King Brook flows away from Route 116, north along Route 8A into the Chickley River. In these high elevation headwater reaches, (up to 1700 feet elevation) snow covers the land earlier and later in the winter / spring seasons than in lower reaches.
This reach is typical of high gradient, forested headwater streams that have a step-pool shape. Boulders or fallen tree limbs span much or all of the channel. Water flows over these obstructions, in a series of small stepped waterfalls into the next dowstream pools. They are commeon in gradients ranging from 5 to 20%.