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Walsenburg, CO → Great Sand Dunes NP → Wheatland, WY 481.0 mi (774.1 km) |
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How do you dune, everyone?!
What a chaotic morning! Instead of heading right to Great Sand Dunes National Park for the sunrise, I sat in a parking lot at Fort Garland from 7:30 to 8:00 in the morning making plans for my next stop! That’s because, due to COVID-19, Rocky Mountain National Park is only allowing visitors on a timed entry system. Tickets go live at 8:00 AM, two days before, and if you don’t book within seconds, you don’t get in. It was just like the Crystal Ice Cave Tour!
For half an hour, I waited and refreshed, waited and refreshed. Finally, it was 8:00, and I clicked “Reserve” only to get a “Please Log In” screen! I’ve never seen a load screen take so long, and sure enough, I missed out on the first two entry times! In a panic, I went to the next one and, as luck would have it, scored a spot in the 10:00 AM entry. What a rush! Anyway, with my reservation in place, I could proceed with the day’s adventure in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve!
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These are North America’s largest sand dunes, with the tallest, Star Dune, stretching 750 feet from base to summit! It’s basically a giant playground, because the sand is always shifting, erasing the footprints of everyone who plays on it. After my reservation delays, I was eager to be one of those folks playing in the sand!
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First, I had to cross the dry Medano Creek bed, which runs from late winter to early summer. Today, it was super dry and super sandy! When I first got here, I thought I would trek all the way the top of Star Dune (4+ miles roundtrip). After finding how hard it was to walk in the sand, I realized it wasn’t going to happen before the heat of the day struck.
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Not to worry, though! Star Dune was just one of many humongous sand dunes, and I was bound to get some exercise, no matter which one I climbed! Each angle had its own unique lines and composition, and despite the thin layer of smoke from the four wildfires burning in the west, some great views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains!
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As I trekked to the middle of sand, sand, and more sand, I was amazed to find plants still growing in the middle of one super lifeless looking space! I wasn’t sure what this one was, maybe a scurfpea, but it inspired me to keep an eye out for life in the dunes!
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It was starting to get hot, and with heat came wind, the force that shaped these enormous sand dunes! I watched the wind collapse some sandy slopes and had to run and catch my hat a few times, but that’s all part of the adventure!
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Something buzzed past me and landed in the distance, and I had to find out what it was! I followed some odd-looking tracks to a ten-lined June beetle, a type of scarab! They’re super pretty bugs, even if they can be pests. I was hoping this one would lead me to a hidden Cave of Wonders, but it was just digging in the sand to cool off.
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A little hotter and a little higher, and I reached the top of my first dune! The dune field stretched for miles in all directions, which was great for social distancing! There were quite a few visitors here today, but the immensity of Great Sand Dunes meant everyone could stay as far away from each other as they liked. That was A-OK for this beaver!
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Far below, I spotted a beautiful patch of yellow that looked like it had not been trampled by photographers! I shuffled and slid down from the heights to get a better look, and what I found was a prairie sunflower, triumphantly blooming halfway up the dune! Below, thousands of its friends made the most of the northern base!
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I wanted to meet all of these pretty sunflowers, which meant a slip and slide was in order! I was probably going to be washing sand out of my ears for weeks, but whoo hoo!
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I was really surprised that no one else was down here taking photos of these sunflowers, though I did see a few footprints and a beer can. It was really quiet and serene, a real oasis of color! I was really impressed at these hardy plants that can thrive and bloom in these harsh conditions. The desert really is a wonder for these things!
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It was nearly noon, so it was time to quit the dunes! I worked my way back around, saving energy since I was out of water, and made it back to the parking lot without getting too exhausted. There, I met another traveling rodent named Packrat, who did the Camino de Santiago the same year I did! I gave Packrat some tips on booking an Antarctic trip, and then I filled up my water bottle and hit the road.
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Since I wasn’t going to get into Rocky Mountain National Park until Thursday, I decided to make a huge Wednesday detour that would require lots of driving but cover some important, and topical, sites! First, though, I stopped at the Uptop Historic District, which was actually for sale! From 1877 to 1899, this depot served the highest railroad in the world! As I explored the site, a storm started moving in, and I actually got flung into the air by a dust devil! Whew! Time to move on!
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Since I have half a day, I’m going to set my slumber target for Wheatland, Wyoming. Why so far, you ask? Well, I’ve got a three-state adventure taking shape. It’s a little seat-of-my-pants, which is fine, because I don’t wear any!
Stay tuned, and I’ll see you next state!
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Total Ground Covered: 947.0 mi (1,524.1 km) |
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