02-03-2019 - CR-10

After three weeks of consistent sub-zero temperatures, the weather finally brightened to an unseasonably warm 50 F last Sunday. As the thick snow in parking areas began to melt, I took advantage of the good conditions to go walking for the first time in far too long. I selected for the day a portion of Greene County's CR-10 in Durham, one of the highest-elevation roads in town. I parked by an abandoned quarry near the route's eastern terminus and walked westward from there, through the Cunningham Col between Mount Nebo and Mount Pisgah.

View of Mount Steenburgh from the frozen old quarry.

View down the route near the parking spot.

Up from the parking area aways was a region where the trees on the windward side of the road seemed stunted, although whether weather or age was to blame is unknown. Still, they provided good views of the valley to the northeast.

View northwards towards Albany County.

This clearing was likely used for farming, or perhaps occupied by a structure, until fairly recently.

Beyond this area was a local landmark, an enormous house built along the route several years ago, easily visible from the valley below. While impressive, the building was currently unoccupied to my knowledge, and I stopped to enjoy the view that it afforded.

View eastward from in front of the house over the Hudson Valley.

View from the house's other side of Windham, Hayden, and Nebo. From this angle Nebo mostly obscures Hayden.

View a bit more to the east from the same location, showing the contrast between mountain and valley.

The route continued for some time through relatively unbroken boreal forest from here up to the town limit. The border between Durham and Windham runs roughly through where CR-10 intersects Cunningham Road, with views to the south.

Ski slopes on Windham's Cave Mountain. I ran my car off the road at this curve last October, which I remembered as I walked.

Although it lacks significant topographical prominence, views like this one show why Mount Nebo was given its own name.

Sunlight on snow through the forest at the town line.

Here I turned around and headed back towards the car. The road here runs along Mount Pisgah State Forest, which is traversed by the NY Long Path with its several views on its way to the mountain's summit.

DEC sign marking the boundary of Mount Pisgah State Forest.

This area was cleared by a logging operation this year, and is clearly visible from the valley.

I continued on past the spot where I had parked to follow CR-10 all the way down to its terminus with CR-20. There I turned and headed back to the quarry to finish off the trip.

Sign at the eastern terminus of CR-10.

View of Mount Pisgah from just below the quarry.

Steenburgh and the quarry at sunset.

This week's weather has been particularly conductive to roadwalking, and I have two more posts in the wings that I hope to put out over the next couple days.