Fulll Moonlight over the Great Sand Dunes, Colorado, September 29, 2023

 After Bob attended the Natural Arch and Bridge Society's Fall Arch Rally at the Colorado National Monument in late September 2023, he decided to visit a number of destinations in Colorado, since he had only visited the state once before.

One of the places he wanted to visit was the Great Sand Dunes National Park in the eastern part of the state. To his surprise, the park allowed backpackers to spend the night out in the dunes. Surprising because there's no water source out there. It happened to be the night of the full moon when Bob made a point of hiking out into the dunes. He wanted to see the dunes lit up by the full moonlight. This photo is one of many he took during his overnight backpacking trip. Notice the stars in the sky as well as two tents of other backpackers in this image.

This park has the tallest sand dunes in North America, the tallest being 750 feet. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are in the background.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California

I, Bob, was looking through a folder of photos from a trip to Death Valley in January 2009 when I came upon this image.  The longer I looked at it, the more intrigued I became with the texture of it.  I was on the top of the tallest sand dune in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dune near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park, California when I took this photo.  I was looking down into a valley of sorts between the dune crests.  The foot tracks along the top edge give you a sense of scale.

I took this photo with the still function of a Sony high def Handycam, so it's not a high resolution image and will probably not look good if it's enlarged very much.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park wind-caused rippling pattern

Death Valley National Park has 5 different sand dunes within its borders, including California's largest in Eureka Valley. The easiest dunes to reach are the Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes because they're right next to the main road through the park. These dunes were made famous by the 1970's TV series called Kung Fu, with David Carradine.

We got up early in the morning to get to the dunes before the crowds starting traipsing across it so that we could get undisturbed ripples in the sand. The wind blowing across the sand causes some grains to collide with other grains and knocking into the next crest.

Image taken at ISO 50, 1/40 sec., f8, 8mm (48 mm equivalent).

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California

A view of the Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park.  These are the most visited of Death Valley's sand dunes since they're right next to the highway connecting Stovepipe Wells Village with the park's headquarters at Furnace Creek.

Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, and driest place in America.  These sand dunes are right about at sea level.  Two people are standing on the highest peak of the dunes in the upper right.

Remember.  It's not just a picture, it's a story.