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Colorado's other mountains
By JEFF MILLER © St. Petersburg Times,
With some towering an incredible 70 stories high, they are also the tallest dunes in North America. The superlatives pale in comparison to the actual dune experience, where playing Lawrence of Arabia seems mandatory. With a backdrop of the sharp peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Great Sand Dunes dramatically rise from the farm-rich San Luis Valley. Soft swirls and crescents, peaks and valleys catch the sunlight to create shades of tan, cream, yellow, brown and even pink. The wind adds another dimension, constantly shifting the sands in a slow-motion sea of angles, waves and ridges. Adding to the allure are fanciful tales of buried wagon trains and web-footed ponies somewhere in the dunes. Located about 225 miles south-southwest of Denver, the dunes were created by an unusual convergence of geological circumstances: a large valley, lots of ancient river sediment, an eastern range of mountains and a combination of winds strong enough to pick up the sediment but not strong enough to carry the particles over the mountains. Best guesstimates put the dunes at about 12,000 years old. Today, they are formally the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Established in 1932, the monument attracts a relatively small group of visitors, 315,000 annually. Though the dunes are what people come for, there is another side to the monument. "If visitors hike our mountain trails or take our four-wheel-drive road," said Kathy Brown, chief interpreter for the monument, "they'll (see) a pinon-juniper forest, good stands of ponderosa pine and abundant wildlife -- everything from blue pinon jays and mule deer to bobcats and black bears. "But," she added with a laugh, "the dunes are definitely the big attraction. And they're tremendously accessible."
From a distance, the dunes resemble a tan skirt hugging the green- and gray-toned mountains. By the time people stop at the monument's one major parking lot, the dunes dominate the landscape. From that lot, a half-mile walk across a flat stretch brings visitors to the foot of the dunes. Most hikers covering this ground are reminded of two important points: walking in sand can be difficult, and 8,200 feet above sea level means less oxygen in the air and is thus tiring on its own. Many visitors stop at the foot of the dunes to catch their breath. In the summer, surface temperatures within the dunes can reach 140 degrees, and small sandstorms can be blinding and frightening. Thus, it is critical that visitors check the weather forecast at the visitors center and that they carry plenty of water, a hat and sunscreen. For such efforts, the rewards are great. In the clear, high-altitude air, the dunes are a living canvas, shaped by the wind, colored by the sun. Sweeping patterns flow gracefully, then part, defined by the light and shadows that seem to play tag on the ridgetops. Hikers quickly discover the slopes are gradual enough that there is nothing to fear from falling. In fact, the sand can pile up only as high as 31 degrees (known as the "angle of repose") before it slides back on itself. That means climbers can walk along the sharpest-looking edges and feel secure. It also means sliding, skipping, running, tumbling or even snowboarding down the slopes is safe and definitely exhilarating. For many, however, the best part of hiking the dunes is simply finding an isolated spot to sit and experience the magic of the place. If the wind is not blowing, it is so quiet that your ears will create sounds to fill the void. Sand pushed down a slope flows as gracefully as water. And tufts of desert grass somehow find a way to survive in little valley oases. In such a magical place, imagination takes over and the stories surrounding the dunes seem believable: There must be wild ponies that have lived in the dunes for so many generations that they now have webbed hooves. Legend says that only the eagle-eyed can see them during moonless nights, as they stand on ridgetops. It seems less far-fetched to hear about an entire wagon train being buried in the dunes. Who cares that the tale says the drivers went to sleep a short distance away and woke up the next morning to find a giant sand dune in the wagons' spot? The truth is, while you are sitting atop a dune hundreds of feet high, seeing the beauty wrought by wind and sand, feeling a serenity generated by a natural wonder, anything seems possible. -- Jeff Miller is a freelance writer who lives in Denver. If you goGETTING THERE: Several airlines serve Denver from the Tampa Bay area. From Denver, head south on Interstate 25 to Walsenburg, then take U.S. 160 west past Fort Garland, turning north on State Road 150, to the monument. WHEN TO GO: Summer is the most popular time, but temperatures beyond the dunes can occasionally reach 100 (nights cool considerably because of the altitude). Spring and autumn are enjoyable, but the weather can be changeable. During winter, expect cold days and nights and occasional snow. The monument is open year-round, although during the winter months both close-in accommodations are closed. THE MONUMENT: The visitors center, open daily, is just inside the only entrance. The hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the winter. The visitors center has exhibits, books, brochures, maps, free wilderness camping permits and schedules of activities such as hikes and campfire programs. The monument entrance fee is $3 for those 17 and older, free to those younger. There are no marked trails in the dunes; visitors may walk where they want. Ten trails go into the grasslands, the pinon-juniper woodlands and the ponderosa forests. The 4WD Medano Pass Primitive Road begins in the park and goes north to Medano Pass. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call (719) 378-2312; the Web site is www.nps.gov/grsa. STAYING THERE: The monument has one developed campground with 88 sites, all first come, first served; $10 per site, up to six people per site. Three group sites are available to handle 15 to 40 people; $3 per individual; reservations recommended. Backcountry camping (wilderness permit required) is allowed at designated sites and in the dunes. Two commercial accommodations border the monument: Great Sand Dunes Oasis is open from about April 1 to Nov. 1 and offers a campground ($10 for the first two adults at a site, each additional adult $2.50), RV pullups ($16.50 for first two adults, each additional $2.50), basic cabins with no services ($30 a night) and lodge rooms ($70-$80). Reservations recommended; call (719) 378-2222. The Inn at Zapata Ranch is a restored ranch with 15 rooms ($150-$225) and is open from the end of March to the end of October. Reservations recommended; (719) 378-2356. Conventional motels and restaurants can be found 38 miles to the southwest in Alamosa.
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