Great Sand Dunes

THE SANDS OF TIME

(Great Sand Dunes - Park #33)

Until a few months ago, I did not even know that Great Sand Dunes was a National Park. For years it sat relegated as a National Monument; a hidden gem in Southern Colorado that was nothing more than a side trip for people on their way to Denver or one of the numerous mountain ski towns. It was not until 2004, its inauguration year, when it became a National Park and Preserve that more people began to take notice. It is the same story that has been told for years and one that has recently found its place in the headlines of major publications. Is granting a Monument or Recreation Area National Park 'status' the best option to protect it? Are we doing more damage than good by elevating a parks status and nearly doubling the parks visitation overnight?

Contrary to popular belief, I would have to say "yes". With National Park designation comes the inevitable truth that there will be increased visitation, increased impact on the land and a bevy of other negative outcomes that are paired with this anointing. But, it also means that more people will take notice and be able to experience another one of our vast wonders. Our greatest asset as a country is our land. Luckily we learned this early in our countries growth and began protecting these national treasures and setting them aside, ensuring that future generations would be able to experience them as they were hundreds of years earlier.

(Great Sand Dunes NP)

Great Sand Dunes is the newest member of the Nation Park "club" and my 33rd National Park. Like many of the other parks I visited on this trip, the parking lots were filled with gas guzzling RV's, the main attraction - North America's tallest sand dune - was choked with people trying to reach the summit, and the refreshingly cool waters of Medano Creek were overflowing with families all trying to hoard a portion of the run off as if they were staking their claim on the Western frontier. And just like every other park, I went as far off the beaten path as I could in search of solitude and first tracks up the mighty dunes.

I hopped over Medano Creek and followed the dunes North for three quarters of a mile, away from the swarms of people, before splitting off and heading up a serpentine line to the top of a virgin dune. As I crested the top I was awarded with a view of the 19,000 acres of neighboring dunes. It was then that I began to put this park into perspective. Just like Congaree, I went into this experience with little hope of finding anything spectacular, but was completely moved once I got there. I spent the rest of the morning climbing up and down the dunes, traveling deeper into the heart of the park and soaking up the serenity that it afforded. I laid first tracks everywhere I went and took solace in knowing that by morning my tracks would vanish in the wind as so many before me had.

(First Tracks in Great Sand Dunes NP)

I finished the day with a trip up to the top of Star Dune. At 750 feet it is the tallest dune in North America and from the looks of it, too much for some hikers to summit. On my decent I picked-up two arm fulls of littered cardboard scraps and plastic bags that were apparently abandoned after failed attempts to surf the dunes immense faces. It always amazes me that people think that it is okay to leave behind their garbage for others; be it culture, ignorance, or just plain laziness it is the one blaring black eye of heavily visited parks. The worst part is there are very few people that are willing to do something about it. I think most people have the impression that the park staff will clean-up everything before the next round of visitors come in. The reality is that our parks are a gift and it is everyone's responsibility to ensure that the view or expereince that we had can be afforded to the next generation; unchanged and unharmed.

I finished my trip at Great Sand Dunes with a quick outdoor shower, removing enough sand to fill my son's sandbox, before jumping back in the car. I am now on the homestretch. The plan is to sleep just outside the East Entrance to Grand Canyon NP in Arizona tonight before eventually making the final trek back home.

Until Tomorrow.