Skip to main content

Day 55 - Great Sand Dunes Pt 2

My goal for the day was to get view of the dunes from up in the mountains. I set out early in the morning along the 4x4 road to the corner of the park. The road was closed four miles down but I could proceed up the road on foot toward the mountain pass. I enjoyed walking on the road, recent rains had made the sand firm and the grade was easy. I also enjoyed watching the trucks pass through the creek crossings. 

I eventually got to the closed road section but only walked up a mile. I crossed a log to skirt a high creek and watched a group of deer for a bit, but this section wasn't that scenic so I turned back. I found a trail going up high and followed it, hoping for a view of the dunes. After a mile the trail went up a dune. I took a pic and then turned back. I was fatigued--tired from the altitude, but I made it back on the easy road before the afternoon storm set in. I laid down for a nap at 5pm, slept until 8pm, then read in bed until I fell asleep at 1030. Pics from the day. 




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 168 - JMT Pinchot Pass

The mountains appeared like sand dunes in the soft early light.  We drank our coffee, packed up our gear and set off up the hill toward Pinchot Pass. Not a mile up the trail, we encountered another sensational High Sierra lake, Lake Marjorie, and the peaceful reflections off the lake's surface.  Mountains of white and red and grey and black surrounded us-- all surfaces seemingly from another planet, but welcoming us this morning on Earth. Jeff and Steve and a lady named Tara joined us at the picturesque summit of Pinchot Pass.  We remained there for a complete hour, enjoying stories of hiking triumph and Jeff's difficult but rewarding experiences as a search and rescue captain. Reluctant to leave the 12,000 foot pass, but begged forward by the slowly descending trail, we hiked on.  The wonderful landscape in the background, with layers of blues, and browns and whites, appeared like an Ansel Adams masterpiece, and the trail a magical doorway to its frame. The sce
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 171 - JMT Guitar Lake

Wow, was it cold this morning. After waking up and eating breakfast, we packed up quickly and found this scenic sunspot to warm our bones. We had a short eight mile hike to Guitar Lake today,  the last viable campsite before the five mile hike to the 14,505 foot-high Mount Whitney summit.  We stopped at this lovely meadow and looked for bears. We only saw deer but were able to enjoy the incredible peace of the far mountain range. Steady hiker traffic, the most of the entire trip, including one group of twelve elder hikers, passed us as we rested, and jumped! Views of Mount Whitney finally came into view at Timberline Lake, a quaint lake where camping was unfortunately forbidden. We passed a group of twenty Taiwanese hikers.  The summit of Mount Whitney looked heavily defended when viewed from below. We were going to wake up tomorrow at 230am and hike up to the summit for sunrise-on-the-top-of-the-world*. The thought of this dark task was a bit foreboding.  We made it to Guitar Lake by
1 comment
Read more

Day 150 - Big Sur Hearst Castle

Big Sur coastline continues in its beauty.  Elephant seals practice sparring. They make a snore-like belly belch sound while sparring and then after ten seconds later lie back down to snooze on the sand.  The Hearst Castle is an incredibly luxurious complex on top of a high hill overlooking the ocean and coastal mountains. The feel was Mediterranean, royal and magical.  The outdoor pool had a Roman feel-- on a hill, in California. Strangely awesome.  But the indoor pool was the tops-- like a Turkish kings dream moment come to life.  I found a beautiful campground close to the castle and stopped for the night. 
Post a Comment
Read more