On Memorial Day 2026, Badger paused to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might enjoy the freedoms we hold dear. Their courage and service granted us the liberty to explore these recovering mountains, to heal, and to press on even when the path is uncertain.

That freedom carried an especially personal meaning this year. Rock Sprite Kitty Myers and yours truly, the Badger, have now explored four separate Helene landslide scars across Western North Carolina. One of those scars, located in the Black Mountains, first caught our attention a couple of months ago. While working our way up the steep, unstable terrain, Kitty eventually took the high ground and yelled down to Badger: “You’re not going to believe this!” Around a dogleg left bend in the Scar, she had first viewed the incredible 250+ foot Camp Creek Falls, dramatically uncovered by Helene’s powerful reshaping of the landscape.

After crawling up the rugged and potentially hazardous raw soil and rock to photograph those magnificent falls, we descended and surprisingly caught a glimpse of more falling water up a rhododendron-choked creek off the Scar. The surprise was that creek did not appear on any of my GAIAgps topographic maps. We didn’t have time to investigate that afternoon, but we made a promise to return.

The Camp Creek Waterfall Scar Photo by Thomas Mabry

We kept that promise on Memorial Day.

This time, we headed back up the Scar, passing three smaller 10–15-foot waterfalls along the way (also uncovered by Helene) before turning right into the mini-canyon filled with thick, dense vegetation. What followed was a classic “schwack” – our term for the creekwack and bushwack combination that has led us to hundreds of undocumented waterfalls over the past eleven years.

Deep in that hidden drainage, we found a 45′ drop on the undocumented creek. We call those “blueless” waterfalls, as there are no squiggly blue lines that appear on topo maps indicating that a creek was even there. Blueless waterfalls are special waterfalls, and this one was soon to become even more special when we chose its name.

The naming of the falls has a great story attached. I have known the Daniel family virtually my entire life. We all grew up in Fountain City. My brother Mark played basketball with Steve, and so too did I on the undefeated 25-0 Shannondale Hornets team that won the Tennessee State Elementary title. Steve was a dentist, and we shared an interesting afternoon while he heroically removed my stubborn wisdom teeth. Our families also socialized together and competed together in Knoxville age-group swimming with the Fountain City Swim Club and the Beaver Brook Barricudas.

Steve passed away three years ago. Afterward, his sister Leigh Ann Daniel Corbett asked Badger for a favor: if we found an undocumented waterfall, could Badger name it in her brother’s memory? When Kitty agreed to the naming of the falls we found, Stephen Daniel Falls became official. Leigh Ann was notified and was thrilled. She passed the information on to her sister Jenny, who was also delighted by the news.

The Daniel Family: Shirley, Leslie, Jenny, Leigh Ann and Steve

Stephen Daniel Falls now stands as a living tribute, a hidden gift revealed by the storm amid the slow, ongoing recovery of these mountains.

Helene continues to reshape our landscape in ways that are both heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. Each return visit to these scars reminds us of nature’s incredible resilience and of the importance of honoring those we’ve lost while moving forward with gratitude for the freedom to do so.

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