The rain necessitated a late start this morning. Having done 14 miles on my bike yesterday, I intended to do a shorter hike than usual (which did not work out as expected). I decided to do the section of Kennesaw National Battlefield that I missed on the last visit. It is a long and narrow park, the entire trail loop being 16.7 miles.
I drove through considerable rain getting there, but I had timed the trip just right based on the radar, because the rain stopped just a bit before my arrival. I started at Burnt Hickory Road, just south of the mountain. The first section was a repeat from last time.
One of the reasons for the popularity of this battlefield is the fact at 11 miles of the original Confederate earthworks still exist today. They were the trenches dug by the Confederate soldiers to allow them to defend the mountain against Federal troops.
The trail took me past various sites of historical significance, including the Illinois Memorial, and the grave of the Unknown Soldier.
I completed the west loop in just under two hours. Having skipped dinner last night, I was getting really hungry. As I was getting ready to break out the trail mix, I came to Powder Springs Road. I walked up to the street and looked both directions, and found a shopping center a short distance away. I decided to hike there for lunch, and Subway got my business.
After lunch, I headed back to the park to catch the east loop. I had some trouble at this point. I followed the trail for a short distance, but the path became very confusing, and lacked any signage. I followed what I thought was the correct trail, but quickly came to a sign indicating that the trail was closed. As such, I turned around and backtracked along the west trail.
Having done over 26 miles during the weekend, I began thinking about how unlike the younger me that is. It is interesting that once we conclude who we are, we stick by that image almost dogmatically, even if the original conclusion was wrong. I guess it was in my case, as I seem to have all of the drive and determination of an athlete, with a body that manages to keep up despite 52 years of wear. As few as three years ago, I told people I did not have an athletic bone in my body. I feel blessed that I discovered this aspect of myself before I got any older. I wonder what I will discover next year.
I made good time on the return trip, making it in just over 2 hours, despite the dead end. I had to be careful where I stepped, as I was not too far behind a pair of horses. Kennesaw is a great and diverse park, which I look forward to visiting again in the future.
I drove through considerable rain getting there, but I had timed the trip just right based on the radar, because the rain stopped just a bit before my arrival. I started at Burnt Hickory Road, just south of the mountain. The first section was a repeat from last time.
One of the reasons for the popularity of this battlefield is the fact at 11 miles of the original Confederate earthworks still exist today. They were the trenches dug by the Confederate soldiers to allow them to defend the mountain against Federal troops.
The trail took me past various sites of historical significance, including the Illinois Memorial, and the grave of the Unknown Soldier.
I completed the west loop in just under two hours. Having skipped dinner last night, I was getting really hungry. As I was getting ready to break out the trail mix, I came to Powder Springs Road. I walked up to the street and looked both directions, and found a shopping center a short distance away. I decided to hike there for lunch, and Subway got my business.
After lunch, I headed back to the park to catch the east loop. I had some trouble at this point. I followed the trail for a short distance, but the path became very confusing, and lacked any signage. I followed what I thought was the correct trail, but quickly came to a sign indicating that the trail was closed. As such, I turned around and backtracked along the west trail.
Having done over 26 miles during the weekend, I began thinking about how unlike the younger me that is. It is interesting that once we conclude who we are, we stick by that image almost dogmatically, even if the original conclusion was wrong. I guess it was in my case, as I seem to have all of the drive and determination of an athlete, with a body that manages to keep up despite 52 years of wear. As few as three years ago, I told people I did not have an athletic bone in my body. I feel blessed that I discovered this aspect of myself before I got any older. I wonder what I will discover next year.
I made good time on the return trip, making it in just over 2 hours, despite the dead end. I had to be careful where I stepped, as I was not too far behind a pair of horses. Kennesaw is a great and diverse park, which I look forward to visiting again in the future.
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