Dunes, Aliens, Eggplant and Rainbows

The dunes appeared just as we had left them the night before.  Indeed, they seemed much the same as the last visit 20 years ago, give or take a few million grains of sand in one direction or the other. 

Making our way down to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, we dropped by the visitor center for a closer examination of the situation.  It had been closed on previous visits, so it was good to take some time to become more familiar with the lay of the land and the forces at play.

Visits in the past focused on accessing the dune directly, so this abbreviated adventure for the day would overlook it all.  The 1.5 km trip to the terminus of the Dunes Overlook Trail provided the perfect opportunity to gradually move up the relative alluvial desert, through fading Aspens surrounding dry creek beds, finally arriving atop a ridge with an expansive view of the formation.  

Along the way, there were plenty of opportunities to pause enjoy the view of the nearby dunes, or simply relish the unique feeling of prickle pear piercing the skin.  The top of the ridge is most ideal though.  A wooden bench enables solitude between invasions from other explorers, but we departed before any had the chance. The delay from the day before created a bit of a time crunch and we still had to make it back to the other side of the Sangre de Cristos.

We paused only briefly a few times on our way north from the dunes. The first instance occurred just north of Hooper, in order to investigate the mention of alien life forms.  They were begging for money though, and it hardly seemed fitting to encourage that sort of thing in the middle of what is mostly desert.

On the second stop we paused along the road to admire Mount Shavano and the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, lurking below partly clear skies at Poncha Pass.  This was followed almost immediately by the third stop near Mass Junction.  Nearly a mile of traffic backed up in both directions as workers meticulously rewired Poncha Springs or some other destination needing a resupply of electricity. 

The ordeal did not create too much of a delay and we slid into Salida just in time for a late lunch.  The Boathouse Cantina had been recommended for its riverside seating, but something compelled us to Pizza Rio, just next door.  It also offered outdoor seating with a view of the Arkansas river, refreshing beverages and the most delicious Eggplant Parmesan.  The stairs were something navigate, a dire warning to continuously monitor intake levels, lest them become unmanageable.

Satisfied, we explored the riverwalk below that we had been observing throughout our dining experience above.  Up and down the river, the leaves had begun to change and free themselves from the bonds that held them through out summer. The mid-20s °C of the day enabled children to run amuck in the nearby park and in some cases, splash around in the chilly waters.  While we were unable to completely fulfill of our desires on this particular date, we did enjoy the brief walk about, prior to heading back to the semi-arid high plains near Florence.

Heading towards our destination and base camp of origin for the trip, we encountered another unexpected traffic jam on US-50.  The delay was not too awful and enabled optimal viewing of rainbow offering some hope of better times to come.  This was more than welcome, considering how the trip had begun.  We had just traversed an addition 500 km without another glitch.