Great Sand Dunes National Park
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Great Sand dunes National Park is such a unique treasure. President Herbert Hoover declared the area a National Monument in 1932. Then, in 2004, the area got the status that is deserves as a National Park.
The park contains the largest sand dunes in North America, at up to 750 feet. As the Sangre de Cristo Range was created through movement of tectonic plates, the San Luis Valley was formed with the San Juan Mountains to the west. Sediment from the two mountain ranges drained into Lake Alamos, a large lake formed from glacial runoff. As Lake Alamosa drained over 440,000 years ago, smaller lakes were formed, and as those lakes drained, the Sand Dunes were formed from the remaining sediment.
The park is encompassed by a marge Nature Preserve that is home to many types of wildlife. The contrast of the large sand dunes and the Sangre de Cristo mountains is unique sight. After dark, the park takes on an entirely different aura, as the dark skies of the San Luis valley provide a great setting for star gazing.
Extraterrestrial
There is one very important thing to understand about the Sand Dunes after dark. It gets cold. Very cold. This was my first trip to the dunes, and luckily I was prepared for the cold. Shortly after night time arrived, there was a clear window with no clouds, and I was lucky enough to take advantage of the incredibly dark skies to grab a Milky Way shot. Standing alone amongst the dunes was a bit of an eerie feeling, and the way the star light reflected off the sand, it almost felt I wasn’t quite on earth.
Dunes In Pink
The Sangre de Cristo mountains serve as such a juxtaposition to the sand dunes. The dunes tend to take on a different life as the time of day changes. As the sun goes down, and the sky changes color, the dunes absorb the light. This evening the dunes started to shimmer with a soft pink hue, reflecting the clouds above. The last of the daylight hit the top of the mountains behind, as the scene took a bath in the soft pink light.
The Trek
Sand dunes are a great place to capture very simple, yet powerful moments. The purity of light and shadows on the on the dunes, highlighting the journey a few brave souls made to reach the pinnacle.
Almost There
Walking through the dunes is not easy. The heat, the wind, and the sand make every step a workout of its own. One brave soul has nearly finished his journey to the top of the dunes. I was struck by the smooth lines of the sand and shadows, as a contrast against the mountains.