Davy Crockett National Forest 4C Trail

Josh's 30th birthday was April 3rd. To celebrate, he planned our first backpacking trip.

We awoke at 3:30 AM Saturday, April 4th. After packing up, stopping by Taco Cabana for fresh tortillas and Epoch for much needed coffee, we hit the road. We arrived at Davy Crockett National Forest around 8:00 AM. After a very bumpy, seemingly endless drive down the pothole riddled FS 511 to cache our extra water near the Walnut Creek Camp and back to the Neches Bluff Overlook, we got ready to hit the trail a little after 9:00 AM.

A peak at the Neches River

The Davy Crockett National Forest is absolutely beautiful. There are endless tall pines and a million shades of green. We powered through the first couple of hours of our hike with no breaks and minimal obstacles (some fallen trees and giant mud puddles). Between the halfway mark and the Walnut Creek Camp, we took three breaks. It started to get hotter (although there was an awesome cool breeze) and I had to doctor my three unfortunate blisters.

We reached the Walnut Creek Camp around 2:00 PM. We set up camp and went to retrieve our cached water. Two other hikers and their dog came into camp as we headed out. Then, we ran into four other people on the trail that decided to carry on instead of camping for the night. When we returned to camp, we met two brothers, Peter and Tyler, and their dog, Mal.

Taking a break.

A much needed break!

Relaxation

Sunset

After cooking a delicious meal of chana masala (thank you, Backpacker's Pantry), we hung out in the hammock, reading and napping a bit. For dessert, we had tortillas and peanut butter. Delicious.

As it started to get dark, we turned in for the night and watched a nice lightning bug show from the tent. We probably went to bed around 8:00 PM. It began to rain sometime during the night and didn't let up. We awoke around 8:00 AM (happily catching up on the sleep we missed the night before from our extremely early rise). After making some huevos rancheros and using our remaining tortillas to make breakfast tacos (thanks again Backpacker's Pantry), we packed up and hit the trail.

Morning rain as seen from the tent.

A sweet note from our fellow campers who set out early.

It rained the entire way back! However, we stayed positive and pressed on. Our breaks were no longer than a couple of minutes at a time. Although we slowed down a bit, we stayed strong and energized. After passing the 26th bridge (counting really helped in knowing how far we had come), we hit the long stretch of trail that hugs the side of the Neches River. This is where the mud was the worst. At one point, the river rushed across the trail and we literally had to jump over the shortest width to continue on. After this stretch, we knew we were about a mile from the trailhead. Needless to say, when you are soaked to the bone with boots full of water, that last mile can go on forever. But, finally, we made it! We stripped down and put on some mostly dry clothes (note: buy backpack rain covers) and jumped in the car to warm up and start the drive home.

It was a wonderful trip. I feel a great sense of accomplishment having taken my first backpacking trip, hiking 20 miles in two days, and staying positive the whole time. I cannot wait for our next adventure!

We started at the Neches Overlook (north trailhead) and camped at the Walnut Creek Camp (about halfway down).