Somehiker wrote
I would be speculating entirely, but as in your example, the four could refer to the four stations of the holy cross, the eight, perhaps the covenant with God;Roy or anyone:
If a recognizable series of features...markings/symbols,closely matching this series on the lower trail map,for example...and in the same order...what might be the meaning ?
Would each have it's own translation,or if very closely spaced,would they read like a sentence ?
"The historic Christian Church has traditionally associated the Number 8 with the entrance into the Covenant of God. This understanding comes from God Himself who commanded Circumcision - the Sign of the Covenant - to be performed on the Eighth Day."
To go outside the Christian box, there are eight ruling Buddhist deities and four pillars of Destiny and so on. The cross or plus sign along with the rest of the symbols of the stones do not support any such Asiatic religious theory, just an example. Who ever made the stones, had in mind Catholic-Christian meanings, so that should be the most productive angle in my opinion which is entirely a guess.
Just another thought here, but being from Appalachia a stone with a hole in it has a special meaning too, at least for those of a superstitious bent, it is a 'holey stone' and considered a tool for witches or as a protection against witchcraft; also called a hag stone, some of the old folks in the little homesteads would nail one over the door or over the hearth, and it can't be a hole drilled or chiseled out by man, has to be a natural stone from a creek. Considering the penchant of Jesuits for spells and such, it might not be such a far stretch.
I don't think it would read as a sentence, not like I-C-U (example) but as a coded key to locate a treasure vault - which could hold a long-dead but highly honored priest as the "treasure" and thus you would know from the four stations of the cross, then the covenant exactly how to pinpoint the entrance.
Thanks for sharing the photos, looks like a very interesting trail you have found and I hope you will keep us posted as to what turns up at the end! Good luck and good hunting amigos, I hope you find the treasures that you seek.
Roy