Fall Trip To Lake Texoma Cross Timbers Trail with Mark!

The first weekend in November 2022, my friend Mark and I revisited the Cross Timbers Hiking Trail on the Texas side of Lake Texoma. We had a friendly campfire discussion, and we hope you will enjoy listening. We came here and met for the first time in April of this year, so we thought it was worth a fall trip!

I try to keep active on social media in addition to my podcast. Plus, you can find my support links here: https://campsite.to/thenaturalmedicadventures

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https://www.campingforge.com/

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Transcript

Craig thenaturalmedic: 0:00

There we go. Hey folks, this is Craig, the Natural Medic, and once again, we are being joined by,

Mark from Camping Forge: 0:11

how do y'all, it's Mark Wilcox from Camping Forge.

Craig thenaturalmedic: 0:14

ole Mark. We are sitting at this very same place about what, eight months ago. It's November now. We were here in April, early April of of this year. It seems like it was like a year ago, But we're here out again on the same trail out here on Lake Texoma on the Texas side. We're on the Cross Timbers trail, which is a I guess the whole trail is 15 miles long, but I think most. do the section that we did, which you start at Cedar Bayou just outside of Gordonville, Texas, which if you don't know where that is, it's close to Sherman, Texas. And if you don't know where that is, it's about 90 minutes. It's almost due north of Dallas Fort Worth Airport, which is smack dab in the center of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. probably the closest true backpacking trail to the DFW metroplex. And we decided we were gonna do another special edition podcast, kinda like we did when we were here before. And Mark has this handy dandy set of cards that has. Lovely questions on it, that we're going to we're gonna read them so you, the audience can hear them and we will we will answer. I will give my answer and he will give his answer. Then move on to the next one just to keep it interesting. It is a nice night out here tonight. We've got a fire going, so we're sitting around the fire. Got a, not quite a full moon, but it's Three quarter, three quarters, waxing moon up above us, clear skies. Did get some big thunderstorms and stuff come through the area. Just last night, oddly enough. And yet now it's nice and calm and quite a bit cooler. So needless to say, that kind of sets the scene for us. Let's get started on some questions. So what's the first question? Mark?

Mark from Camping Forge: 2:09

What's your favorite? What's your favorite camping or backpacking trip memory for this year?

Craig thenaturalmedic: 2:16

Okay. My favorite backpacking trip for this year. I really think I got to go to I got to go to Santa Fe. With my mom. My mom wanted to go to Santa Fe and I told her, I said, I'll take you to Santa Fe if you'll let me squeeze a backpacking trip in. And so I was able to go up into the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, which is just to the east of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Santa Fe itself is already at 7,000 something feet. But I drove up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin and then hiked in. thought it was gonna be a lot shorter. But it still worked out okay. I went to Lake Catherine, which starts with a K instead of the lake Catherine, that starts with a C. This is in Arkansas. Totally different animal. This lake Catherine, is the highest Alpine lake in New Mexico, and it's located at 11,600 feet approximately just below Santa Fe bald, which is the highest peak. I did not make it up on Santa Fe Baldi just yet. Maybe next time. I believe Santa Fe Baldy is around 12,600. It's actually towering above lake Catherine and challenging hike, but a fun hike or a backpacking trip rather. But it was, basically something I'd never done before. I've done. Several trips in Arkansas, several trips in Texas and the area, but I've not done any, until then, backpacking trips in New Mexico. And so that was a different thing to go to an alpine area. Much higher than I normally would go. So that's my trip. What about you, mark?

Mark from Camping Forge: 3:38

Mine's also mountain trip night. As high as you, but that would've big Bend National Park. I did 26 miles through there and really enjoyed that. And such a something, you don't think of what Texas has, but it's our definitely the best. And also would say big Bend is the best winter backpacking destination in the country. Cuz can't go there in the summer, but during the winter it's weather's nice and perfect time to go hiking.

Craig thenaturalmedic: 4:05

Very cool. Yeah. Big Bend is definitely, if. You out there listening on the podcast? Definitely look up Big Ben National Park. It is difficult to get to, but there's not even really, I guess the closest airport would be like what? El Paso? Midland. Okay. Midland. Yeah, Midland, which is still several hours away. It's a very remote area of the nation, not. not only Texas, but the nation. There's not a whole lot going on out there, but it's a very large national park right on our border with Mexico and a lot of diverse terrain there. A lot of really neat hiking areas and backpacking areas, so definitely check that one out. Okay, what's the next question?

Mark from Camping Forge: 4:44

So if you're hiking and or backpacking and you're listening to music, what is your favorite song to listen to?

Craig thenaturalmedic: 4:53

Oh, wow. That's a tough one. I have a list from Amazon Music that I downloaded. So I'll have music, on the trail. Cuz a lot of times when you're out in the wilderness, you don't have cell phone service. You can't stream music. So you have to download some tracks. And I've got a bunch of different ones on there from different eras. And I think maybe my go-to song a lot of times is from the Ramones, it's called, I Want to Be Sedated because. Backpacking is fun, but sometimes you're just like, you're halfway through your goal for the day trying to get to wherever you're, your campsite or your trail junction or whatever your next goal is, and you're kinda like, wow, if I can just get here, I will be I will be so much better. And but until you get there, you're man, just, let me keep plugging ahead. And so that kind of, that song gets me over the hump a lot of times and gets me to where I need to. What about you, mark?

Mark from Camping Forge: 5:50

I wanna go. Guns and roses. Paradise City,

Craig thenaturalmedic: 5:55

Yes. Yes. Great one. Great choice. Great choice. All right. What about our next question?

Mark from Camping Forge: 6:03

All right, next question is, what's a trail you haven't done yet but you would really like to do?

Craig thenaturalmedic: 6:10

Why don't you go first on that one, mark

Mark from Camping Forge: 6:11

I think it's actually one we, we almost did this year. That's gonna be the Foothills Trail. We had thought about going out there and this unfortunate scheduling didn't work out this year, but hopefully it'll work out in 2023. We'll be able to get out there and if you're not familiar with a it's not yet part of the Appalachian Trail, but a lot of people consider it a. Sort of practice warmup trail. And some people even think because there's so many waterfalls on it, that it is prettier than anything on the at.

Craig thenaturalmedic: 6:36

I hate to copy you, but I would say that's pretty top on my list. I actually downloaded that guide from far out a couple of months ago. It was a friend of mine that lives in North Carolina. She was talking. And I don't know if she's hiked on it or not. I haven't talked to her in a while, but yeah, it's definitely a good practice run for the, at. And the length of it's 76 miles. It is it offers a wide abundance of scenery for that short little jot through the, I guess it's the Blue Ridge Mountains in it. Yeah. Right there on the South Carolina, North Carolina border. And I'd probably, I would probably throw in, there's another trail that I discovered that's actually right here by us. It's called the Northeast Texas Trail. Oh, wow. You don't know about that one? No. Oh, okay. Yeah. The Northeast Texas Trail. Actually it ends over here just a little. I live in Greenville, Texas now. And just a little bit to my West. On three 80 is a little town called Farmersville. The western terminus of the Northeast Texas Trail is in Farmerville, Texas, and the eastern terminus is in Texas. Texas or nearby. So it's 130 miles long. It is a rail to trail. Trail conversion is the currently the longest trail in the state of Texas, and it is designed for hiking and you can camp along it. They're working on getting it adopted as a state park. I don't know how likely they're gonna have that happen in the next few legislative sessions, but we'll keep our fingers crossed. So that's one I can at least section hike because it's close by. It doesn't go actually through my town of Greenville, but goes to the north and some towns that are to the north of Greenville, and then of course into Farmersville and then, farther east towards the Texas, Arkansas border. Okay. What's our next question?

Mark from Camping Forge: 8:15

All right. This one's kind of this, our last one is silly, but what's something you think you should know how to. At our age, both Craig and I are at the same age. We're just shy of 50. And so hey, speak for yourself. Oh, that's right. I'll take, are you older than me? I can't remember now. No, I'm younger than you. That's right. You're younger. I don't Sorry, Craig. I aged you. That's okay.

Craig thenaturalmedic: 8:36

I'll be 48 in April.

Mark from Camping Forge: 8:37

That's right. You're younger than me. That's right. So I'll be, yeah. 20, 23. I'll turn 50. But alright, so I've embarrassed myself enough already. Even here, I'm at 50. I still suck at tying my. Which is a problem when you're backpacking. You're always got to, and I say that because yeah, twice a day had to stop and re time my laces. And I get really annoyed when I have to take'em off to do like a water crossing or something. And so already not already. I'm sitting by the campfire and my campfire crocs, so I'm already not happy. I have to go put my shirt boots on in the morning, but it terrain is definitely too rough to just try and hoof it outta here and anything but my.

Craig thenaturalmedic: 9:14

Yeah, that's a tough one. And I actually do pretty good tying my shoes because I'm wearing my Salamon Crosstrek or whatever they're called, cross something. But they have a basically a cinch on them. So you just pull that and then slide a little toggle and then tuck that into the tongue. And that's how, that's what's tying my shoes. For me it's for backpacking, it's pretty easy. I don't have to worry about my laces coming untied on these shoes. Now, if I wear some different shoes, that could be a different story. I'm not gonna say tying my shoes is my thing. I need to learn. I would say. Let's see. I think I would say, I don't really know. It's a good, it's a good question cuz it's making me think here. Making me dig really deep. Added in

Mark from Camping Forge: 9:58

post What's that? Is it added in post

Craig thenaturalmedic: 10:02

Yeah. Yeah. So I don't really know. I don't really know the answer to that. I think I'm pretty good at everything Just kidding folks. Just kidding. There's always room for improvement. No matter what you do, no matter what skill you think you are really good at, there's always room of course, for improvement. But it is quickly approaching what we call Hiker Midnight, which is usually around 9:00 PM or so. It is currently 8 26 and we're recording this. So in just a moment, we're gonna be signing off and hope you're enjoying this. If you are, there is an email on my podcast page. You can send me an email. Let me know how you're enjoying the podcast. I'll put some contact information for Marks media that he puts out YouTube blog, all that kinda good stuff so you can contact him as well. But we we enjoy doing these. These are fun. Hope you're having a great evening or day or afternoon, wherever you're listening to this, whenever you're listening to this in the future. And we will see you on the. Bye for now.