You enter the park for a 2 mile road climb with switchbacks, grades between 10%-15% leading to the top parking lot at around 1400 ft. Trail structure will also take you from the entry to the top lot, where the real network of trails begin. The trails connect and with varying degree of difficulty, circumvent the peak of Paris Mountain at around 1700 ft. The marked network will take you on trails that are posted with level of difficulty assessments between 1-10.
I was looking forward to a trail run on the mountain. Our plan was to run the Brissy Ridge Trail (level 7), which connects to the Pipessewa Trail (level 6) and then the Reservoir Trail (level 5) that circles the lake – a total of almost exactly 10k.
The terrain was actually rated quite well. The Brissy Ridge was basically on the side of the mountain and filled with short undulations, rock structures and some off-camber roots. As we progressed along the run to the reservoir trail, the loop was must cleaner and flatter. The forestation and views along the course may have been the most impressive. Enormous trees with a dense canopy sheltered the trail on the side of the mountain, overlooking the landscape below. It was so peaceful and quite possibly one of the most challenging and enjoyable trail runs I’ve had. The terrain was like Trail of Tears in Barnstable, but the vegetation was a thing of beauty all in its own.
Running with my little Buddy made it all the more enjoyable. The time together with him in the woods reminded me of the old days we would run the beach in Daytona during the cooler darkness of the mornings. In actuality, it was really he who introduced me to the joys of running. Before that time, I ran for weight management only, which was really a shame to the sport itself and all it has delivered to me ever since. Running hurt me and I didn’t know what I was doing. If I knew what I would get out of the sport in the longer-run, I would’ve started way earlier. I’m grateful for having discovered this during college and I have Buddy to thank for that.
Buddy is one of my best friends of all time. We met back in college during our coursework in Aerospace Engineering in Daytona Beach. He had been a transfer from the sister campus in Arizona and was a recruit for the wrestling team out there. Originally from upstate New York, wrestling was really his life in high school. I’m pretty sure he ran during high school, maybe even on the cross-country team, but I know it became much more of a delight during his college life. I think he too was discovering some of the joys of the sport during that time. I can remember him telling stories of training out in AZ with the wrestling team and the beauty of some of the runs he did in the Prescott area. Although I’m quite sure he was more-than-likely on the verge of tossing his cookies every step of the way, he was able to find the joy of running even under duress. When he moved back to the east coast he began taking photos of the cross-country team for the University. Distance running seemed to be something that was important to him.
Over the years, after we had become roommates and lived on the beach together, we went our separate ways, but always stayed in touch. When we roomed together, we developed our relationship and a passion for running, but it was after we went our separate ways where our relationship really became brotherly and life-long. We got together periodically over the next decade. In upstate New York, Boston and in various other locations, we did what we could – shooting for once a year or so, but always keeping in touch by phone.
It’s hard to talk about my history with Buddy without just a little bit of emotion coming to mind ….Aaron is probably the best person I’ve ever met. He’s such a loyal fellow – even mostly to his own detriment. Virtually impossible for me to describe, I can’t say enough about how important this guy is to me. He has made impressions on me that changed my life and some of his qualities are so elusive to me that they continue to make me want to be a better man. I’m hoping our strengths complement each other in that. He is the best friend anyone could have and I have the utmost respect for him. I just wish he respected and confided in himself only half as much as I do. The truth is that he is the most caring and humbled person in the world and I’m honored to know him and have a relationship with him in this capacity. He has been there for me every step of the way and he’s literally given me the shirt off his back with his heart on the sleeve. I want all the best for him.
It was about time I got to SC – and with Paris Mountain in Buddy’s back yard, he’s got quite a nice little set-up down there. He’s been there for over 4 years and I’m truly sorry it’s taken this long for me to visit. Getting out there to run again, just like we did 10 years ago, is something I will always cherish. Maybe we’re 10 years older and maybe the world has beaten us down just a bit more, but we’ll always have each other, our bond and our memories. The opportunity to reminisce about the old times, be in each other’s presence (just the two of us) to work through our struggles in our present lives and create new experiences for us to someday reflect on means the world to me. Paris Mountain was awesome. Putting one foot in front of the other in these trails was incredible, but the true value and beauty of the day was sharing it with my Buddy. I can’t wait to go back!
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