When I arrived at the Cosby campground, I was the only one there. The campground itself was closed for the winter, and the tourists had basically disappeared after Halloween. Combine that with the chance of icky weather, it all made sense that I had the region to myself. The first part of Gabes Mountain Trail heads uphill most of the way, crossing creeks on footbridges or rock hops. Many of the crossings were picturesque with fallen leaves stuck to the boulders in the streams.
After the descent, I came out to a very open intersection with Maddron Bald and Old Settlers trails. There were a couple of carved out benches for weary hikes and several trail signs directing the confused. I heard rumbles of thunder not long before then, so I eliminated the longer loop hike option. I was going to turn right and continue downhill alond the wide, former roadbed of Maddron Bald toward the park boundary. It comes out near a campground and neighborhood notorious for auto theft and break-ins, so avoid parking your vehicle there when doing this section of trail. The path down from the junction is very gradual, and in a short time bypasses the Baxter Cabin. It sits off trail to the left in an open, grassy area all by itself. It's a very simple square building compared to the other cabins being preserved across the park.
The return hike was just that, a repeat of everything I encountered coming out. Clouds were dropping lower so the views I had near the falls were gone. The rumbles of thunder continued. Now there are two trailhead for Gabes Mountain if you come from Cosby campground. The way I first took begins at the parking lot, while the other leads south toward the campground. To be sure and get all the new miles I could, I took the alternative. I also needed to finish up various portions of the horse trail that follows the circumference of the campground, so I literally took the long way back to my vehicle. In the process of extending my hike, it finally decided to rain. It never got heavier than a shower and it fely refreshing. I managed to rake in a few more tenths, but I was still a good deal shy of the 600 mark. It would have to wait til tomorrow. Hopefully the sour weather wouldn't stick around.