Paris Mountain on Earth Day and the Lessons of Spring

The Powerful Arms of the Great White Oak Holding Everything Together

I spent three days, including Earth Day, ,in Paris Mountain State Park this year. Paris Mountain is located 15 minutes from downtown Greenville and has 11 hiking trails, four lakes, and numerous mountain streams. It is remarkable to have this much undeveloped wilderness so close to a city, and the park is frequented by both mountain bikers and hikers. The lakefront beach is closed due to the pandemic, but it is still possible to walk around the lake and enjoy all the signs of spring. This giant white oak is right in the picnic area. When I looked up and saw it’s giant strong arms, I felt like it was holding everything together and I felt safe and protected. It brought to mind the myth of the Green Man (or sometimes that Green Woman) said to appear ever spring as a symbol of rebirth. The energy of spring as the world returns to life is sometimes so powerful that it seems it can heal us from all pain and suffering. Hildegard von Bingen, one of my favorite saints and a great inspiration, wrote about Viriditas, or the Greening Power of Life. She saw the divine in nature and Matthew Fox quotes her as saying, “The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant greening, all creativity. This Word manifests itself in every creature."

Spring Blossoms on the Lake Placid Trail

For me, nature is my cathedral and the blue skies above often feel infinite and like a pathway to transcendence. When I saw these flowers cascading down in the light, I felt the magic of life blooming anew. I’m not sure if they are a form of mountain laurel or not, but they looked like little chandelier’s carrying the energy of the sun as they danced in the breeze with such lightness of being. They made me want to celebrate being alive in that very moment no matter what I would have or have not tomorrow, and despite whatever I may have gone through yesterday. To shine back the light that touched me and them was all I felt I had to do and not only was that sufficient, it seemed like my divine purpose.

Meandering Mountain Creek, Paris Mountain

All waterways within Paris Mountain State Park are classified as ORW (Outstanding Resource Waters). The creeks that runs through the park include Beaverdam Creek, Mountain Creek, Buckhorn Creek, and some unnamed creeks, as well as four lakes: Lake Placid, North Lake, Mountain Lake, and Buckhorn Lake. The waterways in the Park flow into and are part of the Enoree River Basin. Given that they flow through heavily wooded areas the water quality is generally good and supports aquatic life, although there are fecal coliform issues in some of the creeks. These are things that are always part of my consciousness, but just as important as water issues I’m always on the lookout for are the feelings I get when I come across a window onto some wild riparian bank. Creeks often seem more peaceful than rivers as their flow is more moderate. There banks are often covered with impenetrable vegetation and gazing at them often feels like an invitation into the mysteries of life. Below are some additional images of creeks I passed by in the late afternoon light my first day of hiking.

Late Afternoon Light on a Creek in Paris Mountain

Boulder Formed when a Stream Cut Through the Rocks in Paris Mountain State Park

There are many boulders that were formed as waterways cut through the park and these boulders are festooned with lichen, which is plentiful due to the amount of rainfall this region receives.

Ducks Swimming down a Stream

Surprisingly Takoda just sat and watched these ducks swim buy, which given his hunting tendencies was quite remarkable to witness. Perhaps they seemed so calm and unafraid that he became mesmerized. too Whatever the case, they were lovely to observe moving through the green and gold reflections.

Mountain Lake, Paris Mountain

Mountain Lake, along the Sulfur Springs Trail is absolutely exquisite and a wonderful place to sit and meditate. In 1888, the American Pipe Company of Philadelphia established a water system to bring water to the town of Greenville. The Paris Mountain Water Company was chartered and land and water rights were purchased, which saved this area from development. The water supply was deemed inadequate by 1935, and the city deeded the land and watershed to the state to establish a park and further protect it.

Pondering Serenity on Mountain Lake in Paris Mountain State Park

The park is the perfect place for residents of the city to come and commune with nature and escape the stress of daily life. Over the course of three days, I saw many people sitting quietly on the banks, many alone. And it reminded me that trips to natural areas are the perfect antidote to feelings of aloneness, because sitting in wild areas we feel interconnected with our surroundings in ways that can never be achieved indoors or in crowded cities where we feel we must keep our guard up.

Stream Flowing Along the Sulfur Springs Trail

My dog and I spent quite awhile sitting on this rock watching this stream cascade down the hill. It filled us both with such a sense of peace as it was constantly moving but relatively still at the same time, much as life often is. Life is never absolutely fixed and conditions are always being altered, but when we get to know a place deeply we can feel grounded and anchored in a way that gives us the strength and inner balance to confront the challenges of life we may face in another moment.

A Stream Crossing on the Sulfur Springs Trail

Though the creek trails are mysterious and inviting, they also show evidence of great erosion and tumult. The roots of many plants are entirely exposed and trees are constantly losing their battle with staying upright. When the water flows swiftly and climbs the banks, it washes away the earth and life in the riparian zone is threatened. As we picked our steps carefully, I reflected how easy it is to lose our own equanimity when we feel life throws too many challenges and bad news our way.

Destruction-Downed Trees Entirely Cover the Stream

Paris Mountain is a monadnock, which is a longe small mountain or ridge that rises up from relatively flat surrounding land. As such, it receives the brunt of wind when storms pass through. With climate change, we have also seen increasingly severe storms with more rainfall. It’s geology and the changes in storm patterns has caused an incredible number of trees to fall. Yet fallen trees provide nutrients and homes for creatures in the woods and so the trees are left except when they obstruct the trails. It is interesting to study the cycle of life as trees decompose and become part of the forest’s energy in new ways.

Tree Skeleton with Dismembered Limbs

Yet despite all the destruction, which interestingly I used to avoid and now I embrace, the overall feeling I walked away with was one of life continuing. Now that I am older, and hopefully, a bit wiser, I recognize that the more I hang on the easier it is to lose my grip. Also, I understand that even when the life I thought I wanted doesn’t appear to be manifesting or what I am trying to freeze in time is destroyed, wiping my slate clean can also allow unexpected new directions to come to light that might be just as rewarding as what my ego thought it wanted. When I looked around with fresh eyes, I noticed little wildflowers and even a wild iris were beginning to appear and saw the spring green of new leaves vibrating throughout the woods. We, like nature, go through phases of loss and even despair, but when we look closely at our surroundings and connect with our hearts in their entirety (and not just the broken parts) we can always find stirrings for new beginnings. We, like the forests, waterways, and all the creatures that inhabit them, are alive and when we mediate on this and silence for a moment our ego’s own fears, we can tap into this life force that keeps going against all odds and imbues our live with purpose again, even if that purpose is just to open our eyes as the sun rises to be present one more day. That instinct to live is that simple, and yet we often allow our minds and hearts to be so cluttered by disappointment that we forget and lose touch with the light inside us all. Thank you Mother Nature for sharing your wisdom with me this Earth Day. I am always so grateful.