Day 19: Black Canyon of the Gunnison to the Great Sand Dunes

We said our goodbyes to the campsite at the Black Canyon and set out to our next destination--the Great Sand Dunes National Park also in Colorado. 

As we drove on the winding roads we commented about how amazing it is that with the open skies out west it is possible to see an entire rainstorm from a distance. You can see where the sunshine ends and the rain begins. You can see each bolt of lightning extend from the clouds all the way down to the ground. 

Soon, however, we realized that we were driving directly into the storm. The dunes were not visible through the rain and dark skies, and our awe of the storm quickly turned to disappointment because we were so excited to at least see the dunes! And there was no way we were going to climb on them in such a storm. 

We decided to choose a spot at the campsite in spite of the rain, and we sat in the truck and waited for the storm to let up a bit before setting up the Scamp and moving inside to stay dry and relax until Mother Nature eased up on the area. 

Before long the rain gradually slowed to a stop and we emerged from the Scamp ready to check out the dunes. We quickly realized that the storm was actually a blessing for a few reasons: 1) it cleared out the park; the dunes were empty, 2) it cooled off and packed down the sand for easier climbing, and 3) the rain resulted in the seasonal Medano Creek to flow around the base of the sand dunes.

After short walk to the dunes and through Medano Creek, we started exploring the dunes. This park allows dogs on the dunes, and they seemed to love running through the shallow creek and running up and down the mounds of sand. We virtually had the entire dunes to ourselves; it felt like we were on the moon! 

These dunes are the largest in North America and are created by unique wind direction at the base of two mountain ranges. 

After exploring for a while, we decided to head back to camp to make dinner and clean up a bit. The mosquitoes in the area can be a little bothersome, but some bug spray and long sleeved shirts helped! 

We went to bed early with plans to wake up around sunrise to explore the dunes one more time before continuing on our way. I never thought I'd be happy to have a rainy day on the road, but this one definitely worked out in our favor!