June 27 Leaving the Dunes

I wanted to tell you a little about the Dunes.
These dunes are the tallest dunes in North America. They are nestled against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There are many creeks and lots of wind. These 2 factors are what created the dunes. Eroded from mountains, shattered by freezing and thawing, tumbled by streams and wind, the sand grains cycle through the Great Sand Dunes system as if it were a living thing. Most of the sand deposit outside the dunefield is stabilized by plants. The curves and contours of old dunes now coveered by grass and shrubs are difficult to discern at first glance. Rolling around the edges of the dunefield are the creeks some call the lifeblood of the dunes system--Medano Creek and Sand Creek. Swift, shallow, and seasonal they are critical links in the natural system of sand recycling and are sources of precious moisture in this desert valley. Medano and Sand creeks flow seasonally around the dunefield. They carve out and carry sand from the eastern, western and northern edges of the dunefield and redeposit it to the south, where wind eventually recycles it back into the dunefield. Isn't this interesting? When you look at the Dunes, the first question you ask is how they got here. Well, now we know. Love and have a good day.