Embrace the Hills Bike Ride

Saturday the 21st, Jonathan and I participated in the Embrace the Hills bike ride in Pisgah, Iowa, and surrounding area. It was just under 30 miles on a cool, pleasant day. Despite being Loess hill country, the route was relatively flat. It was a very nice ride and we both enjoyed it quite a bit.

Check in was at the Loess Hills State Forest Visitor Center in Pisgah. Inside, you can find raised-relief maps of the area state forests and other displays about loess and the wild animals who make their homes here.

The ride organizers provided baked goods and "make your own trail mix" at check in. We really loved the trail mix. We weren't sure what they would have, so we brought our own granola bars, but we ate the trail mix instead. That stuff is addictive.

A quote from one of the wall displays in the Center.

The route, which was estimated to be 29.5 miles, took us over the big Murray Hill and through the towns Little Sioux, River Sioux, Mondamin, and back to Pisgah.

In Mondamin, which was approximately halfway, there was a "make your own omelette" brunch. You added what you wanted to the eggs and they boiled it in a bag! They were pretty good. We had ours with veggies and homemade salsa. They also provided several kinds of bread for toasting, fruit, and more baked goods.

The ride was incredibly beautiful. It took place mostly in the flat land at the base of the hills. We got a great view of the hills and of the adjacent fields as far as the Little Sioux River. Unfortunately, I was not able to take very many photos on the ride because I was on a bicycle. But on our day home, we stopped at the Murray Hill Scenic Overlook and took quite a few.

This beautiful plant is Leadplant and another I can now add to my Wildflower ID list. It has silvery leaves that are soft to the touch.

Jonathan and an interpretive sign.

When we stopped, there happened to be about a dozen antique tractors parked there as well. I'm not sure where they were headed, but their drivers and companions also stopped for a hike up to the overlook.

At this point, a sharp peak divides pasture on one side and prairie growth on  the other.

The height of these hills are a sharp contrast to the flatness of the plains below.

Cows grazing further down on the pasture side.

From Murray Hill, we overlook the road we biked on out of Pisgah.

We had a very nice day and hope to ride at next year's event.