TX>LSHT>New Waverly>5-8 February>Invitation From Men's Wilderness Ministry

[sargevining]

An invitation from the Texas Men's Wilderness Ministry:

http://wildernesssmallgroup.blogspot...ney-woods.html

[sargevining]

Yesterday's mail brought the signed paperwork. Its official, we have Lake Niederhoffer for 5-8 February

[sargevining]

OK;

Two weeks to go.

Weather Underground is calling for tollable weather in the 50's during the day with high thirties at night for the weekend, and overcast on Saturday:

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/new...2110371?day=11

The Weather Network is showing 70% chance of rain on Friday and 100% on Saturday, but they are reporting their temps in Centigrade, so what do they know?

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/14-...as/new-waverly

Nobody else was brave enough to forecast beyond 10 days, so I'll update by the end of the week. But, I guess the best advice is to plan for winter in Coastal Texas, which is generally in the 50s during the day, high 30s during the night, and a possibility of rain. I have two Snugpak Jungle blanket UQs that I can loan out that I know will be good down to 37 degrees.

My general plan is going to be:

Head up from Rosenberg sometime Thursday, most likely after lunch. I'll drive up to Parking Lot #8 and drop off some stuff for Friday lunch and supper and Saturday breakfast, then hang out until about 1600 when I'll drive to Niederhoffer Lake to spend the night. Saturday morning, I'll hike over to Parking Lot #8, back tracking the trail we will take on Saturday making sure the "unofficial trail" that connects the lake to the LST its adequately marked. I'll leave the car there with Saturday's lunch and supper and Sunday's breakfast inside along with some extra water, camp chair, cooler, etc.

MDSH has said he'll join me Thursday, and anyone who would like to join us is more than welcome. I'm going to talk him into leaving his car at PL #8 in case a shuttle back to Niederhoffer is required on Friday or Sunday. You can meet us at PL #8, leave your car there, and hike back to it on Friday morning if you can't stay the whole weekend, or you can drive to the Lake and meet us there and leave your car at the lake if you have to cut out on Saturday.

So far, these are the guys I am sure will be coming:

Me
MDSH
John Foraker

Here's the guys who I am reasonably sure will be there sometime:

CookieCoon
X Preacher X

Here's the guys who have expressed interest, but I'm not sure about making it:

Lumberjack (John Moore)
Go Spidey

Please shout out if you're going to make it.

If I've missed anybody (and I'm fairly certain I have), its not by design. I've been in the process of moving and things not associated with moving have gotten a bit ragged.

Given that there's not a big group, I think we should plan on breaking bread together, but forsake any Pot Luck in favor of packing our own individual meals to make sure we all get enough to eat.

Here's the blog post to remind you of what's going on:

http://wildernesssmallgroup.blogspot...ney-woods.html

Here's the general location map with the parking lots highlighted:

http://lonestartrail.org/maps/LSHTparking.pdf

We'll be at Parking Lot #8 until 1600 Thursday and all day Friday. Its a hundred or so yards northeast of Four Notch Road on a poorly marked Forest Service Road. There's a light brown house with dormers at the intersection and the telephone pole there is festooned with different colors of engineers tape of several different colors. PM me to get my phone number if you need help finding it.

If you look at that map you'll see FS 200 just south of Parking Lot #8. Niederhoffer Lake is on FS200 not far from Bella Karolyi's Gymnastics studio. A closer map is here:

http://lonestartrail.org/maps/simple/06fournotch.pdf

Where you can see its on FS269. If you get to Karolyi's studio, you've gone to far. If you're going to come to the lake late Thursday or early Friday, PM me and I'll give you the gate combination.

You should print out this map:

http://wildernesssmallgroup.blogspot...-of-faith.html

and these directions:

NEIDERHOFFER LAKE N30 38.652 W95 23.225
(from Four Notch Trailhead on FS 213)0.00 FS 213 trailhead and hunters camp. Head northeast.

0.33 Four Notch Loop/Main Trail junction (0.33 mi). Turn to the right and go southeast. You will come to a camping area for hunters; in another 100 feet is FS 223.

1.52 Cross FS 223 (1.19 mi); in another 100 feet you will see the hiker's sign. Enter woods. Trail turns to the northeast.

3.26 Cross Boswell Creek (1.74 mi)--prone to flooding during heavy rain. Watch for mushrooms in the Boswell Creek bottoms.

3.45 Main Trail intersects Neiderhoffer Branch (0.19 mi); watch for hunter’s blind to right; head southeast. You will see a trail sign shortly. (This is not an official trail so we are hesitant to mark intersection officially).

3.90 Neiderhoffer Lake (0.45 mi);

Total trail miles between Parking Lot #8 and Niederhoffer Lake is around 4 1/2 miles---so about a two and a half to three hour hike.

Hope to see you there, and God Bless.

[humer91]

Sarge, I MIGHT make it, but it depends on if the boss-lady gives me a weekend pass or not. Will let you know.

[humer91]

OK, boss-lady said fine and i am available Thursday if you need me Sarge. Letme know where to be and when and i'll be there.

If anyone needs them, i have:
Spare hamocks
Spare suspension stuff
a spare 50TQ
spare tarps

[sargevining]

Good to have you Tom. Its getting so it ain't a thang unless you show up. Just show up at Parking Lot #8 anytime before 1600 or at Nierderhoffer Lake anytime after that with a cheerful and open heart.

[x PREACHER x]

It looks like it's a go for me.
Thursday through Saturday.

I will (almost definitely) be bringing two other guys we.

[CooOkieCOOon]

I have put in for Friday off and hope to make it out Thursday night. With work steadily picking up over the past few weeks, I'm hesitant to commit 100%. Worst case, I'll see y'all Saturday.

[sargevining]

It looks like it's a go for me.
Thursday through Saturday.

I will (almost definitely) be bringing two other guys we.

Sounds good. What time Thursday will you be arriving? If you're leaving Satruday, it would be advnatageous for you to park at Niederhoffer. You can meet us at PL #8 and follow us over, or I can send you the gate combination.

I have put in for Friday off and hope to make it out Thursday night. With work steadily picking up over the past few weeks, I'm hesitant to commit 100%. Worst case, I'll see y'all Saturday.

OK;

Since the hike is relatively short, and we don't have to worry about high temps during the day, we'll delay setting off until 1000 or so to give you time to show Saturday AM if you don't make it Friday.

[x PREACHER x]

Okay, so if we arrive Thursday and leave Sat, would we be parking and camping at the lake, then hiking to TH8 on Friday and camping there?

I don't know that we will even have a car there. We may get dropped off and picked up, depending on the wife's plans.
If so, we'd have the option of leaving from th8, or hiking w all of you back to the lake and leaving from there?

Just trying to wrap my head around it all.