Great Sand Dunes…and They Were GREAT! (by Sunshine)

On Friday, August 7th after saying goodbye to Jay and Chris and taking our motorcycle adventure with the Brokaws, we drove south to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. It was late in the day when we arrived and the park campground was full, but we were happy to find a camping spot at the Oasis Campground right outside the park. We were up on a hillside and our view was amazing. To the south, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rose out of a broad flat plain interspersed with low bushes. To the north, were mounds of golden sand pushed up against the jagged mountain peaks. Dark clouds hung low and thunderstorms moved from the mountains across the plains. We hurried into the Burro and watched the magic unfold before us. When the storms passed there was just enough light left for Walden to explore the playground and find a plastic toy space shuttle someone had left behind. He pretended to fly it over each piece of the playground equipment until we finally convinced him it was almost too dark to see our way back to the car.

In the morning (August 8th), we drove into the national park and grabbed the first, and only, campsite available. We dropped off the Burro and headed out to explore the dunes before the sun got too high. The dunes are at 7,000 feet and the daytime temperatures are only in the 80s, but the temperature on the dunes can reach 150 degrees by afternoon. To reach the dunes, you have to cross Medano Creek which varies in depth from thigh high during spring runoff to completely dried up by late August. Fortunately, during our visit there was just enough water running to create beautiful ripples and patterns in the sand. The creek bed is so broad and flat the course of the shallow water continually braids and changes. Due to the way the water carries the sand, deposits it, creates dams, then breaks them and reroutes, the creek experiences a phenomenon called “surge flow.” It only occurs a few places in the world, and even with only an inch or two of depth, we watched as the water suddenly grew a bit deeper and rushed through. It was really neat.

Climbing the dunes

After crossing the creek, we began to climb the dunes, which are the tallest in North America. We hiked up, down, up, down, and up approximately 1.25 miles to the top of the tallest dune we could see. Some areas were so steep, each step forward was followed by a half step sliding back. The view from the top was amazing and we could see the undulating sand stretching for miles, surrounded by rocky mountain peaks. Going down the dunes took significantly less time than going up, because sliding and running is the only way to travel. Walden loved holding each of our hands and pretending he was surfing down the sand with his feet barely touching the ground. He would also sit on his butt and slide on the steep parts, sending a wave of sand rushing below like an avalanche.

Playing at the top of the dunes

View over the dune field

Prairie sunflowers growing in the dunes

After lunch, we explored the visitor center which pleased Walden. He especially enjoyed the exhibit that demonstrated the creation and movement of a sand dune; it had a light and fan that he could turn with a wheel to blow real sand into a dune. While Jim took a short interpretive hike outside, Walden and I worked on his Junior Ranger book and earned another badge. I enjoyed some quiet time after supper while Walden and Jim took a trail from the campground to the creek and played in the water until a storm arrived. After a good show of thunder and lightning, we were graced with a beautiful pink colored sky as the sun went down behind the dunes. The show got even better after dark when the Milky Way appeared among some of the brightest stars we’ve seen on the trip. To me, the stars somehow seem closer when they touch mountains.

Sunset over the dunes

Starry sky and Milky Way above our campsite

The next day (August 9) we hiked the Wellington Ditch Trail from the campground to the visitor center. We took in about half of the Montville Nature Trail (which wasn’t that exciting), then walked the interpretive trail by the visitor center that I had missed the day before. Our route back was along Medano Creek and the wet sand made for easy hiking.

Zapata Falls

In the afternoon, we drove 11 miles south of the park to a BLM road that led to Zapata Falls. We’d heard this was a great place to visit when the dunes were too hot to explore. Apparently, everyone else heard it to since we were in a long line of cars (limited options near the park)! The 3-mile gravel road up to the parking lot was rather treacherous and we were thankful that we had abandoned our plan to camp at the BLM campground nearby. The poor Burro would have rattled to such an extent that every screw might have come loose and the doors and windows fallen off. Despite the road conditions the parking lot was packed. It’s only a short quarter mile hike uphill to the creek, but the falls are not visible once you get there. We replaced our hiking boots with sandals and waded into the ice cold water. After crossing the stream on slippery walks several times, we reached a very narrow slot canyon that curved into darkness. Once we rounded the final corner, we were surprised to find a rather large waterfall shooting down a narrow passage. The tight space made the falls very loud. There was just enough space at the bottom of the falls to stand for a photo and there was a line of people waiting for their turn. Usually we’d be frustrated that we couldn’t stay longer to see more, but the water was so cold and our feet completely numb that we didn’t want to spend more than the time it took to snap a picture. It was a fun adventure and great place to explore on a hot day.

Splashing in Medano Creek

In the evening, we all hiked back down the trail from the campground to play in the creek. Walden loves sand and water, and he splashed and ran and built and smashed castles until well after the sun went down.

On our final day at the park (August 10), we went back down to the creek. Walden and I played in the sand and climbed the dunes while Jim took another hike high into the dunes.

Notes from Jim: 

Shifting sands

I grew up in Kohler-Andrae State Park on Lake Michigan surrounded by sand dunes. Truth be told, I wasn’t very excited to visit Great Sand Dunes, since I’ve experienced so many dunes in my life. But my hike up the dunes on the last day was a revelation for me. The morning was windy and cool. The sand dunes were alive in motion. The wind whipped the sand grains into ever-changing patterns, rippled on one side facing the wind, smooth on the side away. Whirlpools, arcs, and swirls danced across the surface of the dunes. I could literally see the dunes being built and torn down before my very eyes. The wind sculpted the top of the dunes into knife-like edges, which made it difficult to walk as I straddled each side. 

Sand blowing from atop a dune

Although seemingly a desert devoid of life, ravens flew on the thermals looking for a meal. Tiger beetles, moths, and sand crickets, found nowhere else in the world, scattered across the sand making tracks that were quickly erased by the wind. Inside protected bowls within the dunes, brilliant sunflowers and hardy grasses clung precariously to the shifting substrate. 

Reaching the top of the dunes, feeling the full force of the wind, the sand blowing against my legs like sandpaper one second and then floating down like rain another, seeing the massive mountains nestling the dune field and sustaining it with their winds, watching the braided creek streaming its way at the base of the dunes, feeling like a raven floating… it was an extraordinary and magnificent experience, and one of my favorite memories of the trip. 

Ripples on the sand

Sand treader camel cricket

Sunshine continues;

The combination of the creek, sand dunes, mountains, and starry skies were like no other place we visited on our trip. Great Sand Dunes became one of our favorite places we’ve visited on the trip and is definitely worth a stop if you are ever in the area. After leaving, we stopped at a playground in Walsenburg on the drive back to Colorado Springs. We were welcomed back at Bill and Suzi’s house just in time for dinner.

Tickle fight in Cheyenne Canyon

We had a hard time deciding how to spend our last full day in Colorado Springs. We’d heard so much about the zoo and wanted to go, but the weather was a little stormy and unpredictable. We enjoyed Cheyenne Canyon so much when we went for our motorcycle ride, we decided to head there. The Starsmore Discovery Center sits at the head of the canyon, a beautiful stone building that was once a residence. Walden enjoyed exploring the exhibits, as well as numerous hummingbirds visiting the flower garden. We hiked the Columbine Trail (3 mi) along the stream up the canyon to an overlook of the city. It was a perfect hike among the rocky formations of the canyon and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Knowing our journey is coming to an end has made everything I experience richer. I’m savoring every moment, every view, and every experience deeper knowing that life is about to change.

Beautiful stone bridge in the Canyon

Group shot with Bill and Suzi

In the afternoon, I was fortunate to be gifted a massage from my Aunt Debbie. Her sister-in-law, Robin, lives in Colorado Springs and is a great masseuse who also does cupping. It was my first full-body massage and I felt like I had melted. Jim and Walden enjoyed a playground nearby while I had a little Mommy time. The evening was spent making final preparations for next part of our journey – Kansas. We had a wonderful experience in Colorado Springs and are looking forward to visiting again… there’s so much to do! We are so grateful to Bill and Suzi, our amazing hosts who graciously opened their home to us. What fortune to have met such special friends on this journey.