A Rewarding Challenge: Edgar Evins State Park’s Clayborn Millennium/Merrit Ridge Trail

Spent Sunday afternoon hiking the Jack Clayborn Millennium/Merritt Ridge Trail at Edgar Evins State Park  in DeKalb County. One of the longer trails in the area,  it combines two trail loops for a rigorous 8 mile there-and-back hike. If you’ve only got a couple hours, take the 2-1/2 mille Millennium Trail loop. (You can download a trail map here)

Echoes of another time

From the trail head parking area, the hike begins as easy amble of a quarter mile or so down to the lake. There you’ll find hints of a once thriving homestead. All that remains are large limestone front and back steps, cut chimney rock, stone pillars which define the shape of the house, and the foundation of a spring house or root cellar nearby. When the lake is down a more modest pile of chimney stones suggests a log cabin once stood about 500 feet away. On a previous trip, one of my sons found an Indian game stone there.

From there, the Millennium loop leads deeper into the woods and gradually up and around the the hillside, below outcrops of cherty bluffs with towering oaks and beeches. Deep in the woods you’ll suddenly come upon the collapsed chimney and rusted reminders of another home, long abandoned. You can't help but pause and wonder what life must have been, totally self sufficient and tucked away in in such a remote pocket.

Ridgetop view of Center Hill Lake

It's a pretty easy walk most of the way around the Clayborn Millennium Loop. If you take the full hike, including the connector trail and Merrit Ridge loop hike you’ll face some moderately challenging up-and-down runs. You’ll be rewarded for the effort, though, as you climb through climax stands of beech and oak for some some great ridgetop views of the lake. 

The connector trail climbs a steep hill, then runs with the ridge before it drops off  past some gargantuan stacked stones. At bottom, it connects with the Merrit Loop, tracing a peninsula as it juts out into Center Hill Lake. The hike climbs and falls along tracks old wagon roads, through cedar thickets and stands of hardwood down to the lake before winding back. At about the halfway mark for the entire hike you can get take a break for a rest or swim at the lake’s edge. At one point, as you approach or depart from the water, there’s 70 foot drop off one side of the trail so be extra careful.

A short run of huge stacked rocks

Overall, both trails are well marked and maintained but this is a hike probably best enjoyed in cooler months. In a few areas it narrowly winds through what can be some lush underbrush and grasses, in season. Ticks could be a problem, unseen snakes, too. And, those great views of the lake from the ridge will be missed when the leaves are on the trees. Late fall, winter through early spring though, you’ll enjoy all this hike offers, and if you like a challenge, you’ll be pleased with the experience whenever you go.

Start Sending Your The Invitations Out Now For Tennessee’s Big Summer Solar Event

        Friends and family been promising to visit you here in The Volunteer State?

This summer brings one of the best excuses to make that journey and discover all Tennessee offers.

Monday, August 21 a good swath of the state will be directly in the path of one of the most anticipated of all celestial events: a total eclipse of the sun! 

        For almost three minutes early that afternoon the sun will be transformed into a black sphere, surrounded by its dramatic, blazing corona. For young and old, observer and photographer, it’s an opportunity to experience what is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event, right here at home

The path of the total eclipse through Tennessee

Total solar eclipses are so rare in any part of the world that people plan and communities promote vacations and tours around them. Nashville, the largest American city in the path of full totality, has already taken that lead, billing itself as the Music City Total Eclipse  on its tourism website, complete with a countdown clock. Tennessee’s celebrated state parks are also talking it up, with a page devoted to the eclipse, including duration for observers in each park. 

Wherever you live, you can also find out when and how long the eclipse will be visible in your area on sites like The Great American Eclipse  and  Eclipse2017.or

        

        So here’s your opportunity: Get those invitations out now.

        And, start praying for blue skies next August 21.

Stones River Remembered As A Turning Point In Tennessee's Rich Civil War History

Confederate re-enactors fire a volley
 at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro.

As the old year wound down, history buffs gathered at Stones River National Battlefield to commemorate the start of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest encounters, in Murfreesboro along the old Nashville Pike. December 31, 1862 through January 2 ,1863 an estimated 81,000 soldiers of the Union and Confederacy valiantly fought there for control of Middle Tennessee.The Battle of Stones River, one of the war’s bloodiest, was ultimately decided as a much-needed victory for the North just as the Emancipation Proclamation became the law of the land.

Each year the rangers at Stones River, and volunteer re-enactors, present days of events timed to the battle, as it unfolded. Ours focused on its bloody beginnings at locations appropriately memorialized as “The Slaughter Pen” and “Hell’s Half Acre.”

The programs provide insight into the terror, confusion, determination  and sacrifices of all engaged. Re-enactors in uniforms of both armies fire authentic rifles and artillery, as eyewitness accounts of the battles are read. 

Anyone interested in state and national history, and Tennessee’s vital importance to both armies, will gain much from a visit to Stones River, or any of the state’s five other nationally protected Civil War sites: Shiloh National Military Park,  Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, Fort Donelson National Battlefield and the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site.

The “War Between The States” touched all corners of Tennessee in one way or another. To learn more, download or pick up a copy of Tennessee’s Civil War Trail map, compiled to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the conflict (available on the Civil War Traveler website), or Tennessee Tourism's guide to the war, as lived throughout the state.

The Wisdom of The Walking Stick: A Lesson Learned Hiking Rock Island State Park

The Tennessee Traveler would like to impart some painfully gained wisdom for all who enjoy hiking Tennessee’s great outdoors: Bring A Walking Stick.

It’s common sense advise too easily forgotten and ignored, with potentially dire consequences.

I speak from experience.

A friend and I were hiking the Caney Fork River gorge above the Great Falls at Rock Island State Park. We entered near the Cotton Mill, followed the Old Mill trail down, then broke off the main trail for a path leading down to gorge and river. There, we found our way to a narrow break where we could leap from rock to rock over the water,  and pick up the Downstream Trail on the other side.

It’s an easy hike, tracing the bluffs, down the stairs by the power plant, then through the woods, with several great views of the wide falls as it cascades from the opposite bluff. From there, the trail continues to the famed “Blue Hole,” a renowned fishing spot.

Did I mention my hiking buddy brought a walking stick that day, but I’d forgotten mine at home? Keep that in mind.

The return hike was pleasant and uneventful. This time, though we followed the trail beneath the bluff all the way back to where the river back fills a wide pool, sort of a lagoon. Our intention was to find an alternate way across the river, but discovered it was too wide, deep and roaring there. So, we backtracked for the trail, making our way around that pool.

As I stepped forward from a pocket  between rocks my foot got caught, I lost my balance and fell forward. 

THWACK!!! 

The right side of my face met the limestone shelf at full force. I never lost consciousness, but as I reached up I expected to feel broken pieces of my skull. Instead, only a spot of blood, a point already forming below my temple, my jaw hurt and an intense headache. Worse, though, I saw everything double, not vertically but horizontally, making it very difficult to discern my way forward. 

With my friend’s help and a walking stick pulled from the debris, I slowly made my way back along the trail and across the river. My head throbbing, I got down to crawl as needed, but still had to manage that leap. He went first, braced himself, then extended his stick for me to grab while I maneuvered along the edge of the rock. Then I jumped, grabbed that stick mid-air and he pulled me over.

I made it! The rest of our hike out was routine was routine but slow. Within the hour we were out of there, and I was driving myself home with an intense headache.

I stubbornly suffered through the night, but next morning I headed for the doctor, fearing there could be bleeding on my brain.

  A CT scan revealed no blood or concussion but extensive damage—nine fractures—to the right side of my face. My maxillary sinus was also shattered, front and rear. The doctor was shocked I felt to real pain.

I’m recuperating now with a new mission: remind every hiker to bring and use a walking/hiking stick wherever and whenever it makes sense. 

        That “third leg” would have made all the difference, and easily prevented my fall.

Please, learn from my mistake.

Alvin York State Historic Park Celebrates Tennessee's World War I Hero

Sgt. Alvin York

Tennessee’s state parks are best known as preserves of the state’s natural beauty, but a few highlight Tennesseans who had an impact on the world stage.  For one, that renown began 98 years ago on a battlefield in France, October 8, 1918.

Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall, tells the life story of a country boy who grew up to be an international hero as the most decorated soldier of World War I

The park includes the farm and home Sergeant York and his family lived in from 1922 until he died, and the grist mill he operated in the 1940s and 50s. 

A devout Christian, pacifist and conscientious objector, York proudly served his country once drafted into the U.S. Army. When his patrol was ambushed behind enemy lines that October day, he risked all leading the few survivors in a counter-attack. York’s heroism, and the capture of 132 Germans, earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor and international acclaim. These exploits were later chronicled in the film classic Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper.

Exhibits in the visitor center, a recreation of the store York ran in 1920s tell of his life and heroism, and how he used his celebrity to improve life for others. It’s an inspiring story about an inspiring son of Tennessee. 

Southeast's Only Dark Sky Site Awaits Night Visitors To Pogue Creek Canyon Natural Area

Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area

photo credit: Mike Serkownek/IDA

Have you ever experienced the night sky, as intended —away from the glare and distractions of modern life?

That inspiring thrill awaits all visitors to the astronomy field at Pickett State Park /Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area,  near Jamestown in Fentress County. 

It’s the first park in the southeast certified as a “dark sky” viewing area by the International Dark Sky Association . That distinction identifies the  dwindling number of sites around the world where there’s no light pollution. Visitors can explore the night sky in all its glory, as it once inspired generations.  

Tennessee’s Pogue Creek Canyon is currently the only Dark Sky location in the Southeast where the stars, planets and Milky Way will seem so close.( Click here to read the state brochure on the site.)

Summer, winter, spring or fall spend a few hours there and you’ll be humbled, as you ponder the brilliance of the heavens. When you go, schedule for a night around a new or late moon so moonlight won’t disrupt your view. Also, check area weather to make sure skies are clear.

Black History in Tennessee: The Lorraine Motel and National Civil Rights Museum

April 4, 1968
Memphis, Tennessee

 If you’re of a certain age, the date and place stirs the image of a collective memory: men standing around the body of a dying Martin Luther King, Jr., pointing from the balcony of the Lorraine Motel at a building across the way where the fatal shot originated.

It’s a pivotal moment in Black and American history, the tragic loss of a great leader. His words and actions still inspire and challenge we, as one nation, to grow toward our potential and live the principles we aspire to.

When in Memphis make your pilgrimage to the Lorraine Motel, now home of the National Civil Rights Museum. Just to be in that space, knowing what transpired there, forces a soul searching upon you. 

A wreath on the balcony outside room 306 marks the spot where Dr. King fell. The cars parked below, identical to those in that iconic image, are fixed reminders of the tragedy which transpired on that narrow stage. 

To look around the plaza, to realize how near the assassin was as he took aim, to know this is where one chapter ended and another began in the struggle for national equality is to ask yourself what have I done, what more can I do to help realize his dream.

The Museum traces and tells of the struggle for Civil Rights from our earliest history. It’s a worthy education about ugly truths and noble ambitions that can be difficult for white Americans to face. But it is the story of black America, and the empowerment of basic human dignity.

The Lorraine Motel is one of Tennessee’s historic sites one cannot visit, and turn away unmoved.