2017 11 01 White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, New Mexico, Nov 1, 2017

The good news is there was no missile testing today. We had some fly overs from Holloman Air Force Base.  

We were happy to be able to take the dogs with us today. The new sights and smells were very entertaining for them. We took 5 bottles of water and had to buy one by the end of the day. 

Even though it was mostly sunny, the temperature was in the low 70s. We were quite comfortable in long pants and long sleeve shirts. 

The dunes were a mix of hard packed alkali, granulated gypsum and super soft, almost dust. 

It's true. Sledding down the dunes really is a thing out here. We forgot to buy a disk at Walmart yesterday. These kids weren't very adventurous. The dune they sled down was fairly small.  

Bob was disappointed he could not sled the dunes so he decided to run down a dune. I was hoping he would not fall and roll the rest of the way. 

This afternoon sun makes for interesting contrasts of bright white and shadows. 

During this hike, we kept getting hit by high winds which drove the sand across the dunes. Not too much of a problem for Bob and I but the dogs are down closer to dune tops and they were having some problems with it getting in their eyes and ears. 

Tori and I are waiting for Bob and Dakota. I guess you are wondering why the dogs are not having issued with hot sand under their paws. That is because the water table is just 2-3 feet below the surface so the sand is quite cool. I checked several times in different locations. 

This did not come out like we were seeing it. It's the slip side of a dune with footprints making little mounds on the downward side. It should look like waves. 

The wind from the Northwest blows the sand into these wave like patterns. The dunes continue to grow until they reach about 80 feet then the weight causes an avalanche.  

This is our fourth trail - the Backpacking Trail Loop. A 2 mile round trip loop where camping is allowed. I think it would be amazing during a full moon the dunes would glisten like snow and when there is no moon the stars are awesome. 

Puppies had to work very hard today. 

After drinking an entire bowl of water, Tori gave up and slept. 

While we were waiting at the Visitor's Center for the Sunset Stroll, this little rattlesnake started to slowly make its way across the parking lot. It wasn't much longer than about 2 feet. And minding it own business. Then some doofus got a metal stick out of his truck and was poking it . The snake immediately curled and started shaking its rattles. It looked about to strike but the doofus just wouldn't let it alone. I went into the Visitor's Center and told them so someone would come out and tell the guy to back away. Seems rattlesnakes can strike from a long distance.  They wanted to collect it and transport it away from there. So how many people does it take to remove a rattlesnake from a parking lot? About 10, most of whom just stood around. This little guy had quite an attitude and showed it whenever someone cast a shadow on him. It was finally scooped up by a professional and put in a transport bucket. 

On our Sunset Stroll we crested a dune and startled this jackrabbit. Look at the size of its ears. We were shocked at how fast it got over the dunes. 

Another example of the light and shadow contrast. 

The volunteer explaining how the yucca survives in the desert. As the sand buries the plant, it will continue to send out roots along its trunk so it can keep growing above the sand level. So if you see a 2 foot plant above the sand on top of a 30 foot dune the actual height of the plant is more than 32 feet.

Ansel Adams-esque. Moon over Sacramento Mountains to the east.

Sunset behind the San Andres Mountains.