the first person to write in the logbook in 2026! That’s cool!

The Phelps section ends with another long roadwalk that leads you into Four Notch Campsite, which is where I chose to camp for the night. It was on this roadwalk last attempt that I decided I needed to get off trail because my hike had turned from fun to survival, and that’s not what I was going for. This time around was completely different. Although still tired and still not a fan of road walks, I passed the time by calling home to check in and completing a few Duolingo lessons.

It was already dark when I made it to camp around 6:00 pm, which surprised me a little. I set up, made some dinner, stretched, and called it a day.

Watch My Day 3 Recap on YouTube: Road Walks, Sunshine, and Steady Miles

Day 4 — New Miles, New Records, and the True Halfway Point

Date: January 2nd, 2026
Start: Four Notch Hunters Camp – 8:30 am
End: Big Woods Campsite – 5:30 pm
Trail Mileage: 14.7 miles
Conditions: Sunny and around 65° most of the day

I had some trouble falling asleep last night, thanks to strong winds whipping through the treetops. The trees in this area are tall and wispy, and as the wind picked up, they clanked against each other all night. Lying in my tent, I couldn’t help but think about whether a branch might come down near the spot I’d chosen to camp.

Even though I had trouble falling asleep, I slept great once I finally drifted off. I woke up feeling excited to take on the day. Even more excited than the last couple of days, simply because today was a record-setting day. I was officially going to hike further than I had on my last attempt.

Adding to my good mood, I visited the on-site porta-potty and was pleasantly shocked to find that it was brand new! No smell, super clean, fully stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. An unexpected luxury, and honestly a delight.

Last night I retrieved my resupply box from the woods, so this morning I reorganized my pack. I transferred all my food in and swapped out my cold-weather gear — fleece top and bottoms, hat, gloves, and winter coat — since overnight lows from here on out were forecasted to stay around 42 degrees. I also decided to leave my headphones behind. Even though they weigh next to nothing, I hadn’t used them yet and didn’t see myself needing them for the rest of the hike.

After breakfast, I packed up and hit the trail right at 8:30 a.m. As I headed into the woods, I met a man and his dog who were just finishing their morning hike. We stopped to chat briefly, and he shared that he’d completed the Lone Star Hiking Trail twice and often hikes out there with his dog in the mornings. His energy was contagious, and he wished me luck on completing my hike. His positivity only added to my already great start to the day.

Right at the entrance to the trail, I passed mile marker 45, and I felt on top of the world. I had officially surpassed my previous mileage. Beyond the accomplishment itself, I was excited knowing that everything from here on out would be brand new to me.

Around noon, I reached the official halfway point of the trail and sent a photo to my family to share the moment. Not long after, I passed the 50-mile marker and dropped my pack for an official celebration dance. It felt surreal, and incredibly empowering, to be hitting these milestones back-to-back.

To finish the Four Notch Section of the trail, I had to endure another grueling 2.7-mile road walk to reach the Big Woods section. Once I finally stepped back into the forest, I felt immediate relief.

I don’t know if it’s my sock/shoe combo or if I’m just not built for it, but road walking is brutal on my body. My feet ache, my calves tighten up, and my energy just drains. Safe to say, that was my least favorite part of this otherwise immensely pleasing day.

About 6 miles into this section of the trail, I decided to stay at the Big Woods Primitive Campsite. There was another couple camping there already with their dog. They were the only people I saw all day.

Watch My Day 4 Recap on YouTube: Going Further Than Before

Day 5 — Trail Angels, the San Jacinto Crossing, and My Biggest Day Yet

Date: January 3rd, 2026
Start: Big Woods Campsite – 7:02 am
End: Tarkington Primitive Camp – 8:05 pm
Trail Mileage: 23.8 miles
Conditions: Same as yesterday, sunny and around 65° most of the day.

I actually set an alarm for 6:00 a.m. this morning, knowing I had a five-mile road walk ahead of me. That usually means lots of breaks and a long day, so I wanted as much daylight as possible. Unfortunately, packing up took longer than planned. As soon as I started moving, the dog camping with the couple nearby startled awake and began barking, clearly waking everyone up. I felt bad, so I slowed down and tried to be extra quiet.

Even with the slower start, I was out of camp within an hour and hit the trail in great spirits.

The plan for the day was: finish the last 2.8 miles of the Big Woods section, road walk to Evergreen Baptist Church, where hikers are graciously allowed to use an exterior spigot for water, and then continue on foot into the Magnolia section.

Those first 2.8 miles flew by. When I reached Trailhead #9, I was shocked to see cars everywhere! The lot was full, and there were cars lining the street. A handful of people were milling around, so I asked what was going on. It turned out they were part of a group hike on the Lone Star Trail and were getting ready to drive over to Trailhead #10.

I couldn’t believe my luck.

They were kind enough to offer me a ride, which meant I could skip a large portion of the road walk. I would have loved to go all the way to Trailhead #10 with them, but I needed water and breakfast, so they graciously dropped me at Evergreen Baptist Church along the way.

Arriving ahead of schedule, I took my time cooking a hot breakfast, checking in with my family, and just soaking in the moment. Sitting in the sun, I kept thinking about how lucky I was to be out there and how grateful I felt for the generosity of complete strangers.

After filling up my water, brushing my teeth, and packing back up, I hit the road — literally — with another 2.7 miles of road walking ahead of me.

It wasn’t easy, but I made it. Reaching Trailhead #10 and officially stepping into the Magnolia section felt huge. I was glowing with excitement, knowing this section held one of the most challenging parts of the entire trail: the San Jacinto River crossing.

Since I’d never attempted it before, I took my time assessing the situation. There wasn’t really a way around it unless I backtracked to the bypass trail, so I decided to test the depth and go for it. I swapped my shoes and socks for Crocs, secured anything important in a waterproof bag, placed that inside my pack, and hoisted it as high as I could on my shoulders.

The water was freezing, but the crossing itself wasn’t too bad — and I was incredibly thankful for my trekking poles. Near the far bank, the trail turned into deep, muddy muck. I stepped forward and immediately felt my leg sink like quicksand. I used a pole to free myself and nearly lost a Croc in the process. After a few more attempts, I finally found stable footing, grabbed the rope provided, and pulled myself up the bank. The entire process took about an hour — and it was incredibly empowering.

Afterward, I stopped to redress my blisters. The moleskin had come off, and things weren’t looking great, but I rewrapped everything as best I could and pushed on.

My next planned stop was Double Lake Campground. I was hoping to ditch the gallon-sized bag of trash I’d been carrying since Day 2, refill my water, and grab a few squares of toilet paper for my bathroom kit. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed to learn the facilities were about 0.2 miles off trail — nearly half a mile round trip — and I just couldn’t make that work since I was already racing daylight.

I had originally planned to stay at a primitive campsite just past Double Lake, around mile 75. But when I arrived, I still had some daylight left and realized that if I wanted to finish this hike by Sunday, I needed to keep moving. So I did.

That decision added several miles to my day and resulted in nearly three hours of night hiking before I finally reached Tarkington Primitive Campsite. I had been on trail for over nine hours when I arrived.

I set up my tent and crawled straight inside. No dinner. No extras. Just sleep. The trail map shows I covered a little over 23 miles today, but my watch clocked just over 27… interesting how that happens.

Watch My Day 5 Recap on YouTube: Road Walks, River Crossings and Night Miles

Day 6 on the Lone Star Trail

Date: January 4th, 2026
Start: Tarkington Primitive Camp – 8:30 am
End: THE CAR! – 3:15 pm
Trail Mileage: 12.9 miles
Conditions: perfection!

The last day! I woke up feeling much better than I expected. After the marathon of a day yesterday, I assumed I’d be more tired and sore, but aside from my blisters, I actually felt great!

The campsite itself wasn’t ideal. There was spiky grass everywhere that wouldn’t lie down, and I was nervous it might rip through my tent or puncture my sleeping pad. I thought that might stress me out too much, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but thankfully, neither of those things happened.

There was a lot of dew on the tent — and everything else — so packing up was a wet process. Since I had a short day ahead of me, I took my time and didn’t rush it.

The sun came up, energized my soul, and I hit the trail. Since it’s my last day, my pack was pretty light, and I made excellent progress throughout the morning.

I moved quickly through miles 84 to 89 without any real challenges. The views in this section weren’t particularly great due to recent logging, and most of the area was knocked down. There was also a strange smell lingering in the air that I didn’t enjoy either.

I stopped for lunch around noon on a bridge and laid out my rainfly to dry while I ate my tuna creations and beef jerky. I had planned to stop at mile 90, but you can’t just pass up a perfect place to sit that’s not on the ground!

After a quick lunch, I packed back up and made my way to the finish line! There’s a beautiful bridge crossing the San Jacinto River again near the end, which was unexpected. As I neared the last trailhead, I started to see day hikers, which just reminded me how close I was to the finish line. With each “hello” I felt a tiny bolt of energy.

I couldn’t stop smiling the entire last mile. When I finally cleared the forest and made it to trailhead 15, I was beyond excited about what I had accomplished. I felt proud, ecstatic, and ready to eat a big juicy burger and fries.

Cheers to 96.5 trail miles (and a little over 100 total miles)!

Watch My Day 6 Recap on YouTube: The Final Day. 96.5 Miles Complete

Closing Reflection

Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful I took the time to document this thru-hike as it was happening. Long-distance hiking has a way of blending days together, and this journal preserves the moments I might have otherwise forgotten.

If you’re planning a Lone Star Trail thru-hike or just curious about what a multi-day hike is really like, I hope these reflections give you a small glimpse into the rhythm of life on trail. You can read more about my full second attempt, gear changes, and planning in the related posts linked throughout this series — and follow along on Instagram @katelynnoutloud for more trail moments and future adventures.