Having given this some thought, I've determined the proper places to spread Scout's ashes along the LSHT. The first appearance of Scout The Wonder Dog as a hammock hanging trail dog in company with other hangers was at the First Annual Texas Butt Bake, chronicled in Scout The Wonder Dog An The Strangers In The Woods. We also had a several very memorable trips with good folk in that area, the most recent of which will be remembered as the Last Chance Hang. There are also a couple of spots that are private to Scout and I that will be visited and ashes cast, and in the future a trip will be made to parking Lot 8 and Hidden Lake, where two other Butt Bakes have been held as well as the overnight campsite occupied during the infamous Scout The Wonder Dog And the Bushwhackers adventure and another to Hurricane Cove, but those will have to wait until after deer season ends and camping at those sites is legal.
But right now it will be possible, and it is fitting, to visit the first campsite that Scout and I hiked to with other Hangers, as well as those we camped at several times in that area---we just can't camp in them during deer season. So the plan is to head out on Friday evening October 17, park at TH #4 and hike on the Little Lake Creek Loop into the "legal" campsite 1.08 miles West of that parking lot , as shown on this map:
http://lonestartrail.org/maps/hires/...ess_shaded.pdf
If there are enough folks and willing parties, I'd like to decamp from there Saturday morning and shuttle over to Parking Lot #2, leave a car there, then drive over to Parking Lot #1. There I'll spread some ashes at a campsite we occupied at the Last Chance Hang, then follow the same basic route taken during that hang to spread some at the site of the First Butt Bake and at our favorite spot just south of FS211A. From there we'd hike to the "legal" campsite on the Sand Branch Trail for Saturday night and Sunday morning hike back on the LSHT to Parking Lot #2 to pick up the car left there and shuttle back to parking Lot #1. If I'm alone or the shuttle isn't possible, I'll just add 3 miles to the hike back to Parking Lot #1.
Saturday's hike would be about 6 miles, Sunday's a little over 2 unless we go all the way back to PL #1, then its going to be a bit more than 5. Before heading to Friday's camp, I'll cache water at PL #2 and the road crossing on Bethel Road.
If anyone doesn't want to do a night hike from TH#4, we can meet at PL#1 on Saturday morning.
So sound off if you want to come along. This isn't going to be a wake, we're not going to get all sad and maudlin, we're going to hike and hang in remembrance of Scout.
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