Enjoying a Long Day in Siouxland, Stone State Park, Sioux City

Stone State Park manager Brianna Martens leads a solstice hike on the longest day of the year in Stone State Park in Sioux City, Iowa Friday, June 21, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

The longest day of the year recently passed here in Siouxland as it did in other places too. A group of friends and like-minded individuals assembled at a local state park, Stone State Park, to celebrate solstice and get in a hike with plenty of light still available to find one’s way through the forested area. At least with this hike one didn’t have to worry about slipping on ice or stepping off the trail in the darkness.

The Northwest Iowa Group, Sierra Club rented two campsites for people to camp out overnight and enjoy nature. However, nature wasn’t having any of it as it has been raining a few days and folk showed up to walk and enjoy a meal cooked outdoors, but no one was staying the night. So it was a hike they made to just enjoy nature and revisit some areas a few had previously hiked on their own.

Solstice hikers stop to check out certain foliage along a trail in Stone State Park in Sioux City, Iowa Friday, June 21, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Stone State Park manager Brianna Martens leads a solstice hike in Stone State Park in Sioux City, Iowa Friday, June 21, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

This group of avid explorers remarked about certain plants they found along the way, noting that young deer eat plants that older deer do not, as well as tiny moths glowing white (they are white) in the early evening light within the forest and standing out against a carpet of green.

Stone State park intern Emily shows a solstice hiker a confirmation of a moth species they found in Stone State Park in Sioux City, Iowa Friday, June 21, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

With all the recent rain beginning in early spring Stone State Park was carpeted in green as far as the eye could see during a solstice hike in in Sioux City, Iowa Friday, June 21, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Stone State Park manager Brianna Martens said it’s because of these core people that have an interest in their local parks that stopping by and spending some time with them, even taking them on a short hike is always delightful and a way to celebrate the longest day of the year.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

Stone State Park manager Brianna Martens, left, talks with Bill Zales during a solstice hike in Stone State Park in Sioux City, Iowa Friday, June 21, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Enjoying a Short Day in Siouxland, Solstice at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center

A solstice hike is led and explained by naturalist Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Hikers head out for an hours walk led by naturalist Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, Thursday during a solstice hike , Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

In December I went for a short walk on a short day in Siouxland to learn a bit about the solstice at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director for the nature center led a a small group during a late afternoon hike up to a hillside and overlook and talked about the shortest day of the year and reminding people that longer days of sunlight are coming hopefully with more sunshine to counter the current cold spell.

Even on cold days, the sunshine is still sweet to help one overcome any feelings of gloom that sometimes happens when days are filled with overcast skies and snowfall. And it’s always nice to get out and enjoy nature with others of similar mind. And to learn a bit more about area parks. The group stopped under an oak tree that Snyder pointed out was probably 200 years old or so according to its branch structure, having grown in such a fashion  because they were fewer trees at the time allowing it to “spread its wings” so to speak, compared to other nearby trees that were growing more vertically. This would have been a period during pre-Iowa statehood when the area was probably mostly prairie.

During an hour hike naturalist Dawn Snyder, left, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center talks about nature and some of the park’s older inhabitants like the oak tree speculated to be about 200 years old during a solstice hike Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

A few hikers spent an hour learning from naturalist Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center during a solstice hike Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

On extremely cold days I don’t venture out as much as I used to when I was younger. Enjoying my creature comforts too much as I age and liking to spend my time during the daylight hours and pondering such thoughts as I have on those long winter nights.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

A few hikers make their way down a hill spending an hour learning from naturalist Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center during a solstice hike Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

A few hikers spent an hour learning from naturalist Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center during a solstice hike Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Children get into the spirit of a solstice hike is led and explained by naturalist Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

A solstice hike is led and explained by naturalist Dawn Snyder, Education Program Director at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)