Loess Is More--Let's Get Fired Up!

 The Loess (Pronounced "Luss") Hills of western Iowa was our travel destination for the weekend of November 6-8, 2020. The hills are composed of fine particles of wind blown silt, known as loess, created as the glaciers retreated from the last Ice Age. Today, the 650,000-acre Loess Hills landscape rises 200 feet above the Missouri River valley and is recognized for its unusually deep deposits of loess. The only two places in the world where loess has formed in such significant heights is here, and in the Shaanxi province of China. Our Day One destination was The Hitchcock Nature Center ( 41°24'48.42"N,  95°51'31.72"W) located in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. As we approached the area, we noticed large palls of smoke rising in the distance. This in fact was a controlled (or prescribed) burn, conducted here once or twice a year to remove unwanted species that threaten the native prairie ecosystem. Hiking on the network of trails in the 1,268 acre grounds was still allowed during the burns. Above, smoke rises in the distance at 3:07 pm CST, Friday, November 6, 2020, seen from an observation area of the facility.

Another capture seen from the observation area of the facility.

Smoke rises from a charred hillside as seen from the Badger Ridge Trail. The classic Loess Hills landscape can be seen in the background.

Smoke mixed with sun created these shafts of sunlight along the trail.

4:06 pm. More ridge trail scenery.

4:36 pm. Panoramic scene view from atop the facility's 45-foot tall ("HawkWatch") observation tower. The setting sun is now just above the tree line. In the distant background at left is the city of Omaha, Nebraska.

 

4:40, 4:43 pm. Similar scenes from the tower (shown above and below).

The smoke was taxing to our lungs and made our clothes reek, but the unique visual opportunity provided by this burn event was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.