Day Two hike started from our ‘base camp’ at La Quinta in Pueblo – 45 minutes south to Walsenberg (nowhere America) and then another hour-half west to Great Sand Dunes National Park.  Ro’s first National Park – almost all national parks prohibit dogs (and they wonder why attendance is plummeting; folks with dogs hike and LOVE nature…come on USA — argh!)

(Thanks to me) we wandered through forest (nice), then random campgrounds (cluttered), then hot sand (not nice).  (On the map) it seems as if one can hike to Medano Creek (from Sand Ramp Trail) and lazily walk this waterway through the sand dunes’ center.

Great Sand Dunes map

Plan B – we hiked south and east to Dunes Overlook trail (from Point of No Return, literally) – our first good view of the Dunes with low-running Medano Creek trickling through its middle.

Great Sand Dunes is an amazing geographical wonder.  In the middle of Colorado, winds from the Sangre de Cristo mountain range circle & swirl in such a way [that] they’ve created Egypt in the Rockies (sans the pharaohs & pyramids of course :)).

My Colorado Life ROCKS!

From the Dunes trail, we trekked in search of ‘black sand’ – Ash’s geo-cache pic challenge.  Hot sand meant hot puppy feet so I carried Ro over my shoulder through what looked like the Sahara.  Our reward?  Medano Creek.  Cool on the feet – all of our feet, not just Ro 🙂

Day wouldn’t be 100% perfect without completing Ashton’s challenge – locating black sand.  ‘Sand, sun and snow’ Colorado vacation – sand done, check.  Sun and snow to come!

https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm

Egypt

Great Sands Dunes Nat’l Park