Skywatch Friday: Great Sand Dunes
Although we've lived in Colorado for almost 30 years, we've never made a visit to the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
A couple weeks ago we were in the area and decided to stop in for a quick visit. We had to stop at the welcome sign for a photo. It's always great how strangers will take your photo if you agree to take their photo.
Pulling up to the entrance station I was surprised to see one of my former supervisors from Yellowstone collecting entrance fees. She transferred to the Dunes to get out of fees and work in Public Affairs. She said it was her first day in the booth and she was out there because of "staffing issues". We all know what that's about, don't we? (My ranger friends who lost their jobs on February 14th have been notified they're being rehired.)
I wasn't sure what to expect at the Dunes. It was much larger than I expected.
I, of course, had to find out how all that sand got there. It was through the forces of wind, water, and sediment. Creeks and streams brought in large amounts of sediment. The wind blew the sand towards the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and opposing winds helped form it into the huge sand dunes. They believe the valley once held a huge lake. The lake receded after breaking through the volcanic deposits on the southern end. The remaining small lakes and Rio Grande River continue to provide sand for the dunes as they have for the past 400 thousand years.
The dunes are enormous. Families were walking out there with sleds and snowboards to ride down them. We started to walk out to the big dunes, but it was cold and very windy and if you've ever been pelted by grains of sand in a windstorm then you know it's not pleasant.
Footprints in the sand. Reminded me of one of my favorite poems. Here's a small part of it.
"You promised me, Lord, that you would walk with me always. Why, when I have needed you most,
have you not been there for me?"
The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."
Looking north towards the mountains.
Of course we had to stop for a geocache in the old Ft. Garland cemetery on the way home.
Due to high winds that cause a semi to overturn, the southbound lanes of I-25 were closed and traffic was backed up for miles. I'm glad we were headed north.
We've had a very windy spring. How about you?
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