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| My husband trying to be a tree and shade the children as we hike to the top of Great Sand Dunes National Park |
The snow piled up in New Jersey last weekend, painting the world in a beautiful whiteness. I couldn’t help but think about how the ice crystals were like fine grains of sand in the wind as the snow drifted and swirled. As I made my prints on the freshly fallen canvas later, the ice crystals stung my face whenever the wind kicked up. Snow is ephemeral, I thought, although my neighbors wouldn’t believe it. Not yet, not while we are all still shoveling slush and ice, leftovers from Jonas, the blizzard of 2016.
I’ll admit it. I’m odd. I love trudging through the snow.
But the patterns I saw displayed in the snow from this storm on my walk with the children reminded me of another element in nature: sand. Lots and lots of loose sand, undulating and dancing in the wind.
We were camping at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.
My husband, in his great wisdom, announced, “Let’s hike to the top.”
The children and I stared at the enormous sand castles. I looked over at the kids. Nuts! They had smiles on their faces.
“Where’s the trail?” I asked, grabbing my canteen for another drink.
“There are no trails,” he informed me. “Nothing to worry about.” He moved forward, the children following behind.
I wiped my brow and trudged along behind. Nothing to worry about, except miles and miles of thick, loose sand, blowing, sweeping, giving way under my feet.
Closed footwear is essential. This sand can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit according to the park rangers. It’s best to hike the dunes in the morning or evening in the summer. We hiked in the morning.
We climbed and climbed, stopping constantly, it seemed, to rest and drink; sand stinging our flesh in the breeze, sticking to our sweat-drenched, sunscreened bodies. I would always instruct my children to wait in the shade whenever we hiked the mountains. Sand dunes have no shade. My husband and I provided the shade for the children when we could, using our shadows.
Because the sands shift constantly, the trek is different each time. That’s why the trails aren’t marked. There’s nothing to mark, just shifting sand. We blazed our own trail. There’s no need to worry that you’ll get lost. It’s open 360 degrees around. You can see the world laid out before you on top of the Great Sand Dunes. It’s breathtaking for two reasons: climbing in the loose sand and gazing at the view.
I was the last to make it to the top of High Dune, the tallest peak, breathing like an old nag on her last legs. Wait! I did feel as though I was on my last legs. I felt like I was standing—barely, mind you—in the middle of the Sahara, except I could see the magnificent Rocky Mountain peaks in the near distance.
It just stuns the mind to have all these sand peaks—waves really, about 700 feet tall according to the park ranger—with a backdrop of the mighty Rocky Mountains. The Rockies are green with trees and shrubs, capped in rock and snow, decorated in lakes and streams. The fragile Sand Dunes are trapped between two huge mountain ranges: the San Juan Mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east. The Sand Dunes rest at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Of course, the Lees crew still needed to get down from these mighty sand dunes. The children had a blast racing straight down the dune sides. I, on the other hand, wished to survive this endeavor. I plodded along the edges of the dunes when I could, like that tired old nag. I took “straight downs” only when absolutely necessary. You see, I knew there was a “straight up” on the other side. Over two hours to climb to the top; we made it down to the small creek from which we started in about 40 minutes.
Recreation? Trudging through soft sand for almost three hours…uphill…both ways! Yes, we could see forever, but the trek up nearly killed me. I didn’t learn about a “dunes-accessible wheelchair” until after we made the trek to the top. This wheelchair is loaned out free of charge for those in need at the Visitor Center.
I made my husband buy ice back at camp. And while they all swam in the pool, I bathed my feet in ice. The eerie moon scape of the Great Sand Dunes invaded my dreams at night for days, at least until my feet stopped throbbing.
I hope the weather is good where you are. I always enjoy my seasons. Okay…maybe not shoveling the snow. Just hiking through it.
I could not imagine walking in that much sand. I like the beach, but it has an ocean with it to counteract the hot sand.
Right! And the ocean breezes keep you cool as you walk along the sand. Of course, I did love the view from the top of the Great Sand Dunes. How often do you see massive mountains when standing ankle deep in sand? Thanks so much for visiting my Camping with Kids blog, Michelle. Hope your 2016 is going well.
I find walking through snow quite a pleasure but walking through sand is extremely hard work. Has the recent snow in your part of the world distrupted your life Victoria Marie?
Bill
http://www.walksintameside.co.uk
Oh Bill, I love walking in snow, especially when it is still snowing. I'm not a big fan of walking through loose, deep sand, although I loved the view from the top of Great Sand Dunes National Park. I agree with you. Sand is exhausting to trudge through. Temperatures have risen and it's raining now, Bill, so our beautiful snow from Winter Storm Jonas is nothing but scattered piles of snow. It's as if the sky has fallen to the ground and the clouds lay upon the earth in the shapes of these melting snow banks. Thanks so much for visiting my Camping with Kids blog, Bill. I hope that you are getting around well. All the best in 2016!
Snow I'm not so familiar with, but sand and me go way back 😉
I do enjoy walking along the New Jersey shore and kicking up the ripples, but that's a stiffer sand. Trudging through ankle-deep loose sand is arduous. However, I do like exploring new lands. Thanks so much, Lynda, for visiting my Camping with Kids blog and leaving a note. It is greatly appreciated.
Oh my! I wish I could have been there with you!
Thank you, Nas. The scenery was striking; the climb, arduous. Hope all is well with you. Thanks so much for visiting my Camping with Kids blog and leaving a note. Always a pleasure hearing from you.
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What a great post! I got inspired by your travel and really want to go to those distant lands and explore sand and snow! 🙂 Have you ever heard about night vision googles and camping equipment? It seems to be very realiable and solid! I'm a newbie in all that travelling staff and I try to get some ideas from stories and blogs, like yours! Thanks for what you're doing!
Hello and welcome to Camping with Kids, Mary! Camping allows my family of seven to see the world. We create family memories with fun adventures. Thank you for your kind words. Please stop by Camping with Kids again. All the best at the beginning of your travelling adventures.