Snowshoeing White Sands

Today we decided to take a 5-mile hike into the dunes at White Sands National Monument.  The trail took us to Alkali Flats, an ancient playa, or dry lakebed, situated west of the dunes.  The playa in the Tularosa Basin, as well as the San Andres Mountains, are the source of gypsum grains which, blown by the winds over centuries, piled up into the dunes.

Here, Kathy and Great White are geared up for the trek.  Note Great White's new vanity plate!

The 8-mile road into the trailhead stretched out before us:  packed gypsum sand winding through the dunes:

Once we arrived at the trailhead, David volunteered to climb a strange formation of moist, hardened gypsum sand to scout out the trail.

The trail was marked only by large orange plastic posts, which generally stood out well against the white sand.  Occasionally, however, the blowing sand had overwhelmed a post.  Here, only the tip of the post is visible, partly uncovered by Kathy.  It reads, "Alkali Flats Trail."

As we penetrated deeper into the dunes, the landscape stretched out before us - the sky and San Andres Mountains made purpler and more distinct by the white sand:

At times, the only indication of where we should go was where we had been:  our own footprints stretching out across the desert:

Our trek led us up and down the dunes.  It was a strange feeling.  When we walked on the level, it felt just like a benign little stroll along a sandy beach.  However, when we struggled up a slope or "skied" (or, better yet, sledded on our behinds) down the slope of a dune, the hike reminded us more of snowshoeing than anything else.  We thought:  "What a great feeling - snowshoeing the sand dunes!"

There are a surprisingly large number of animals that inhabit the dunes and the vegetation zones that inhabit the sheltered low spots.  Here are tracks of an unidentified lizard that ambled across the dunes some time last night:

Some plants are able to survive by growing tall enough to stay above the shifting sands.  When they do, they create a root system that packs and holds sand around the roots.  As the shifting sands depart, they can leave these root structures, looking like mysterious sentinels watching over the trail:

David took a walk to look at an unique formation, but turned and took this photo of Kathy, now a tiny speck on the white sand:

We finally reached our goal:  Alkali Flats.  Here, the sand flattened out, and beyond was only the grassland of the Tularosa Basin, and the San Andres Mountains in the background:

The sheer scope of the dunes is hard to convey with pictures or words.  So we tried this video panoramic view of the White Sands dunes.  Hopefully it will inspire you to come out and experience this unique environment for yourself!

If you do, be sure get up close and personal like Kathy did.  Here's a photo of Kathy making her very own "sand angel":

And here's the result:  a blissful sand angel that will remain here forever . . .

. . . well, at least until this afternoon's winds blow sands to obliterate it from all but our memory.