Sunday, May 30, 2021

RMNP and Great Sand Dunes National Park

I got up early the next morning to take some photos of what I thought would be a pretty location. Maybe not stunning, but I had the place to myself, except for a coyote and some wild turkeys. There were some clouds earlier in the morning, but nothing really caught the light. Watching the land get lit up as the sun rose over the mountains behind my shoulder was spectacular.




From there, I took a scenic drive over the Continental Divide (twice), going through some rural parts of Colorado, on my way to Alamosa and the Great Sand Dunes National Park. It was actually spitting rain when I arrived, with lots of lightning to the south, but that cleared out just as I arrived. These are the highest sand dunes in North America - 7,700 feet, with the tullest dune 750 feet above the valley floor. There were thick clouds covering the mountains, but then a strong wind came in and blew the clouds out...and blinding sand into my face. It felt like gale force winds started about 10-15 minutes after I'd climbed to the top in search of a nice photo. The wind was relentless, and I eventually climbed back down. I snapped this photo from a pull-out along the drive out of the park.



There were storms all around me that day, this is a snapshot I took at a cattle guard crossing along my way back to Alamosa. The sky was so awesome, and since I had the road to myself, I couldn't resist.


That's it from my trip. Household goods arrived yesterday - I have loads of unpacking to try to get everything ready for Catherine and the kids for when they arrive. Can't wait for school to be done so they can join me here.

Cheers!

Marc

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