Bob's Field Trip to the Ledges

Photos and text by Bob Kelly.

I left Ames on a beautiful sunny day to make a photo record of some of the spring images that could be found at the Ledges State Park south of Boone, Iowa. I had no more left my driveway when I spotted a big pot of Violas my neighbor had by their front door, and of course I had to stop and grab the photo below. Their brilliant shades of blue, lavender and yellow were like a beacon of color.

As I got over towards the Towers Dorms at Iowa State I noticed some flowering Crab Apple trees and my camera just made me take this lovely photo of the pink and white blossoms with yellow stamens all against a brilliant blue Iowa sky! I was off to a good start

As I left town what should I observe but two more "sentinels," these old aging structures standing in place as sentinels of time amidst the fertile lands they once served. The old barn while reasonably erect and upright was missing a few doors and boards, but what I enjoyed seeing most was the kind of brickwork pattern formed by the rusting of the metal roof during the last fifty years. If you squint your eyes a bit and rotate your head to the left, the pattern kind of reminds one of a brick wall.

A few miles down the road was yet another old abandoned pump, most likely a key component for a farmstead that was once there. All is gone except for this pump which stands there in all the weather Iowa has to offer, and reminds us that once it was very important!

After these pleasant distractions, I finally reached the Ledges, and upon entering the winding canyon road the first thing I came upon was a cluster of May Apples. These creative plants come out of the ground like a pointed umbrella in the early spring, rise up taller and then the umbrella gradually opens to the size you see her, and a single or sometimes a double blossom forms. After it whithers it turns in an apple shaped fruit that is in place about mid to late May, thus the name.

Nearby and scattered randomly all over the woods of the Ledges was the lavender Woodland Phlox, standing out prominently from the decayed leaves of the woodland floor.

Along the banks of the canyon road one could see the waxy looking yellow flowers of the Smooth Fox Glove, and well as taller and small flowers with five white petals, called Wood Anemone. In the photo below you get both of them in the same image!

As I cross the creek that meanders through the canyon area, and actually crosses over the roadway about five times, I noticed a purple flowered tree (most likely a variety of Crab Apple) along the edge of the creek, and it along with some of the first bluffs you see in the Ledges, made a rather nice scenic view. After I crossed the creek a couple of times I came upon a Wild Geranium with its light purple flowers showing proudly in the early afternoon sun.

Once you get all the way down to the end of the canyon road you run into at T intersection that takes you north or south through the lower ledges, and back up to the top. Along the road to the south sits an abandoned stone cabin, yet another sentinel that has no function other than to add some rustic beauty to the landscape. It has sat there for decades and seen water rise and fall with flooding, very likely engulfing it as well, but it stands undaunted there for us to enjoy as we drive by.

I turned off the lower Ledges road into a parking lot for a short trail that takes one to Lost Lake, which is a good size pond out in the middle of the forest, and a lovely habitat for frogs, turtles, fish, and water birds. As I walked down the trail to get to Lost Lake I observed a cluster of Jack in the Pulpits, and made a close up of one of them. For those who may be unfamiliar with this plant, it grows in shaded areas, and has a circular base that resembles a pulpit as found in some of the older churches. The stamen parts of this flower are contained in the small cylinder shaped object that protrudes up from the pulpit, commonly know as "Jack."

When I finally got to Lost Lake I observed several Painted Turtles, each about six inches long, sunning themselves on dead logs in the water. Their first response to me sitting about twenty feet away was to flee, which they did. I sat on a bench, enjoying the landscape and just waited and soon one of them emerged up through the moss and algae covered water and checked me out. He seemed to be unaffected by me, so there he remained for a good long time, looking somewhat like a soldier turtle, in camouflage dress checking out his visitor! It was a fun way to spend a couple of hours and I am happy to tell you that Ledges State Park has fully awakened for Spring and I would encourage any of you within driving distance of Boone, Iowa, to go there and check it out as I did today. You will not be disappointed, as no matter what the season, there is always something there worth seeing.