We left Durango and our friends, Marilyn and Ken, around noon on Thursday and headed out on our 3 hour drive east to Great Sand Dune National Park. As with many of the parks, we had heard a lot of great things about it. We crossed over Wolf Creek Pass on the way which is quite high and since they were forecasting 14 inches of snow in the pass that night, we were glad to get through it and to the other side early in the afternoon. As we came down out of the mountains we started across what seemed like a high desert until we reached the turn off for the park. Unfortunately, the campgrounds in the park were closed for the winter, even though we weren’t aware of that in advance. Major Bummer. The problem is funding. They would like to keep them open but they can’t afford staff to manage the campgrounds in the slow season. It’s slow but there are plenty of people who still are looking for campsites when visiting the park. We went to the visitor center and the ranger directed us to a campground 8 miles outside the park. As long as we didn’t mind driving up a 3 mile dirt road after the 8 mile turn off. Beggars can’t be choosers so we decided that’s where we would go. First though we stayed to watch the park movie. All parks show about a 20 minute movie that introduces visitors to all the park has to offer but the movies especially go into how the parks were formed (geology), the ecology of the parks, and all the things the park has to offer. They are really helpful and Laurie and I always eagerly consume all the ecology and wildlife info. What is really unique about Great Sand Dunes is the number of ecosystems that are included in the park. It goes way beyond just the sand. The sand dunes are actually sandwiched between a wetland area below it in the valley and a mountain alpine system above it. The Sangre de Cristo mountains are quite high and include alpine tundra, sub alpine, and Montane Forest. This area included Pikas, Perigrine Falcons, Black Bears, Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep, and Bobcats. The sand dunes and grasslands contain a number of flowers, Kangaroo Rats, Elk, Cranes, and the Great Sand Dune tiger beetle which is only found here. The wetlands are frequented by a variety of birds including American White Pelicans. The dunes are formed by erosion in the mountains and the sand is carried down by streams and the wind to form the highest sand dunes in North America. Winds from the valley below, blow the sand up to form the dunes and downward winds and streams bring it back down from the mountains to regenerate the dunes. They just keep recycling the sand. Much of this information came from the movie. After the movie we left the park and headed for the campground. We noticed that it was getting a little windy at the visitors center and by the time we got to the turnoff for the campground it had picked up even more. Now the Ranger said it was a dirt road but he really didn’t go into the details. Like, it’s three miles up the side of a mountain.  Yes it’s dirt, but its strewn with huge ruts and rocks and boulders. We averaged between 5 and 10 mph with the RV rocking violently from side to side. There was a huge crash and one of our tupperware containers stored above the cab came crashing down. Luckily Jackson wasn’t under it. It probably took us about 25 minutes to make it up to the campground and we shared it with only one other camper. I suppose the road was a detriment to more than a few people. The wind was howling by now and the temperature dropping but it was a beautiful sunset so as I was making dinner, Laurie was able to capture some great photos by standing on the picnic bench to shoot over the scrub pines that were in the way. It didn’t get as cold as it had been over in Utah but the wind was another story. It was howling and gusting and rocking the RV all night long. The stars were absolutely amazing out here where there’s little light pollution but I’m surprised the wind didn’t blow them out of the sky. As the morning light made it’s presence known, the wind kept up its relentless gusting. We did a short hike on the mountain to see Zapata Falls which was kind of cool as you had to walk up through the creek and then into a cave with an open top through which the falls fell. Jackson accompanied me and Laurie into the falls. With the wind howling, it was quite cold and the sky was cloudy and threatening rain. This has been the one and only national park that allows dogs pretty much anywhere as long as they are on a leash. The hike to the falls and through the creek made Jacksons day. From there, we climbed back into the RV and headed down into the park with the goal of climbing to the top of the highest sand dune in the park. Again, we took Jackson and disregarded park rules and let him run free in the sand. It was off season and not many visitors around so it didn’t seem to make much difference. We first had to cross Medano Creek which is unique in that the water flows in waves. This is due to the sand which slows it down and is then washed aside, releasing a new wave of water. The wind was howling, and it was cold, and the sand was blowing. To say the least, it wasn’t a pleasant endeavor for us with the exception of Jackson who was running and enjoying every minute of it. We made it about a half mile and decided that it just wasn’t worth it. We don’t usually turn in the towel when the going gets tough but this just wasn’t enjoyable. The sand dunes were amazing but the wind and the cold really put a damper on the visit. I suppose timing is everything and we could easily have spent several days here hiking on the mountain and in the dunes if the wind was calmer and there was some sunshine but it just wasn’t going to be. It was disappointing to say the least. Maybe we’ll make it out here again when the weather is nicer. This visit was a casualty of the season.