Labor Day loooong weekend – Day 1: Great Sand Dunes National Park
First there was a requisite stop in Salida on the way for my Amica’s fix! After a lunch of pizza with Italian sausage, caramelized onions, green chiles, goat cheese, mozzarella, and pesto and a headwaters IPA, we took a walk by the river. Dempsey is not as comfortable in the water as his breed (flat coat retriever) might lead one to believe. While leaning in to get a cool river drink he sort of fell/jumped in. He struggled to get out on his skinny front legs and was drenched after.
Then we were off into the San Luis valley for the journey to the Great Sand Dunes. We set up camp and headed out for the high dune.
Hiking the dunes is tricky. There are areas of more compact sand but plenty of places where the sand slips under your feet and makes it much more difficult. Luckily the sand was not super hot, so I could hike in Chacos!
It was pret-ty windy and we followed several ridges to what we believe is the high dune. The clouds and the dune ridges make for some amazing views.
Due to the pelting sand coming over the dune ridges in the wind and Dempsey’s height, he was getting pretty beat up by the blowing sand. We beat a fast retreat down the dunes as the sun started to set.
The temperatures were perfect for a picnic-table dinner and the full moon made the night magical. Couldn’t have asked for a better camping experience in the dunes.
Stay tuned for more smelling the coffee!
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