2021-12-23: Blackhead Mountain Road

 

After two back-to-back hikes, I returned to the streets to spend a day roadwalking in southwestern Cairo, in the hamlet of Round Top. At an elevation of nearly 1000 feet, Round Top is situated right on the edge of the Catskill Escarpment in the hilly forests below the mountains. This day's walk followed a nearly six-mile loop along several backroads off County Route 31, in a popular resort area.

Roads Walked: CR-31/Hearts Content Road, Bald Hills Road, Blackhead Mountain Road

Steep banks line the Trout Brook north of Hearts Content Road north of central Round Top.

Small rock outcrops, covered in trees and ferns, line an unnamed stream along the road. 

A shot northwest down Route 31, the north slopes of Acra Point forming the horizon.

Decaying buildings fill an unused summer camp. Some years ago this camp was active; many businesses and vacation spots in this area struggle to stay open for long.

Blackhead Mountain dominates the view from the appropriately-named Blackhead Mountain Road.

A wider, context-view shot shows Blackhead Mountain rising above the hilly road.

Old stone walls criss-cross a boulder-covered hillside. Centuries ago, this land likely served as pasture for livestock.

A small waterfall flows down a rocky step in the Shinglekill Creek. As a boy I used to play in the woods along the Shinglekill here; returning to the area as an adult was somewhat disappointing to see how tiny the 'tremendous' waterfalls were.

Iced-over swamps line the road along Bald Hills Road. This incredibly rural road had almost no houses, not even power lines along the sides.

In the dull grey forest lining both sides of the road, these bright red winterberries (Ilex verticillata) were the only color in sight.

A view of Arizona Mountain from Blackhead Mountain Road, seen from a field near the road's highest point.

A tattered flag flies over a footbridge along the Trout Brook at the north end of the road.

An old abandoned trailer buried deep in the woods. I enjoy stumbling across abandoned buildings along my walks, and Cairo has no shortage of them.

A last shot of Blackhead, seen here from a very different angle, as I headed back to the main road.

A waterfall along the Shinglekill had completely frozen in the cool weather, making for a beautiful icy view.