A DRIFTLESS LANDSCAPE

Coon Valley, Vernon County. September, 1968. Altitude c. 5,000 ft. The ridges and valleys of the unglaciated (driftless) Western Upland are seen in this expansive, high-altitude oblique view. Small streams, such as that at lower left, have cut a dendritic pattern of deep, narrow valleys. A low sun angle emphasizes steep intervening slopes, most of which are covered with broadleaf forests. Contour plowing and strip cropping are prominent on the broader ridgetops. The numerous farmsteads there have experienced a significant decline in numbers in the three decades since the photograph was taken.