A real Colorado desert

Friday we continued down Phantom Canyon with breakfast and Wi-Fi on our minds.  We charged the video camera overnight so we were able to capture the descent down the canyon road and a few tunnels.  We found a breakfast place and uploaded yesterdays blog .

Phantom Canyon camp at sunset

We are heading for Great Dunes National Monument today and it will be a long day on the road. We are back on the Atlantic side of the Continental Divide again.  I am not sure how many times we have zigzagged back and forth while in Colorado, our forth night here incidentally. 

Cell coverage has been poor at best, but oddly texts seem to go through at the strangest times. 

We went shopping at Wal-Mart again and got some veg and other staples that will last in the heat.  The Jeep also got its first car wash of the trip.  It was dirty, mostly remnants of crossing Minnesota dirt roads in pouring rain.  At any rate it is looking good again or shall I say it was.  We stopped at a Jeep dealership for an oil change, and although the salesman seemed impressed with our Jeep it didn’t help with scheduling a change.  We’ll try again another day another place.  

A short while later we came upon a guy in a Bronco who misjudged a turn (38.367876,-105.752721).  It took less time to pull him out than it did to find my tow strap.  I'll have to reorganize so I can find things and pack the truck for better weight distribution.

On the road again we came upon sign for the Royal Gorge Bridge.  We were close so we figured we’d drive over it.  Come to find out it is one big tourist trap, I don’t think you can actually drive over it, just walk.  I am not sure why it was built and what purpose it serves.  What two areas does it connect?  We took a picture from afar and returned to our mission.

Royal Gorge Bridge, big whoop.

For the first time this trip the GPS unit recognized a National Park/Monument as a legitimate destination.  All the other parks we visited thus far were conspicuously absent.  So I trusted it, mistake.   We ended up far South of the Park on a very dusty road near Alamosa National Wildlife Preserve.  Back to the book of maps and we were able to right ourselves after what was ultimately about 20 miles of detour.

It is impressive as you approach the Dunes, they seem so out of place with the surrounding environment.

We arrived late, well after 3PM but still spent nearly three hours exploring the Dunes and environ.   Tyler earned another Junior Ranger Badge and we have found for a small donation they will usually issue the patch for the park/monument as well.

Taking the oath

The tallest sand Dunes in North America

We noticed on the way in that campgrounds in the vicinity were full.  Since there was no camping in the Dunes the Rangers advised me I could cross the Medano Pass out of the Park and Preserve into the National Forest, were camping was permitted.

The Medano road was not to be taken lightly as several warnings were posted requiring high clearance four wheel drive vehicles and the reduction of air pressure in tires to enhance traction.  The first couple miles of the road were very soft deep sand as it wound along the Northeast most edge of the Dunes.  This is were the Dunes were tallest as Southwest breezes push the sand to this corner where strong Northeast winds stack it up upon it self, making for impossibly steep dunes.  The sand then slides into the creeks at the Northern edges where it is then carried around the dunes to the Southwest  during the spring runoff.  When summer drought hits all this newly deposited sand is then blow back North and the cycle repeats.

The road to Medano Pass

Getting out of the Dunes to the Medano pass was a estimated three hour drive.  We crossed the Medano creek at least eight times.  Some crossing were deeper than others, and I was intimidated at times as we really haven’t tested this Jeeps off road prowess.  The long wheel base, stock tires and suspension meant I had to choose our line on the road very carefully.  We gently scraped the undercarriage once as well as the rear bumper.

Escaping the Dunes, climbing the Medano Pass

The road was narrow with only occasional turnouts to allow traffic to pass.  It is a two way road despite its narrowness.  We crossed the pass around 8:30 and with light fading found a turnout in the San Isabel National Forest suitable for camping.