Day 5
Saturday, October 21, 2023
There was one stop to make before leaving Cleveland, Tennessee.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church may look like your average small parish. This church's story is more about what's out back. But first, a bit of backstory...
On St. Luke's Day(August 18) 1878, seven year old Nina Craigmiles was killed when the wagon she was in was hit by a train a few blocks from here. John, her father bought the land and donated money to build St. Luke's Memorial Episcopal Church.
But, it wasn't so much the church. Tucked behind the building is an ornate tomb built of Italian marble. Inside, Nina's sarcophagus is made of the same marble.
On the right side of the archway, there's a red stain in the marble...
The red stains appeared over time and there are those who believe it's not just impurities in the marble. But, it most probably is.
I left Cleveland and headed south. I did cross I-75 and could have gone home by the direct route. Even on a Saturday morning, I didn't want to deal with the construction delays. Instead, I took Hwy 60 South towards Dalton.
One of the things I've started doing is zooming in on Google Maps and following my route. That's how I found the railroad tunnel. That's also how I found Rocky Face Ridge Park.
There's a three mile trail up to the summit of that ridge. It's mixed use for hiking and mountain bikes. A six mile round trip would be a perfect way to cap off this roadtrip. My only issue are the lack of trail markings. According to the trail map by the parking lot, if I stayed on the main trail and ignored the rest, I should be fine.
The hike begins by crossing this field. During the Civil War, this was an entrenched defensive position manned by Confederate troops led by General Joseph Johnson. Union General William T. Sherman had encamped his troops just a few miles away.
Sherman made the decision to send one column of troops towards Rocky Face Ridge, a second towards neighboring Resaca and a third to attack the railroad Johnson would need for resupply and possibly his retreat. Johnson realized what was happening and pulled his men out. They joined the forces in Resaca and prepared to meet Sherman.
As for the trail, since it doubles as a mountain bike trail, there are no big rocks to scramble over and no stone staircases to climb. It's just a steady three miles of incline.
From the first big gap in the trees...
When I finally saw the seemingly requisite cell tower, I knew I was close.
Finally, the summit. That's where you're treated to a nice wide overlook from the back side of the ridge.
From the park, it was just a straight shot back to the interstate and then home. For a trip cobbled together on the fly, it certainly worked out okay!
David 10/23
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