I went to Paris ..... cemetery

Photo by: Tim Bindner

Paris Cemetery (N38°08.160 W86°15.748) was my destination today. I also had company on my journey.

Mark parked his Jeep at the open gate and we headed up the road. The gate was open and soon we were passed by a logging truck as we made our way past Cold Friday Cemetery and Greenbrier Cemetery. Our destination was Paris Cemetery.

Distance from Greenbrier is roughly 1.25 miles, but getting there was difficult. We took the Voyles Pass Horse Trail, which began with a downhill descent. Part way down the hill I stumbled on some deer antlers, which I picked up, hung on my backpack and moved along.

With recent snow and rains, the trail was muddy, which made the journey even more challenging. Following the orange and blue blazes of the horse trail, we eventually reached the intersection of Greenbrier Horse Trail, which was marked by a single orange blaze.

A short crossing of a dry creek bed, then up a soggy hill, and soon we were at the intersection of the Adventure Trail. Turning west, we started up a hill on the Adventure Trail.

As Mark and I continued to walk the twist and turns of the Adventure Trail, I soon saw to my left the horse trail. Through the trees I could see a sign, but could not read it. As I got closer, my focus became clear. PARIS CEMETARY DEAD END. I stopped to take a few pictures and question the spelling of the sign. I have so often seen cemetery spelled as cemetary. I asked Mark, and he confirmed that the ‘A’ was incorrect on the sign.

The tree-lined path led us past a small pond, and the cemetery appeared from the forest before me. Upon approach, I noticed the lot was boarded like the others with a single log fence post, and headstones were visible from where I stood.

I entered the cemetery and walked over to a broken headstone that stated INFANT of T.R. PARIS. This child lived two months from February 11, 1897 to April 11, 1897. I took a picture, admired the stone and thought of a life cut short.

I continued looking at the other stones in the area (I saw only 7 or 8 total), laying between brier bushes and yucca plants. Many of the tombstones needed careful navigation to get close enough to read them between this prickly plants.

We spent some time there and then headed back. We took a unique journey took the Greenbrier Cemetery. A muddy fire lane led us up and down hills where we eventually saw a large square rock with a hole in it. Mark told me to go down to it and he would take my picture. I did.

We followed the pink and black flagging hanging in the trees that led us back to the logging road we first started on. These flags mark an alternate route for the Adventure Trail as timber harvesting was going on nearby and the original section of the trail was closed. The low hum of chainsaws and an occasional falling tree was not only fascinating but also a bit concerning. We were far enough away, but still questioned the proximity of the workers and machines.

As we reached Greenbrier Cemetery again and began the last mile descent back to the Jeep, we continued to chat about various things, talk about our upcoming trip to Georgia and even our trip to Wyoming.

Mark is leaving Monday for a trip out west and I will not see him for weeks. Our time together was precious, and at least for me very much needed. I was out in nature with my buddy, doing what I love. It was a great day and one I will not forget.

Until next time,

Tim (Kilmer)