Trip to the Great Sand Dunes N.P.

Imagine a world so removed from what you have grown to understand that you are left mouth gaping, eyes tearing and mind wandering lost in awe of what your eyes have told you is a reality. That is the impression you will get when hiking deep in to the dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Rarely are there times when time stands still as it is usually while your mind tries desperately to rationalize the next step as you are heading towards some devastating result from a misstep or miscalculation during your adventurous life.

Think slow motion as the front tire sticks as you endo over the bars of your mountain bike, heading rapidly towards the rocky singletrack, you some how can see every jagged edge on every rock, you hear the birds songs and smell the fresh air. All the while careening rapidly toward the inevitable…the collarbone shattering crash.

That is the same experience you will find after the laborious hike up to the top of High Dune, the highest point in the park but not the highest dune. (The highest dune is the nearby Star Dune, which is taller due to the slope of the valley below the sand). From the top of High Dune you can see the entire San Luis Valley, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the beautiful sight as dunes meet Medano creek and transition to the grass lands on one side and the forest on the other. There is such great biodiversity of both in flora and fauna that no nature lover will leave disappointed.

This past weekend I took my Desert Field Studies class from PPCC to the dunes and we all got to feel the power of the natural world once again. I have been to the dunes a few times before and each time I am filled with a sense undeniable awe. This trip we focused on several aspect of the dunes including Flora, Fauna, Desert Navigation, Weather and Climate, and Geography.

Each one of the students did an outstanding job on their chosen topics and really opened my eyes once again to the power of laughter and camaraderie.

Three cheers to the class! More pics of the trip will be posted soon.

If you get the chance try and plan a trip to the dunes and I assure you you will not be disappointed. In summation I wanted to share some facts about the dunes:

Designated a National Monument in 1932 and a National park in 2004

Tallest dunes in North America Covers 150,000 acres

The daytime temperature of the sand can reach 140 degrees fahrenheit

Also be sure to set aside time for the short hike up to magnificant Zapata Falls.