Eternal Echoes - Randall E. Secrest

Скачать книгу

our family, with a picnic lunch and perhaps a tent, driving thirty-five miles northward on I-17 through the sleepy small town of Mosca and east to the ten square miles of the National Monument became a regular occurrence in the summer.

      Envision the largest alpine valley in the world embraced on the west and east with fourteen-plus thousand foot mountain ranges, the massive, picturesque and mysterious Rocky Mountains. Also consider ten square miles of white sand, a God-given playground, existing in a more unlikely area. So since it is a playground, people from all over the world enjoy passing through.

      And as for the dunes - the wind predominately blows from the southwest to the northeast, which continually brings the beautiful white sand to the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. On an airplane ride flying over the valley please look at the ‘unusual formation of sand.’ The difference between the massive mountain ranges and a seemingly rather small patch of sand is baffling. Also not to be believed, I confess, people honestly ride their bicycles to the dunes from all over the country!

      On the journey east towards the towering mountains with the dunes at the base, the challenge is to carefully mentally mark the highest and closest dune to camp so, upon arrival, at a picnic spot or camping spot a group can head towards the chosen summit.

      The souls who choose to stay in camp can begin sorting out the food, making a fire, thinking about what’s for dinner. Honestly all this preparation is a lot of fun and if it is done casually in no time the sand castle’ers will return exhausted and ready for a late lunch.

      Along the way to the dunes another rather strange part of the Park reveals itself. During the spring and early summer a stream comes out of the mighty mountains and playfully runs between the picnic- camp grounds and the endless dunes.

      The stream obviously comes from a snow bank, thus is extremely cold, although very refreshing, however while watching the stream it appears to undulate? Between a craggy range of mountains and an unexplainable snow white field of dunes and the stream seems to have waves? What is up with that?

      A somewhat observant answer might be, the stream gathers sand and as the weight increases the stream slows, finally the sand falls and the stream increases speed only to gather sand once again and to slow and drop the next gathering. This phenomenon happens in short order and probably this is the reason the water appears to flow as if there are waves. And curiously the waves are in semi-circles, much like the pools formed at Havasupai Falls, halfway to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

      Since the great mountains are directly east of the dunes, there is a mountain trail, which leads up into these peaceful, majestic friends. With a comfortable hike, the Continental Divide is reached in a mountain valley.

      If you choose, a long earned and deserved look out over the endless grass plains of North America is enjoyed. What an incredible sight, miles and miles of waving grasses as far as the eye can see. Meditate for a time; perhaps Black Elk’s Native American camp will materialize out on the incredible magic of the plains… The in sync native ‘way’ was one of peaceful existence with each other and other tribes and definitely with nature.

      Climbing to the top of the magical dunes and climbing the equally impressive mountain trails, looking out over the once buffalo covered Great Plains, playing in the cool stream and building temporary dams to redirect the water was a meaningful and cherished childhood.

      Camping out in the foothills towards the mountains, and then hiking onto the dunes at full moon… God is everything, God is everywhere. All this magic, and in person, perhaps only a child can appreciate such mystery and such joy.

      One thing I failed to mention, climbing the dunes is a challenge and a gas, the sand is fluid like water. And seemingly going straight up is not only an effort, but also the preverbal two steps forward and one back is true. Due to the moving sand, after two steps forward the hiker is in a fight to overcome the sand and will slide one step backward.

      Two forward and one back is a quest while climbing this ancient monument. And it is an effort to reach the chosen top, but the view, looking out over the San Luis Valley to the San Juan mountain range and back to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains… it is well worth the climb.

      Also, along the journey, the idea of dragging an inner tube up the dunes, climbing inside and spinning at incredible speed down the sand, was unbelievable, absolutely the cat’s meow. No problem, being inside the tube with legs stretched outside, on either side, would provide brakes, right? The first rotation was exhilarating, but legs used as brakes propel the tube up into the air and in about three revolutions the tube is at breakneck speed, the speedometer is bouncing, stomach is beyond upset, oh my gosh!!! HELP!!! The only solution, BAIL OUT!

      In any case, the tube rolls to the bottom, while the supposedly fearless captain lies motionless, as still as possible, trying to allow equilibrium to calm down, or maybe allowing the earth to slow down just a bit. Truly, it was hilarious! Although, during ejection, make sure to watch out for the air valve or it might due damage to your bare leg…

      And finally, if this is not enough excitement, just another fifty miles north, a few miles off I-17, the Hooper Swimming Pool materializes. And as the saying goes, “I’ve never had to much fun.” A simple pool surrounded with changing rooms and a snack bar, built over a natural hot springs is truly a unique place.

      Playing games and relaxing is ‘par for the course,’ and the pool even has inner tubes and a low diving board. However, ‘warning,’ if a friend suggests a game requiring time floating and wrestling while inside a tube, particularly if you are a male, wear a t-shirt to protect your chest… otherwise it might be days before your ‘nips,’ feels good, but if all else fails, have fun!!!

      And if the formal pool is not satisfactory, an additional drive with a little increase in elevation will produce another less formal hot springs experience, sans bathing suit at Valley View Hot Springs. Mmmm, a fuzzy belly button, where parts are parts is the beautiful attire of the gathering. Ok, with all these soulful experiences, what can possibly be the next adventure…

      Speaking of adventures, on the way to Durango, in the winter, stop at Wolf Creek Ski Area. Certainly the ski lifts have graduated from Palma lifts, a disc to straddle, to chair lifts, which lift the skiers off the ground.

      However, many moons ago, as a young man the then final lift, which took skiers to the Continental Divide, sometimes was an extremely difficult lift to remain on. Even with stacked wooden shoring to heighten the ski path, just before going up a steep incline to the Divide, a lightweight skier was lifted off the ground and had a devil of a time keeping the tips of the skis in the two tracks.

      Also, one thing about Lift #3, if you need assistance the operator will stop the apparatus in order provide an explanation as to how the lift operates. And as luck would have it, the previously mentioned skier was well pressed to stay on the lift when the lift was temporarily stopped. There is forever, another adventure to practice telling.

      Wolf Creek happens to have an impressive amount of snow each ski season, upwards to 800 inches. Sometimes driving over the pass can be treacherous, in fact, skiers are likely to ski on almost 200 inches of snow as the base, so once the season begins never is there ‘just below the surface’ obstacles.

      As a result, skiing through the trees, out in the powder, is a gutsy way to stir up the adrenaline, try your best, do not die, and eventually return to the log cabin lodge. If for some reason a skier has a chill, an

      enormous, warm, pot bellied stove and something to eat and drink is the perfect cure. Oh, but please beware of low-lying branches while skiing through the pines, or you will require braces, if not worse.

      Speaking of Durango, there are fantastically unique original narrow gauge trains, complete with coal car and billowing black smoke from the smoke stack pulling passenger cars, headed north to Silverton and on to Ouray.

      The narrow gauge is a relic of the mining trade of the 1880’s thru 1930’s; the train is world famous since it is one of the few narrow gauge railroads left in existence. Of course Silverton and Ouray are comfortable old mining towns in the Rockies and a great place to have lunch and maybe stay.

Скачать книгу