July16,2013
Nestled against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Great Sand Dunes are the focal point of a wild natural system of high mountain peaks,sparkling streams, forceful winds, and billion of sand grains. Here the majestic scenery gives intimate glimpses of life’s rich complexity.
These high dunes – North America’s tallest- are about 11 percent of 330 square mile deposit of sand. I hiked up to the dunes to snap this pic. There are no trails here so one just wanders with the natural contours of the ever-changing dunes.
We drove the amazing Medano Pass Primitive Road up to the closed gate by Castle Creek. The pass was washed out by two strong storms that passed through the area last week. Here is a view from the road looking at the dunes and Sangre De Cristo Mountains. The road is deep sand and the signs posted warn you to air down your tires or get stuck!
We had lunch at Castle Creek. The kids love to sand ski and sand sled these smaller slopes.
The jeep before we aired down by the dunes. Brad was smiling at the natural beauty and challenging jeep drive on this primitive road. Hope to come back and run the full 20 miles when the road re-opens. This natural park certainly had a unique beauty that surprised us both.
