Detour to the Sand Dunes

We took a little detour, on our return form this week's shopping, down in Alamosa.

Turned north on CO Hway 150, just west of Blanca,

Colorado's 4th tallest peak, at over 14,000 feet.

Then headed for about 20 miles, to the tallest inland sand dunes in N. America.

Here, the sands from the > 7,000 foot high desert get carried by the winds 
to the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo.
As the currents climb the mountain range, the sands get dropped, to make the dunes.


A peculiar sight it is, with dunes right next to a mountain range.

You can walk right up on them, if you like

and, perhaps experience the shifting sand under your shoes.

And while dunes usually makes us think of laying out on the warm sand with a pina colada in our hands…...

first you have to take a little walk to get there.

And in 25 degrees, it's a long, long walk.