What a long day...

The last two days have been so full it's difficult to remember what has happened when.  We're both losing track of time already, as have most of the people we've encountered.  Unless there is a direct reason to remember the date everybody just seems to let it slide.  Then it fades and disappears.  I had to go back to the visitor center at Dunes to ask what the date was for our camping fee.  So much fits in a day when you aren't staring at a computer screen for 8 or 10 hours of it.

The data dump: we started yesterday in the Days Inn in Clayton, NM.  The dinosaurs were across the street, couldn't pass it up.  The volcano turned out pretty awesome and I highly recommend a visit to Capulin if you get a chance.  There were about 5 miles of hiking trails; 1 around the entire rim, one down to the crater, and another about 3 miles through the lava flow fields.  Stunning all around, and the only peak for miles.  The gem so far has been the Great Dunes National Monument in Colorado.  We got there about 2 or 3 and set camp then went straight out for a hike.  I can't express the experience apart from saying that I have never used the word "majesty" correctly in my life until we were there.  At the foot of 9500 foot peaks is a mountain of sand blown in from the fields to the south.  The wind was almost unbearable at times and it blasted you with sand.  Yet I discovered in me such a feeling of peace, even joy, that I wept.  It is emotional out here sometimes.  Already.  The feeling of all that has been left behind mingled with all that is before me, with regret at how long it took to get here, with sorrow for all those that will never be bold enough to step out into a world like this.  Without uncertainty there is no adventure.  And with no adventure there is no sense of the majestic.  Speaking of adventure, we met another set of journeymen, Dakota and Drew.  They were the campsite across from ours and we traded firewood for some awesome banjo and a couple brews.  To give you a sense of the sort we're coming into contact with out here, Drew is a geologist leaving for Vietnam next month and Dakota is a mountain climber working on sponsorships so he can climb all 7 of the great peaks (K2, Everest and such).  He actually lives just outside Frisco, CO, where we will be visiting my old friend Jimmy in a few days.  This morning we all had breakfast with each other and set out on another adventure to a hot springs about an hour to the north.  It turned out to be a "clothing optional" sort of hippy commune [we all opted for clothing haha] and ended up having a pool to ourselves anyway with a view down into a full valley.  Unfortunately for obvious reasons no cameras were allowed.  Old people have strange hobbies hahaha.  Now we sit at a hotel in Colorado Springs.  There is a 60% chance of rain tonight and 80% throughout the day tomorrow, and the temps have been fluctuating a lot at night - my wet shoes froze outside the tent last night, for example.  There is plenty to do here so the hotel cost isn't a tragedy: Garden of the Gods, Pike's Peak, the Cliff Dwellings, and a few local breweries are all very nearby so if we have to get out in the rain some it won't kill us.  Would like to get back into a tent quickly though!

Sorry if some of the photos are repetitive, especially of the Dunes.  I was in awe and even though I was able to cut some out, every image just looks amazing to me.  Keep in mind, this is all only in the last 48 hours.


New Mexico's Dino Source.  I have no idea haha, I just liked that the Long Neck looked like he was grimacing at my presence.

The base of the trail for the volcano.

The crater.  The rocks on the right are lava rocks from the last eruption.

Just some of the views, including Maggie (the red car has a name now).

Standing in the crater.

The longer volcano trail we encountered some deer, and have come across several more since then.  These were a family of 3, got within about 30 feet I think.

First view of the Colorado mountains and then entering the state.  It has been gorgeous EVERYWHERE.

Here are the sand dunes.  I made these a little bigger so sorry if your computer freaks out.  But these are just epic and worth the wait.

The little specks about the middle are 2 people, just to give you an idea of scale.  They had just crossed the creek you will see farther down.

Creek.  It is all mountain runoff so it is quite cold.  You have to cross it to get into the dunes from what we could see.

The top layer of the dunes is actually almost very small gravel.  The wind was easily into the 40's and gusting higher so as you can imagine it could get a little painful.  I was happy to have glasses.

It only takes about a half hour to lose something if you put it down in the sand unprotected.  This couple was only about 100 yards away from their shoes but already they were getting buried.

Shai-hulud!!!!  The giant sandworm!  (Finger is touching the sand next to it for scale)

I cooked some steak on the campfire with peppers and onions.  Not bad for camping food if you ask me.  We have stuff for meat pouches if we can ever get back into a campsite...

Dakota in the hat and Drew this morning for breakfast.

Deer after the hot springs.  Dani actually has a video of them crossing the road in front of us and bounding away.  There were probably 10 or so in the group.

Some stunning landscapes on the drive to Colorado Springs.

This is the entrance to the Pike's Peak National Forest.  The rain clouds were already building at about 3 and the rain was supposed to even be snow at that elevation we heard.  Hence a hotel.

Rocks.