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.


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Colorado-Great Sand Dunes

I had the chance to escape it all for a week of motorcycling in Colorado with my dad this summer. We made a loop from Colorado Springs to Fairplay, Gunnison, Montrose, Telluride, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and back to Colorado Springs. Riding was definitely the focus of the trip while making photos was a distant second. We just wanted to have a good time riding the mountain roads, enjoying good food and each others company. Of course, we couldn't leave the cameras packed up forever. This is one of my favorite shots from the Dunes. We camped nearby and awoke as the first rays were beginning to lighten the sky. Packing up camp quickly, we hopped on our motorcycles and zipped down the road just as the sun raked across the dunes providing a stark contrast between the bright sand and deep shadows. The light only lasted a few moments until a cloud shifted and the rays were gone. The moment was over as quickly as it began. Why black and white? The photo looked OK in color, but taking away that distraction helped present the photo in a different dimension and brought out the lines and curves of the sand to the forefront. We spent more time photographing, but nothing really captured the feeling and sense of place as this first photo of the day.


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