Sledding...

Day 115 - White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, NM - Sunny Low 60's:

We started this morning slowly and used it as a catch up day. Heather updated the blog and got some work done while I went and gave the car a good washing and cleaning. Then it was back to pick up Heather and we were on the road again. It was a quick trip to the White Sands National Monument and we arrived not knowing what to expect. We ventured into the visitors center and watched a quick 17 minute video on the area and how the sand dunes are created. We discovered that the White Sands National Monument is a 275 square mile park that protects the largest gypsum dune field in the world. This unique place is created by the heavy runoff from the surrounding mountains collecting within the Tularosa Basin. Since there is no river to drain the area it creates large pools of water which then evaporate leaving gypsum crystals all over the ground. Intense winds blow these gypsum crystals and reduced them to sand that collects across the desert which creates the white sand dunes. In some places the dunes are over thirty feet tall and can move up to 30 feet per year because of the constant winds. We also learned about many animals and plants that have evolved to allow themselves to survive in this desert land with no water. Animals survive on the moisture they intake when eating other animals and often only come out at night as the heat during the day is too much. The plants are fascinating. Where you see a 2 foot plant coming out of a 30 foot dune is really a 32 foot dune with it's roots in the base of the dune.

After the video we visited the gift shop and found everyone renting sleds, so we went with the crowd and rented a plastic saucer. Then it was back to the car to drive out on the 8 mile loop through the sand dunes. We began the drive on pavement and about half way though the pavement ends and turn into a gypsum road that you get to drive on. We even saw then plowing the roads to move the sand. We arrived at the main parking area and decided that barefoot was the way to go and we headed off to hike the dunes. It's really like walking on another planet because as far as you can see are dunes and white sand. We went to the biggest dune we could find to try out the sled. Its not quite like snow sledding but it was still fun to be out in the desert and riding a sled. We explored for a bit more and tried a couple different sledding spots. I also tried some extreme sand sledding by jumping off a cliff and only ended up with sand in my pants. It was some of the most fun we've had...the sledding got better but let me tell you climbing back up is a WORKOUT! It's basically running on very loose sand up hill...

It was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon and then we headed to Las Cruces. Heather hit the gym for a run and I took the car for an oil change and tire rotation. We watched some Olympics got through some more email, filing, and work before heading to bed!