2022-12-24: Hearts Content Road

Cairo NY Roads: 105/113 mi

It was early in the evening on Christmas Eve. The temperature outside was around 11° F, the roads were covered in thick ice from the rains the day before, and the sky was covered in clouds. Most reasonable people would stay indoors with the family, but I couldn't bear to let the day go by without a bit of exercise, so I headed out to use the last light to do a little roadwalking.

Route 31, also known as Hearts Content Road, runs from the hamlet of Round Top over the border with Catskill. While the county highway ends at the Catskill town line (existing only in Cairo), the named road continues a few miles. It's a forested, twisty road running parallel to the Kiskatom Brook that also happens to be my mother's favorite road in Cairo. The portion I walked on this day was short, running from Winter Clove Road at the northwest to the town line at the southeast. Many people were out greeting family or preparing the yards for the holidays, and I soon returned home to do the same.

Roads Walked: CR-31/Hearts Content Road

A frozen waterfall seeps from a rock outcrop far across a field at the town line.

Heavy rains the day before led massive icicles on every outcrop in sight.

Odd icy precipitates hung from below trees and rocks on the brook. These were formed when the creek rose in warm weather, then dropped quickly when freezing temperatures returned.

Looking downstream along the Kiskatom Brook.

I'm not sure where exactly the line is between 'icicle' and 'frozen waterfall', but icy formations covered the landscape all around.

Another icy formation sits above a running stream, frozen thick on both ends, to the west of the road.

Looking southeast down Route 31.

Rapids along the storm-swollen Kiskatom Brook.

More tiny icy stalactites hanging off the banks of the Kiskatom.

Although yesterday's muddy color had disappeared from the rivers, they still moved at a fierce pace.

Looking upstream along the Kiskatom Brook from a bridge near where I parked.