There’s one major waterfall in Western North Carolina that’s a bit unusual because its flow depends upon a release of water from “one of the highest-elevation lakes east of the Rocky Mountains” according to the Jackson County, North Carolina, official website.

High Falls on the West Fork of the Tuckasegee River (aka Cullowhee Falls) is a 150-foot waterfall and a Badger favorite. Several times a year from April to September, water is released from Lake Glenville Dam for recreational purposes. The releases send huge amounts of water downriver over the falls. The announced events (seven are planned in 2025) are witnessed by hundreds of onlookers and kayakers use the increased water levels for one of the Southern Appalachians preeminent boating runs.

Badger flipped the script and visited High Falls for sunrise during our recent cold snap to photograph yet another frozen waterfall. What was found at High Falls was a water flow that was inconsistent with the huge amounts found on release dates but more in line with what old timers had told me was the normal flow before the dam was built.

Apparently, Duke Energy, unbeknownst to Badger before the visit, was conducting a winter release similar to the seasonal drawdowns common from dams on TVA lakes. The result was a unique opportunity to photograph an iconic waterfall as it historically appeared and in icy conditions to boot.

To add to the fortunate composition, the sun eventually peeked over the falls to add an element of morning glow to an already wondrous scene.

Most people know that one of Badger’s maxims is to put oneself in a position to succeed. On an icy day in the mountains of Western North Carolina, execution of that attitude resulted in a one-of-a-kind image!

Thomas Mabry – Honey Badger Images

Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at instagram.com/honeybadgerimages.