12-10-2018 - CR-20

Today I turned my attention back to the West Durham area, filling in some gaps I had left in previous walks. Greene County's CR-20 has two main sections, a north-south section that runs parallel to the Catskill Escarpment and an east-west section that climbs it directly. I've walked a great deal of that north-south section, leaving only about three miles unwalked. Today I covered a 2.5 mile portion of that new ground. Temperatures dropped back into the low 20s, but the skies remained almost completely clear, making for an enjoyable walk.

The northern Catskills region is ripe with abandoned buildings, such as this
boarded-up house near where I parked.

A spectacular evening view of Windham High Peak and Acra Point to its left,
seen over a lake.

Smaller mountains Zoar (L) and Ginseng (R) form the western end of the
Catskill Escarpment.

Windham and Zoar covered a great deal of the southern sky along the twisty
backroad.

Looking northeast across a barren hayfield.

Fantastic view north towards Edwards Hill at sunset.

Cornfields that just a few months ago were ripe for harvest now sit frozen.

This more northeasterly view shows Cook Mountain rising above the forest.

Something about this scene, the lone, bare tree standing in the middle of the
empty dead field, speaks deeply to me.

As the sun disappeared behind Mount Hayden, its final sunbeams bathed
Mont Pisgah's top in light.

This old, faded reassurance marker has yet to be replaced, giving a rustic feel
even to the road itself.

Another abandoned house. Although more recently occupied than the earlier
one, its open windows mean its interior is likely in terrible condition.

Here the divot in the forest lined up for a moment with the folds in the more
distant valley.

The last gleam of sunlight again targets Pisgah.

In this picture, you can almost feel the how frozen this old field is. But maybe
that's just me remembering it.