Through The Dunes to Ft. Garland

Miles Ridden Today - 63.35  Average Miles Per Hour - 17.92

Today was one of those mornings when you are alone on the road and you are just grateful to be alive. By the time I rolled out (6 AM) I knew that the Sunrise campers were on their buses on the way to camp and were solidifying the bonds that have been developing over the last few weeks. Normally, I too would be getting my kids loaded up and ready to travel with me in the car to the Sunrise camp so they could take the train up the hill to the Friedberg camp.

Now, however, I get up at 5:00 and try to get out the door by 6:00. Usually my entire family is still fast asleep in their warm beds and its always so difficult to head out the door with them so peacefully asleep. They look so contented and beautiful. I usually spend a few moments lingering over the sight of my wife lying there looking so gorgeous. She really doesn’t know how hard it is to leave her at these times in the morning. Because of the fact that Sarah is now at the age where she can’t sleep with her brothers she is usually sharing a bed with Amy. Last night however, she slept on a cot by herself, the boys slept on a futon and Amy and I got to share a bed in a room to ourselves. We both got a good night’s sleep without small feet pummeling us in various manners!

Last night we also got to have a home cooked meal around a kitchen table for only the third time during this trip (the first time was in Salome, the second time with Matthew). Amy made steak and corn on the cob and we sat around the table feeling like we were all at home enjoying one of our favorite summertime meals.

But this morning it was back to work, riding the next stage of our cross country journey and I had to leave my beautiful family peacefully sleeping while I mounted up and rode off. I stopped for some coffee at the local convenience store and after getting myself properly caffeinated I headed off into the sunrise (since I’m heading East).

I have to admit, as far as the ride was concerned, there really wasn’t much to it. The slope was mostly 1%, 0% or -1% so I flew along the roads. For the second day in a row I beat my family by a considerable amount. Today I was there an hour earlier than them and so I rode by the place where we were booked for the evening, The Lodge! It looked a little sketchy so I rode a little further into town (it was only about two miles long) and found The Fort Garland Motor Inn which looked much more inviting. So, since I had some time to kill I rode to the local gas station and bought some Gatorade and corn nuts, rode to the end of town and settled in to wait for the family, in the hopes that I could catch them before Amy checked into the Maison de Sketchy.

It should probably be mentioned here that I’ve been in contact with my friend Carolyn for the last day and she has invited us to stay with her in Cuchara instead of in Walsenburg. Apparently, it too is an incredibly sketchy place. She suggested that if we get the chance we should check out the Great Sand Dunes National Park. After determining that we would not be staying at The Lodge (but not before checking out the Fort Garland Motor Inn, which seemed very nice but the proprietor was a bit odd) that’s where we headed. We drove West on Highway 160 and took the turnoff for the park. The sign said 16 miles to the park but we couldn’t see anything. As we drove north we saw nothing. As we drove further we could begin to determine a mound of sand in the distance. As we got closer we could see them mounting higher and higher - it was amazing. Here in the midst of all this high desert scrub were these towering mountains of sand (we later found out that the highest is 750 feet tall) and there was a hotel? We were excited to think that we might have the chance to stay in our second National Park!

Alas, it was not to be. We found no room at the inn and the proprietor of the national park hotel suggested - the Fort Garland Motor Inn! I guess it was fate. However, as we paid our admission to the park we got into a conversation with a very friendly park ranger named Kelsey who asked us about our journeys and to whom we gave a brochure about the ride. She was most encouraging and it was nice to be able to share with someone else about our journey.

After a few informative programs at the information center, we headed off to the dunes where we found out they have been here for at least 11,000 years and were formed by a curious phenomenon in which the winds blow the sand from the San Luis Valley in a northeasterly direction where they hit the mountains and can’t get over. They are then washed back to the southwest by the floods and melting snows where they deposit in the dunes. This cycle has been going on for thousands of years piling them slowly higher and higher. We also found out that the creek (when it is running, which it isn’t now due to the drought) is one of the few places on earth that experiences a phenomenon known as surge tides. It’s really too bad we couldn’t see it in action.

But we did get to climb on the dunes! It was hot, it was difficult and we certainly did not climb the highest dune but we did manage to get out to the first dunes and the kids enjoyed running up and down the dunes and getting sand in crevices they didn’t even know they had.

(Trudging Our Way to the Dunes)

(William Working on His Junior Park Ranger Book - Surrounded by Dunes!)

(Still Trudging)

We then headed back so the kids could get their third junior park ranger badges of the journey and we headed back to town for an early dinner at the local diner. While on our way out of the park we met Kelsey again who had shared our brochure with another ranger there. This second ranger (whose name I can’t remember, I apologize) recently found out her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer so they are both supportive of our cause. We truly hope that she recovers and tomorrow I will be riding for her (even though I don’t know her name, my energy will be heading towards her as I climb La Venta pass).

We finally got back to the Motor Inn and checked in. Turns out the proprietor is from Poland (which explains the persnickety cleanliness, she reminded me of many of the hotel owners when I was on tour in Europe - everything in its place and spotless) and through talking with her we found out that many riders from the Race Across America had stayed here. Lance Armstrong and company actually stayed here once during the Tour of Colorado! I would have asked for pictures but she was quite talkative and I was afraid that it would take all night.

So we settled in for the night and watched tv, caught up with e-mails and tried to communicate with Carolyn, so we can meet up tomorrow. I also have a follow up picture with the Walsenburg paper, not to mention I have to climb my last mountain pass for a while, better get some shut eye!

And the report for today;

FFL - 2 Rabbits, 1 Deer, 1 Sparrow, 1 Snake, 3 UFO’s, 6 birds of indeterminate species
RRL - 1 Washing Machine Lid, 1 Dryer Vent Hose

Stay well and I'll update more from the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/