ENTS, WNTS,
Monica and I want to shared some more images of the Great Sand Dunes
NP with you. We're providing a brief description of each. Were I to
visit the dunes a hundred times or more, I would be no closer to
capturing their beauty, moods, expansiveness, and uniqueness on my
last visit than I was on my first. I hope the six images described
below will help fill the descriptive void.
Bob
ReverseFlowC: When winds reverse their
direction, so to do the patterns of the sand. This image shows
patterns formed by winds coming through Music, Medano, and Mosca
passes. The time is early morning. When the winds blow from the
west, the pattern of the crests reverses. The great peaks to the
left in the image include Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, Humbolt
Peak, Kit Crson Peak, and Challenger Point, all over fourteen
thousand feet. Sage brush dominates in the foreground.
DuneExpanses: As one travels farther into
the dunes, the visual impact of the mountains becomes less dominant.
The sands tighten their grip on the imagination as they continually
shift underfoot, making progress difficult. In the image, you can
see small patches of green. Vegetation tries to take hold,
succeeding for a time, only to be swallowed by the shifting sands.
SandAndSky: As one climbs higher and
penetrates deeper into the dunes, sand and sky dominate. The
33-square miles of sand appears endless. The highest dune is Star
Dune. Approached from Sand Creek, the dune is fully 800 feet high. I
actually have it higher if one begins at Sand Creek.
SanLuisValleyC: This image looks
to the west across the expansive San Luis Valley. The edge of the
dunes are visible on the right. The San Juans are visible on the
horizon. The San Luis is a scenic spectacle itself. It is the
largest mountain valley in the lower 48 states. It is approximately
the size of Connecticut and lies at an altitude of between 7,500 and
8,000 feet. Technically, it is a desert – a fairly hot
one in the summer, at least during the day (never at night),
and a cold one in the winter. Temperatures have gone as
low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter.
MonicaSandAndSangresC: In dune
country, one becomes aware of the changes that constantly occur in
the shifting sands. As one begins a trek into the dunes, sand
patterns are immediately eye-catching, but the sands have a powerful
competitor for the attention. The hight peaks of the Sangre de
Cristo dominate the eastern horizon. They rise abruptly without
foothills. The highest summits rise over 6,000 feet above Medano and
Sand Creeks to the west. The peaks present a sharp contrast in color
and shape to the ocean of sand. Walking into the dunes, I find that
my eyes do a constant dance, focusing on the competing color
schemes. The tan, brown, and black of the sands vie with the dark
green to blue backdrop of the mountains. In turn, mountain and sand
hues vie with the striking shades of blue and white of the sky. One
quickly acknowledges that Great Sand Dunes NP is a place where
nature paints in bold strokes and vivid colors. Lines are sharp.
MedanoCreek: A dunes excursion begins with a
crossing of Medano Creek if from the east and Sand Creek, if from
the west. Most crossings are of Medano Creek. This image looks back
on our crossing. The water is melted snow from the Sangres. Many
visitors elect to wade up and down the shallow creek rather than
tackle the more demanding terrain of the dunes.
Continued
at:
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/c7d4d338dfa31bf9?hl=en
http://groups.google.com/group/WNTS/browse_thread/thread/c7d4d338dfa31bf9
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