Great Sand Dunes National Park with Steve and Tara!
November 24, 2004
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Some of the mountain ranges on the way to the dunes! TOP: Mount Maestas (alt. 11,569) on left
MIDDLE: The Spanish Peaks (alt. 13,626 feet) on right
BOTTOM: Mount Blanca (alt. 14,345 feet) range |
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Approaching the dunes, with the mighty Sangre de Cristo range behind. |
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Compared to the huge mountains in this area, the dunes do not look very large. However, the dunes rise up to points of 870 feet from the base ... all in sand!
Notice how small the people look in the top photo directly below the highest point. In the bottom photo, a dog fetches a tennis ball on a very steep slope! |
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The geological background of the Sand Dunes is fascinating, including Medano Creek which runs beside the visitor area. While I have you here, have you ever visited my General Science Forum? :) |
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LEFT: Notice our footsteps as we zig-zagged to the steep area in the foreground!
RIGHT: From this spot, look how steep it was to the ridge! :O |
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I was so happy to be there!
Here are my other pictorials in the San Luis Valley:
2004 Bike Trip in SLV, San Luis Shrine, Villa Grove
San Luis Valley Scenery & Mountains, Bonanza |
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Special thanks to Tara... for driving us down and being such an enjoyable hiking partner!
In the bottom photo, Tara smiles at a restaurant in Salida after the hike. |
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Hikers at a dune lookout with a huge mountain (Mount Herard?) behind.
Some of my huge mountain pictorials:
Mt. Princeton, Mt. Democrat-Lincoln-Bross, Pikes Peak
Lizard Head Pass, Views From Buena Vista |
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Tara and I had our sights set on reaching that top dune in the park, which is relatively close to the visitor area. |
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One look towards the visitor area to the east. |
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Note that you will likely get a ton of sand in your shoes just like at the beach. |
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Almost there! |
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Wowwee! The views to the northwest, north and northeast give you an idea of just how large this sand dune field is! |
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LEFT: Tara and I in a token photo as we enjoy the views.
RIGHT: Special thanks to my water bottle (as in my Manitou Incline & Williams Canyon hikes), my best friend during hikes! |
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A hiker runs down into a valley in the dunes. |
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On the way down...
TOP: Notice the steepness of the edge and the person below for perspective. Now if this were a regular mountain, the steepness would surely lead to serious injury or death, but because the sand is like soft & mushy beach sand...
BOTTOM: ...Tara and I ran down it! Just look at our footsteps and the steepness of that hill! :-P |
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It was neat to look back and track our footsteps. |
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Folks, you really need to visit this place. Tentatively, the Great Sand Dunes will be on the 2005 ColoradoGuy Festival agenda! (Click here for 2004 ColoradoGuy Festival!) |
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In the park's parking lot, this beautiful bird landed on the side view mirror. Wow! |
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On the way home, a silhouette of Tara and me looking really tired during the long ride home. |
Great Sand Dunes National Park, November 3, 2001
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What a place! The Great Sand Dunes is a 39 square mile
area of SAND ... amassed like huge mountains. It's an amazing place - a must visit -
if you're ever in southern Colorado. |
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I went with Dave Vetter, who graciously drove. Notice how small the people are in the background. That's how huge these dunes are! |
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The park literature said the highest points of the dunes were equivalent to being on the 70th floor of a building. |
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Look what a someone tracked in the sand! :) |
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The Sangre de Cristo Mountains overlook the dunes to the north and east. |
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I have been wanting to go all year, and finally, I did it! :-) |
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The scenery was SO BEAUTIFUL! I'm not sure if the picture gives you a feel for how high up we were! Oh and that's another mountain range to the southwest of the dunes. |
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That's my water bottle as I was laying down at the top of a huge dune. I was covering my face from the sand being blown all over by strong gusts of wind. |
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We walked down a steep mountain of sand and while it wasn't dangerous, our feet sunk ankle deep in sand most of the time. :) |
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The San Luis Valley is so vast and expansive. Now this is the West! |
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I thought this was a fun one. |
