Colorado-Sand Dunes Part II

My dad and I arrived to a setting sun at the sand dunes after crossing a vast plain of farmland on our motorcycles. We could see the dunes in the distance after descending from a mountain pass, but it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to reach our destination. They loomed large on the horizon yet were deceptively far away. Speeds topped 100mph at times as we raced along deserted farm roads, passing seemingly endless fields of beets, potatoes and barley.



Our haste was rewarded by a nice sunset over the dunes. It is something that was hard to capture in a camera. The way the sun warmed the rim of the dunes for just a moment before slipping into night was beautiful. As mesmerizing as watching the famed green flash over the Florida Keys.



The campground at the park was full, so we were regrettably forced to stay at a private campground called "The Oasis." It was anything but. The roads to this pit of hell were so rough that a small passenger car got stuck. Everyone with the option had their transfer cases firmly locked in 4x4. And my dad and I were on fully-loaded street bikes. We have no business being in a gravel parking lot, and here we were doing some fairly gnarly off-roading on these "roads." The view from the tent in the morning turned out to be worth all the cursing, wailing and gnashing of teeth from the previous night.



Mule deer graze along the road to the dunes. One large male bounded along with me keeping a steady 35mph before suddenly cutting to the right, crossing my lane, skittering on slick hooves over asphalt, and disappearing into the brush. It would have made a beautiful video, panning along with him if I hadn't been so startled by it all. That is why I am not a wildlife photographer.



The sun just peeked over Sangre de Cristo mountains, skimming the dunes in clear morning light. It lasted for all of ninety seconds before being obscured by clouds and the morning's photography was done. We had a nice breakfast at the foot of the dunes along the pretty Medano Creek and watched as kids rode down the hills on snow sleds.

D.