Lovely Erin :) My first thought was that the trees have become liquid and seeping down the road. Am pretty sure I just walk by this shot and miss its qualities.
Eeeeew. (That's a compliment! 8)) Reminds me of the tar seeps at the local beaches. Gotta keep a bottle of turpentine in the car to clean off feet and paws.
Neat b&w conversion and control of the sweet spot.
You TRULY have a wonderful grasp of photography in general and use of this tool in particular. You actually have two exceptional photographs here - the one as presented, with those wisps of trees above, the reaching flow below. Then if you were to crop the top down to below the horizon, there's a whole new level of darkness that takes hold. It is truly a pleasure to see what you're doing with this challenge.