In The Shadow of Longs Peak
Sand Dunes
06 April 2025 - 09 April 2025
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Monday, 07 April 2025
We were headed away from my place yesterday at 11:30, first stopping at Wyatts for beer for Gary then heading to Boulder and CO 93. After a quick stop at the Flatirons Vista Trailhead, we continue south to Golden where we picked up C-470 and take that to the exit for US 285.
It’s 12:30 and we are on our way to Fairplay, then Johnson Village and Buena Vista, then Poncha Springs and Salida. From there, we continue South to CO 17 then east to the Sand Dunes. We arrived at 4, so about 4 ½ hours of driving.
It was a sunny day, nice for traveling. It was warm when we left Longmont, though noticeably cooler when we stopped for gas in Poncha Springs. Once at The Dunes, the air was a bit warn, the sky overcast, and the wind calm.
Supper was simple, pasta and sauce with andouille sausage.
By the time we crawled into bed, we were bundled up in hats, vests, & jackets. Once in the sleeping bag, it took awhile to warm up. But I did sleep well.
Today, it’s bright and sunny, though a bit chilly. For breakfast, we have scrambled egg burritos.
It’s a leisurely morning with time to write and sketch, and quiet and peaceful here, far away from cares and worries.
Today, we hiked over to the sand dunes and climbed up. Gary gets higher than me. It was really challenging and hard walking in the sand. The elevation is about 8, 200 so higher than our local hiking which explains part of the challenge. I took a bunch of photos.
Back at camp, supper was tortellini with bacon and shrimp, quite yummy.
The hike wore me out, so I crawl into bed early again. It’s not quite as cold as the previous evening but I did not sleep as well.
Tuesday, 08 April 2025
Today was an adventure. First, a stop at the visitor center to get info on the campground I saw online as well as Zapata Falls – the ranger mentioned needing crampons since the creek leading to the falls is frozen solid.
We drive 12 or so miles from the visitor center but no campground on the main road. We backtrack to the Zapata Falls Recreation Area. The road to the trailhead was very steep with switchbacks, maybe 3 miles. And, voila! There’s the campground.
First, we hike to the falls, ½ mile to the creek. The trail was almost road-like, but very rocky and definitely an uphill pull. I imagined it would take an hour to hike but we were creekside in less than 30 minutes.
I brought my spikes, so stopped at a bench and put them and so glad I did!
The first part of the creek was almost mushy so not slippery but there were a couple of tricky step-ups. Then a cleft into a cavern where the falls were. The brook at this point was glare ice, so I was glad for those spikes.
Oh, and worth the effort to see the falls, stunning, blue and frozen solid. Further back was a smaller section of an additional falls.
And at the bottom of the fall, a section of open water running over cobbles that line the creek bottom.
Gary had headed back (without spikes!) by but when I turn around there colored light on the rock would have been a cool photo (but needed someone in it and the photo did not turn out as expected).
It was easy walk back. Along the way were 2 butterflies, very orange, that I did get a photo of. I need to see if I can determine what they were.
After, we drove up to the campground and checked it out. There were trees but not lots of flat spaces for tents. Plus, its probably 1,000 higher feet and closer to the mountains so it would be even colder and take even longer to have the full sun in the morning.
Back to camp.
Gary hiked the Sand Ramp Trail that starts in the campground. I bailed, feeling lethargic. When he returns, he mentioned a spot called Dunes Overlook that was much closer to dunes than yesterday’s outing.
After a rest, I took yesterday’s path back to the dunes to take more photos. Around 4 PM, the sun was low enough to cast shadows and provide depth and definition to the landscape.
Supper was Gary’s pasta and ground buffalo with Heinz 57 sauce. Yummy!
Again, I am exhausted and crawled into bed early but could not sleep at all.
Wednesday, 09 April 2025
I woke up without much energy. Eventually we packed up. I was feeling worse and worse and we simply headed home!
For next time:
Get Motor Vehicle maps.
We were in site 16, but the next site over, 15, would be the one to get as it was in the full sun about 45 minutes earlier in the morning.
Hike back to Zapata Falls with the good camera.
Mosca Pass Hike, about 3 miles one way; spikes would probably be needed.
Sand Ramp Hike
Stay an extra night, to have a day to drive out to Penitentale as well as put in and takes outs for the Rio Grande and the San Luis Lakes SWA.
Go back to Castle Creek and photo the trees and brush against the dunes, and stop at the ‘Sand Pit’.
We only had wind on Tuesday evening. It was not bad but I am glad we were camped on the inside loop.