Today was another warm and lovely fall day. When we went to bed, the leaves were still green and this morning they turned brilliant shades of yellow, red, and orange. After a refreshing constitutional with the dogs, I took a long hot shower after which I spruced up our tiny bathroom just a bit. I decided to exercise my prowess as a pitcher and tossed a wet washcloth across the RV towards the hamper. Instead, I threw a curve and the washcloth banked right and landed squarely in, my nemesis, the catbox. I pretended it didn’t happen until Todd got up at which time I suggested that he retrieve the wayward pitch.
Todd was ready to embark on an epic journey to the Hen Wallow Falls (It’s really hard to not say “Fen Hollow” – Todd). As a former (non-abused) Boy Scout one would anticipate that he was ready for anything and today was no exception. I noted his choice for hydration and nutrition which consisted of a Coke and handful of Starburst’s as he bounded out the door on the way to start his hike. I don’t know if I’m more jealous of the hike or the Starburst. I know it sounds strange but Starburst’s are fruit right?
Rather than sit in RV while Laura wallowed in self pity worked, I took the opportunity to hike the trail to Hen Wallow Falls which begins just outside the Cosby Picnic Area in the northeast corner of Great Smoky Mountains NP. It’s a moderately strenuous (and I really hate it when people use highly subjective terms to describe hikes. It was moderate for me, it may not be for you) 4.4 mile up and back … or should I say up and down?
hike to a 90′ waterfall. I did this on a Friday and met about a dozen groups coming and going so it wasn’t terribly crowded. The trail, which runs through hemlock, oak and rhododendron forest, is wide and well maintained:
but not very smooth and it did bring to mind the unevenness of the Inca trail and thoughts of that epic trek with our good friends the Quesenberry’s. Although it isn’t “paved” with stones like that Peruvian highway, it does have many stair-like sections made primarily of roots exposed by the constant foot traffic: 
and rocky sections where the runoff has exposed small to medium sized boulders:
There are three fallen-timber creek crossings that are in excellent condition with each having a handy … hand rail. 
For much of the start of the hike, the sound of small creeks, springs, and rivers is a constant companion even though the trail does not follow along a stream. Then about a mile and a half in, the path takes a turn around a shoulder of Gabes Mountain towards Three Top Mountain and all the sound fades away. The litter of leaf debris, which in some places was thick enough to obscure the tail, muffled most of the forest sounds except for an occasional cricket or the sporadic tick-tick-tick-thud of acorns falling through the canopy.
There were a few people resting at the end of the trail and some kids climbing among the boulders at the bottom of the falls. Fortunately my limited Photoshop skills sufficed to either remove them or turn them into rocks:
