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Cat Steps |
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Miles and miles of corn and soybean |
Saw lots of corn and soybean harvesting |
Hiked into the canyon |
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Windmill farm in Northern Iowa |
Blade Hubs |
Generator Housing & Hub |
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Fall colors in Forest City, IA |
The Loess Hills in Iowa are a band of 200 ft. high hills that run for about 200 miles along the Missouri River. About 18,000 years ago as the last ice age began to end, warm spells would create a raging torrent that became the Missouri River. As each winter set in, the water diminished, leaving behind soils that had been ground as fine as flour by the glaciers. The winds blew this 'loess', pronunced 'luss' into the eastern bank of the river, forming dunes as the process repeated itself over thousands of years. Over time topsoils formed and a unique natural community developed.
In the early years, the Loess Hills were inhabited by Ice Age animals including wooly mammouth, camels, giant bears and sloth. There is evidence of humans in the hills for as long as 6,000 years. When Lewis and Clark came through this area, it was occupied by Sioux, Omaha, Iowa and Oto indians.
The hills are very unique in that they are composed completely of 'loess', a cross section showing nothing but layer upon layer of 'loess' sand. The sides of the hills are marked by the 'cat steps' that are created when a portion of the 'loess' just looses it foundation and slumps down. These are not created by errosion.
The Loess Hills of today contain the National Scenic Byway, a beautiful road that winds through the hills and trees of today. Most of the valleys in the middle of the hills are farmed in corn and soybean.
The only other place in the world where 'loess' formations occur is the Yellow River area in China. (Return)