Henwallow Falls is a short spur off Gabes Mountain Trail in the Cosby area of the GSMNP. I had previously hiked to the falls from Cosby but not from the other direction. So these were new miles for me today. Starting at on the Maddron Bald Trail, we accessed Gabes Mountain Trail about a mile from the trail head. There was snow on the ground and streams were partially frozen. We were the only footprints in the snow on the trail.
Lunch was at the base of the falls. A series of icicles formed what looked like an upside down pipe organ. Water ran under ice and over ice and between ice. The rocks below had a sheen of ice making for treacherous footing.
On the return, I noticed some flagging I had not seen on the way in. I followed it for a couple hundred yards until it started downhill. Small trees had been sawed to make a pathway through the rhododendron. The flagging was fresh and the tree cuts looked to be about a month old. About a mile further along the trail, near backcountry campsite 34, we encountered a set of footprints in both directions. We assumed someone had hiked toward the falls and turned back. That was not the case. Shortly before campsite 34, new flagging, as in "today", with a set of footprints, led away from the trail. At campsite 34, the prints ended, so I can only surmise someone has flagged a trail to access the Gabes Mountain Trail, probably from a home just outside the park. Perhaps the other trail we saw creates a loop from that home. That would make a good mystery hike.
The snowy trail slowed our progress and we ended up taking 8 hours to hike 11 miles.
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