of course with such strong winds, i just happened to be going to one of sandiest places in the area with the tallest sand dunes in north america - great sand dunes national park. as i was approaching the park i was wondering if it would even be open due to the winds. luckily it was. as i got closer i could finally see the dunes. they looked huge compared to the flat san luis valley, but seemed insignificant in front of the 13,000 foot mountain peaks.
great sand dunes np, colorado - 09/16/2006
at first i was concerned that the wind and blowing sand would prevent me from getting any good pictures, but it almost made the whole experience more interesting. similar to the way the snow blows over a cornice, the sand would be blowing over the tops of the dunes. you could see it swirling up, down, and between the dunes, reshaping the landscape before my eyes. as i walked my footsteps would be covered over in just a few minutes.
great sand dunes np, colorado - 09/16/2006
great sand dunes np, colorado - 09/16/2006
great sand dunes np, colorado - 09/16/2006
great sand dunes np, colorado - 09/16/2006
heading north towards colorado springs, the winds seemed to be worse. on one of the highways there were signs saying "gusty winds may exist" and "gusty winds likely". they were both correct. luckily i got off of the highway and on to some back roads through the mountains and forests. that is where i stumbled upon the bishop castle (2, 3, 4, 5). it was quite an amazing thing to see in the middle of nowhere.
bishop mansion, beulah, co - 09/16/2006
bishop mansion, beulah, co - 09/16/2006
through most of this section of colorado, the aspens were already beginning to change color.
highway 165, colorado - 09/16/2006
i didn't initially plan on going to garden of the gods, but dan, with whom i am staying tonight, suggested it. it was quite impressive to see the different formations, especially since it was so close to colorado springs.
garden of the gods, colorado springs, co - 09/16/2006
i then had a quick visit with katie, a good friend of aLex. she had just gotten out of an all day masters class, after working all week while trying to fix up a house. most people would be pretty stressed out, but not katie. it was good to see her after so long.
by the time i left colorado springs for dan and yvette's place in palmer lake, the temperature must have dropped about 15 degrees. luckily it was a short ride. i had no problem finding their beautiful home, almost completely surrounded by mountains. after getting the kids to bed, we had a nice dinner and caught up on each others lives. we all fought over who missed springfield more.
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