Like Sands Through The Hourglass

With the weather being extremely nice, I decided to adventure out of the Denver area this past weekend. The Great Sand Dunes National Park has been calling to me for a while. I had been there before in a past life, but I figure I could make it different by climbing a different dune. It took about three and a half hours to get there. After setting up camp, I made my way into the Dunes. Destination High Dune, approximately 8,691 ft. It is the highest dune visible from the Visitor Center. The hike got pretty steep about 3 quarters the way up. One step forward, half a step back. The extra effort with a little altitude was rough on the lungs. However, once I got past the real steep part, I was able to catch my breath, and I was fine.













Me on top of High Dune. Mt. Herald (13,297') in the background.



The ever-changing terminus of Medano Creek








Medano Creek after sunset.














Sunday morning started off quite chilly in the morning. By 9:00 A.M., I was comfortably hiking in shorts & a t-shirt.














View from the Dunes Overlook Side-Trail. High Dune is the high point in the picture. The San Juan Mountains are visible on the horizon on the other side of the San Luis Valley.














Medano Creek about a mile and half from its terminus. Mt. Herald in the background.

After making my way across the snow & ice of Medano Creek, it was time to kick off the boots and enjoy the sand.

For additional pictures click here.