Great Sand Dunes National Park

July 19th

After spending the night in Trinidad, Colorado, our first stop was at Great Sand Dunes National Park.  The first view of the dunes from the access road is just strange- you can see piles of white sand against the Sangre de Christo mountains.  It is not until you get closer that you realize the immense size of these dunes- some as high as 750 feet- extending for miles.  During the snow melt season, Medano Creek flows at the base.

It is really as a result of water that these dunes exist.  Medano Creek and Sand Creek both flow out of the mountains, bringing with them tons of sand worn from the rock.  Once the sand reaches the flat land, the strong prevailing southwest winds, often reaching 40 miles per hour, blow the sand back up into the dunes.  Because of the growing awareness of the importance of water in the protection of this area, a preserve of surrounding lands has been established.

When we arrived at the park, we went to the Visitor Center and watched a very informative film on this area.  We decided we would try to hike to the top of the nearest large dune, as according to the ranger, it was about 2 hour hike and the view from the top would allow us to see many more of the dunes.  Those seen from the visitor center account for only about 1/3 of the dunes.  We applied sunscreen, hats, sneakers and took our walking sticks and water.  We headed out, soon realizing that walking in the loose sand took a great deal of effort.  We continued on for about 1 hour and were still a long way from the top of the dune. We decided to call it a day and turn back, but glad we had given it a shot.

The view from out there is just amazing, looking at these massive dunes in an area where they shouldn't be....   it was truly an experience to see them.  The dunes are constantly sculpted by the winds, forming sharp ridges and deep gullies.  The soft sand flies easily in the wind.  Although the dunes appear barren, there are small plants and animals that thrive here (we only saw footprints, we think of a kangaroo rat..)  There is one insect, the Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, that lives no where else in the world.  

Great Sand Dunes

All prepared!

View from the dunes

Deep gully

Wind sculpture

Shadows on the dunes

Dunes against the mountains

Fox on grounds of AF Academy

The Cadets Chapel

We stayed in Colorado Springs that night, and decided to go to the Air Force Academy to see the chapel.  We had been in this area once before, but did not go.  Driving through the city, you could look up to the mountains to the west and see miles of burnt-out area.  It must have been a hellish view during the recent wildfires!

When we first arrived on the grounds of the Academy, a large fox ran across the parking lot in front of us, stopping to drink water from the gutter.  We wondered if he was displaced during the fire...The chapel at the academy was very interesting with its 17 spires.  We were disappointed, though, to find that it was not open to the public, as we had understood that it was.  The academy is in a beautiful setting, so spent a few minutes walking around, than back on to 25 north.