Tribute to Colorado - My Best Work
05-11-2011, 06:41 PM
#21
JK Jedi
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Posts: 5,813
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually I fell in love with CO. back in 97' when my father and I were invited on an elk hunt where we took horses back into the Raggeds Wilderness Area. It was a fantastic place to be. It also holds a very warm spot in my heart because that ended up bing the last hunt my father an I went on before we lost him 2 years later.
05-11-2011, 08:48 PM
#23
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for all of the comments! I'll continue with another chapter ...
Chapter 7 - Mountains Made of Sand
Great Sand Dunes National Park (formerly a National Monument) in Southern Colorado just northwest of Mt. Blanca is another place of awe and inspiration. This is a location situated at the foot of the Sangre De Cristo mountains and adjacent to a dry valley. Over the ages, sand and debris has blown up against the mountains from the dry valley unable to make its way up and over the peaks thus depositing mountains of sand in this one spot. One of the keys to the formation of the dunes is the crescent shape of the mountains backing this location which has aided in trapping the sand.
These are among the tallest sand dunes in North America. While there is a similar location in Northen Colorado (North Sand Hills) near the town of Walden, CO created by the same geologic circumstances, the dunes do not reach the incredible heights of those in the National Park to the south. You can drive Jeeps and dune buggies on the dunes in Northern Colorado which I have to admit is a ton of fun! See my You Tube Channel. Hiking the dunes in the National Park seems easy at first glance. But once you get started, if you are not prepared, you likely will not reach the destination you intended. These dunes are monsters! In about an hour or so you can reach the summit of Star dune, the tallest peak (which by the way is constantly moving and reshaping itself). You will start losing your breath a quarter of the way up. Then the winds kick up sand blasting you along the way. But if you reach the summit, you will discover that what you see from the highway is only the start of the field of dunes. The field is massive ... like a scene straight out of the Sahara desert in Africa.
In the spring, water rushes down Medano Creek creating a beach that locals flock to every season. You can frolic in the water with the kids, lay on the sand, get a tan ... but you're up in the mountains ... an amazing contrast.
The Medano Pass 4x4 trail begins at Great Sand Dunes National Park and runs up and over the mountains to the East. While this is not a difficult 4x4 trail, it is a FUN trail with loads of isolated camping spots all along the way. This trail will make you feel like you are running the Baja down in Mexico.
Enjoy the scenes. Some of these photos are from way back in my archives. So there are some smaller images mixed in...
The trees in the pictures help to reveal the scale of these sand dunes ...
Medano Creek Bed. Dry in the Winter ... flowing like a river in the Spring and Summer ...
The high winds kick up amazing sand storms on these dunes. You don't want to be caught in one of them ...
Hike to the top of the dunes and get ready for a sweet reward ... one incredible view ...
Lot's of wildlife in this area ...
The start of the Medano Pass 4x4 Trail. A fun trail. Not a technical trail but you definitely need 4 wheel drive. Stock vehicles make it through no problem. I did it in a bone stock Grand Cherokee several times without issue. Keep your momentum up on this trail ... otherwise you'll quickly get stuck in the deep, soft, sand pits. Lots of Baja style hills that are a blast ...
Dunes are just north of Mt. Blanca ...
Chapter 7 - Mountains Made of Sand
Great Sand Dunes National Park (formerly a National Monument) in Southern Colorado just northwest of Mt. Blanca is another place of awe and inspiration. This is a location situated at the foot of the Sangre De Cristo mountains and adjacent to a dry valley. Over the ages, sand and debris has blown up against the mountains from the dry valley unable to make its way up and over the peaks thus depositing mountains of sand in this one spot. One of the keys to the formation of the dunes is the crescent shape of the mountains backing this location which has aided in trapping the sand.
These are among the tallest sand dunes in North America. While there is a similar location in Northen Colorado (North Sand Hills) near the town of Walden, CO created by the same geologic circumstances, the dunes do not reach the incredible heights of those in the National Park to the south. You can drive Jeeps and dune buggies on the dunes in Northern Colorado which I have to admit is a ton of fun! See my You Tube Channel. Hiking the dunes in the National Park seems easy at first glance. But once you get started, if you are not prepared, you likely will not reach the destination you intended. These dunes are monsters! In about an hour or so you can reach the summit of Star dune, the tallest peak (which by the way is constantly moving and reshaping itself). You will start losing your breath a quarter of the way up. Then the winds kick up sand blasting you along the way. But if you reach the summit, you will discover that what you see from the highway is only the start of the field of dunes. The field is massive ... like a scene straight out of the Sahara desert in Africa.
In the spring, water rushes down Medano Creek creating a beach that locals flock to every season. You can frolic in the water with the kids, lay on the sand, get a tan ... but you're up in the mountains ... an amazing contrast.
The Medano Pass 4x4 trail begins at Great Sand Dunes National Park and runs up and over the mountains to the East. While this is not a difficult 4x4 trail, it is a FUN trail with loads of isolated camping spots all along the way. This trail will make you feel like you are running the Baja down in Mexico.
Enjoy the scenes. Some of these photos are from way back in my archives. So there are some smaller images mixed in...
The trees in the pictures help to reveal the scale of these sand dunes ...
Medano Creek Bed. Dry in the Winter ... flowing like a river in the Spring and Summer ...
The high winds kick up amazing sand storms on these dunes. You don't want to be caught in one of them ...
Hike to the top of the dunes and get ready for a sweet reward ... one incredible view ...
Lot's of wildlife in this area ...
The start of the Medano Pass 4x4 Trail. A fun trail. Not a technical trail but you definitely need 4 wheel drive. Stock vehicles make it through no problem. I did it in a bone stock Grand Cherokee several times without issue. Keep your momentum up on this trail ... otherwise you'll quickly get stuck in the deep, soft, sand pits. Lots of Baja style hills that are a blast ...
Dunes are just north of Mt. Blanca ...
Last edited by Mechengineer2; 05-18-2011 at 07:11 PM.
05-11-2011, 09:24 PM
#24
JK Super Freak
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
THAT was your problem......it was Anchorage. You couldn't pay me to live there.... Actually I fell in love with CO. back in 97' when my father and I were invited on an elk hunt where we took horses back into the Raggeds Wilderness Area. It was a fantastic place to be. It also holds a very warm spot in my heart because that ended up bing the last hunt my father an I went on before we lost him 2 years later.
Actually I fell in love with CO. back in 97' when my father and I were invited on an elk hunt where we took horses back into the Raggeds Wilderness Area. It was a fantastic place to be. It also holds a very warm spot in my heart because that ended up bing the last hunt my father an I went on before we lost him 2 years later.
05-12-2011, 11:50 AM
#26
JK Super Freak
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: South San Diego
Posts: 1,092
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Corona Doug
Great Pictures!!!
But I didn't know my Ex lived out there now
But I didn't know my Ex lived out there now
05-12-2011, 04:27 PM
#28
JK Enthusiast
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Awesome pictures, looks like some good times had. I begged my parents to move to CO from the time I was 7 and we took our first of many trips out west. 30 years later and now I pester my wife and I think I ave nearly broke her.
One of the best times of my life was the 6 week geology field camp outside of Canon City during my undergrad in '97.
One of the best times of my life was the 6 week geology field camp outside of Canon City during my undergrad in '97.
05-12-2011, 05:44 PM
#30
JK Jedi
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lawton, OK
Posts: 4,012
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Awesome job with the photography and the narrations. Thanks for sharing - like many others have stated, very jealous that we only get to experience this piece of heaven a few days at a time, each year - starting last year. Hopefully, we can change that soon 