My tribe was small last week, but the adventure was large! You may have seen in my Instagram Stories (@acbeam) that my uncle and I went for hike at Paris Mountain. (I used this little bag from TR Makers Co to carry my camera in. It worked perfectly!) 

The weather fully cooperated. I didn’t even have to wear a coat. I am glad I wore a t’shirt under my sweatshirt though. When we got to the part of the hike where I thought I was going to die, I had to take it off because I actually got hot.

My uncle is a professional hiker, if there is such a thing. It’s not a full time job, of course, but it runs a close second! Here, he is explaining the different trails and their level of difficulty. We chose a moderate one.

It was moderate for me. For him, and probably most hikers, it was easy. We take the kids hiking all the time, but definitely nothing strenuous. I’ve not really been hiking since I was in college. I was looking forward to a “grown-up” hike and an afternoon away from my world.

Looking out over downtown Greenville.

Ahh… the reason we came! Most people are familiar with Lake Placid in Paris Mountain State Park. It’s the lake you find shortly after entering the park where you can swim, rent paddle boats, etc. I’d never seen North Lake, so our plan was to hike around it.

As you can see, it’s worth the hike to get there – which truly wasn’t bad at all. I could easily take the kids.

We made sure to stop and eat three or four times along the way. Once again, my (or actually, JP’s) Osprey Pack was a lifesaver. It held everything I needed and weighed next to nothing. I couldn’t even tell it was on my back. (Thanks, Mast General!) 

Once we got to the lake, we decided we would take a longer (more strenuous) trail to the top of the mountain.

Once again, this trail is probably not actually strenuous for someone who is in shape and used to hiking. Having said that, this is also the trail I almost died on. My uncle was so great to slow down and make plenty of stops for me! I slowed him down so much. In my defense, I was wearing the wrong shoes. Before we hit too many trails, I’ll have to hit the store for more appropriate shoes… hello, Mast General Store, maybe you can help a sister out?! 

Through these trees, you can see North Lake. You can’t tell from the photo, but it was a LONG way down!

I definitely enjoyed experiencing Paris Mountain State Park in a completely new way. The next time you have a free Saturday, head over and hop on one of the trails. Be sure to visit their site before you go – they often have bike races and other activities going on that could affect your plans.

Everything about the hike was great. More than anything, I cherished the time spent with my uncle. It meant so much to walk and catch up on life. I am already looking forward to our next trip!