Colorado 2013: Day 3

June 4, 2013:  Ellen and Renee are still not 100% better, so we are going to hit the road this morning and adjust our schedule so we have time to see them next Monday before we leave. 

Our route out of Denver took us southwest up into the mountains, through beautiful Kenosha Pass and across the stunning South Park Region again.  This is the same area we covered when we visited Keith and Diane 3 years ago.  We even stopped at the same overlook to view (and photograph) the amazing Collegiate Range.  The Collegiate Peaks include some of the highest mountains in the Rockies. The section is so named because several of the mountains are named for prominent universities (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Oxford).

South Park Region 

Collegiate Peaks:

We stopped for lunch in Buena Vista, then continued south on 285 to the San Luis Valley and the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.  Heavy, dark cumulus clouds and occasional spurts of rain greeted us, as we arrived at the Visitors Center.  But after watching a video about the Sand Dunes, we stepped out into sunshine again, and made our way toward the Dunes. 

Lunch at Buena Vista:

San Luis Valley:

Sangre de Cristo Mountains:

The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America, rising about 750 feet from the floor of the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Range, covering about 19,000 acres. The dunes were formed from sand and soil deposits of the Rio Grande and its tributaries, flowing through the San Luis Valley. Over the ages, westerly winds picked up sand particles from the river flood plain. As the wind lost power before crossing the Sangre de Cristo Range, the sand was deposited on the east edge of the valley. This process continues, and the dunes are slowly growing. The wind changes the shape of the dunes daily. 

Great Sand Dunes:

It actually takes several hours to hike to the top of the Dunes.  We knew we couldn't make it to the top, but we didn't realize how tough it was going to be, hiking though that sand. We couldn't even make it anywhere near where the dunes start to elevate! 

Brought to his knees!

Waaaaaay over there...!

So tired!

Whew!

After spending some time at the Dunes, we continued on to Alamosa to check into our motel and have some dinner, thinking perhaps to return to the Dunes for sunset ...and return again in the morning for sunrise!  In the end we didn't return for sunset, but saw a pretty spectacular one right on Route 160 in Alamosa.  We plan to get up early and see the sunrise at the Dunes. 

Sunset in Alamosa:

Thus ends an amazing Day 3!

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