Two more days of nothing but fun and then Bowen and Ally will have to say their Good-Byes. Not only have we been traveling through the same parks but we've also had campsites that are close together. Great Sand Dunes National Park is a wonderland for kids. It's a tad windy here. Ally had to hold on to her jacket to keep it from flying up in her face.
Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of our most diverse parks in terms of life zones. The life zones range from the riparian along the creeks, the sand dunefields, the montane forests, the subalpine forests, all the way up to the alpine tundra of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The sand dunes recyle and stay in this location. Most of the sand originated in the San Juan Mountains to the west. Streams, creeks, melting snows, and flash floods brought bits of rock out of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east to the valley floor. Southwesterly winds then began the process of sending the sand and small pebbles toward the low curve of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There they piled up at the base of the mountain.
Two seasonal creeks, the Sand (it curves around the dunes from the Sangre de Cristos to the northwest) and the Medano (it curves around the dunes from the Sangre de Cristos to the southwest), wash huge amounts of sand back down to the valley floor. The ever present southwest wind pushes the sand back into the curve. Less common strong northeast winds blast through the passes and pile the dunes back upon themselves. It's a constant recycling process creating the tallest dunes in North America. We are lucky to be here when Medano Creek is flowing. It's icy cold but great fun for kids.
Bowen's Mom had gone to town to try to find a disc on which to slide down the dunes but there were none there. The closest town that might have them was 35 miles away. Another camper overheard our conversation and offered us his family's sled for the afternoon. We find people in the camping world are always friendly and ready to help. I think the beautiful surroundings put a smile on everyone's face.
Off we went to the dunes. It was cloudy and windy but that wouldn't stop our fun.
The kids found out very quickly that the sled didn't work too well in this deep sand.
Even the strong winds couldn't get things moving.
Daisy, Bowen's dog, was called into service to pull his Mom down the dune on her yoga mat. That didn't work either.
Sometimes you just have to forget the equipment. There's a simple solution to everything.
We headed back across Medano Creek to hike back to the campground. We had a birthday party coming up and we needed to bake a cake! Do you believe that one?
One look at our feet and we decided we needed to take the long way home and stop by the cleanup area before we ended up with sand in our sheets. Ouch!
That long way home was a bit longer than we anticipated. There's nothing like a bit of exercise and fresh air. That home baked birthday cake was conveniently turning into a nice Pepperidge Farm special.
Bowen's 11th birthday was coming up soon so Ally had decided we should celebrate while he was still with us.
Ally likes the book, "Oh Ranger", and decided that would make a nice gift for Bowen. It's true stories told by rangers in our national parks. Some of the stories really make you laugh.
That cake was yummy. We finished it off right then and there. Can you imagine that?
We celebrated late into the evening last night but Ally was up early to work on her Junior Ranger patch. We have a lot to do today...sand dunes early before the wind comes up...a ranger program...and a hike to Zapata Falls. Gotta get crackin'.
That Daisy really knows how to work. Denver is home sitting on her pillow. Charley is saying, "What, me work?" I'm putting this photo on the refrigerator to show Charley and Denver what real dogs do.
Let the fun begin.
The sand is hot on the surface but feels cool underneath. Good thing we're here in the morning.
After fun in the sand and fun in Medano Creek we took a break for lunch before the ranger program.
It's been a great morning.
Here comes the wind again.
After lunch we joined the ranger program at the dunes. We learned a lot about the formation of the dunes and its natural history. She had some cool skeletons and things like bear paws and pronghorn feet. By now the wind was wild and we were trying to hide behind the bushes.
Once again Ally and Bowen got to throw the Atlatl. Ally got more distance than the ranger who said she'd been working on it. I think the wind behind her might have helped a bit but I have to admit she does have a good arm and good timing.
Bowen had some good throws as well.
Ally and Bowen would have stayed on the dunes with the Atlatl all day but it was time to complete their Junior Ranger program and get on to our Zapata Falls hike.
We're on our way to Zapata Falls. My friend, Carol, whom we see almost every year for fall in the Tetons, recommended that we come here. There's a hike up to the falls that eventually has you walking in the creek for the final leg. About two million years ago alpine glaciers covered the peaks and valleys of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We are climbing towards a huge rock hill deposited by the glaciers thousands of years ago. Water from the valleys above found a weak spot near the edge of the rock pile and for thousands of years has carved its way through the rock forming Zapata Falls.
We needed a hand or two to hike along the creek trying to avoid walking in the water as long as possible.
The falls are tucked back in that cave. Time to get our feet really wet.
There's a lot of moisture in the cave so I didn't take my good camera. This is a photo of the lower part of Zapata Falls. Yes, that's a big chunk of ice hanging up there. I could barely stand still enough to point the camera. Brrrrrr!
A quick shot of the upper part of the falls and I'm outta here. Looking for dry land! The total drop of the falls is 30'. It's pretty impressive when you're in that cave.
Ah, youth. They're a lot tougher than I. Of course, they're a lot smarter. I made sure Ally had on socks but decided to go sockless myself to save having wet socks around. Duh! Did it ever occur to me that the water here was icy cold. No...Duh!
The result...some very cold, pink toes. Remember that, Jane. Fat chance.
That evening was our last evening with Bowen and family.
They made S'mores with a twist. Replace the graham cracker with a big chocolate chip cookie. Now, that's a real sugar rush. We're all hoping to meet up again somewhere. You never know. It's been a blast traveling with them.
No comments:
Post a Comment