Driving from California to Arizona, I passed by some very large sand dunes: the royally-named Imperial Sand Dunes. As I approached on a long, straight road, it was apparent that the landscape was giving way to huge piles of sand, lots of scrub brush, and not much else.
I didn’t really have an agenda for visiting the dunes– I treated it as a stopover on a long drive. And when I got there, that decision was reinforced– since I personally am not into motorsports (and this duneland was clearly for off-roading).
Looking about, the only folks around the dunes were dirt-bikers and ATV-ers– the conditions being ideal for motorsports in deep sand, this attracted a crowd that was more about engine-revving than a quiet walk among the dunes. In fact, enterprising individuals had even set up ATV-rental in the dune area (which one could rent for a few hundred bucks an hour).
‘Merica.
I elected to take a short walk out onto the sand (with Mac), so we both could stretch our legs and enjoy the sand for a moment before pushing on. And boy, was that sand SOFT and soothing under my feet.
A few other wayward travelers were also out walking (on their feet, not on wheels)– and they helped my photos provide a little more perspective on just how grandiose these dunes were: they were overwhelming in size. A little disorienting-ly so!
And needless to say, it was easier to dash down the dunes, than to walk up them.
For those who follow this blog, you know that Mac loves running and zooming in sand– typically, he enjoys running by the ocean the most. But, I happen to think he just adores the feeling of soft sand between his paws– and he proved this with some of the happiest dog-zoomies I’ve seen.
Most of the dunes contained much less ‘pristine’ sand, and more the tire-tracked kind, as you’d see at a loud-backfiring off-road race. The sand was rutted with deep tracks as far as the eye could see– which, if you are a bit lost on featureless sand, might be a good thing?!
I honestly couldn’t help but wonder how these ATVers found their way back to their campsites at night, without getting lost among the mounds of sand.
The Imperial Sand Dunes were worth a stop– of course, if you’re an ATV-buff, it would appear to be paradise. Otherwise, it was an impressive landscape to spend a few hours walking in (if you don’t mind the ear-splitting sound of engines every once in awhile).
Posted by Sun
