From Mountain Train to Desert Terrain

C&TSR

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The view looking back on our climb up to Cumbres Pass at 10,022 feet.

C&TSR

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Another massive boiler venting.

C&TSR

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The filling station where a young Indiana Jones swings around at the beginning of The Last Crusade.

C&TSR

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End of the line in Chama, NM, where we boarded a bus and drove the one hour back to Antonito, CO (the same distance which took us 6 hours by train).

Great Sand Dunes

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You can barely make out the Great Sand Dunes in the distance, underneath the Sangre De Cristo mountains.

Great Sand Dunes

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Little Medano Creek, which at this time of year, disappears into the sand a mere 100 yards downstream. In the spring, this is a raging river, surging with the runoff from the melting snow.

Great Sand Dunes

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This is after we had gotten back down from climbing High Dune, a 650 foot vertical rise, slogging 1.5 miles through sand. You can see High Dune there to the left of Nickey. Unfortunately, we had a hard enough time getting to the top as it was and didn't want to risk the camera, so we don't have any pictures from the top. Needless to say, though, it was amazing. Interestingly enough, High Dune is not the tallest dune in the 32 square mile park; that distinction goes to Star Dune, at 750 feet high. Star Dune was another 2 mile hike through the sand from High Dune, so we passed on that one.

Great Sand Dunes

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Left portion of the Sand Dunes.

Great Sand Dunes

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Right portion of the Sand Dunes.