By lunch time, I had made it to the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado. This is truly a strange phenomenon. If you looked only at the dunes, you would swear you were in some dessert like the Sahara. But if you turn around, you will see lush green and whitetop mountains. The dunes are the tallest in North America, some topping out at 750 feet, that's like a 75 story building! Hiking these dunes was like no other hiking of done before. All the elements combined ... sun, elevation, wind, dry air, and steep, sliding sand, can really get to you. Be sure to bring much more water than normal, you will need it. It can also get to the extremes of hot or cold even during the same day. The views are breathtaking though and quite unique. I saw mountain lion tracks in some of the sand, but luckily never saw one.
