The Great Sand Dunes & Zapata Falls-Mosca, Colorado

The sand dunes are the tallest in North America and such a sight to behold.  Even from the distance of our campground, the sand dunes stood out among the mountains.  Up close, one would think they were in the Sahara desert.  The dunes were created from the erosion of the mountains which were then shattered by freezing and thawing and being pelted by the wind.  It’s pretty technical but the result is stunning.

Our trek to the dunes started early and standing at the bottom looking up was overwhelming.  The hike began by walking on level soft sand for more than a length of a football field. In all honesty, I never thought I would make it to the top but I was going to give it my best shot.  The lower dunes are sprinkled with sand boarders, spectators, and those who look at the top and say, “Hell no”.  Sledding on the sand dunes was a quick ride and then one would have to trudge back up to the top to try it once again.  We decided to pass on that experience and continued our way up the dunes.  I am not going to lie; this was not an easy task for me.  The higher we went, the steeper it became and each step just sunk into the ground.  My heart was racing, breaths became gasps and there were a few times I just plopped myself down on the sand and rested.  By now, the sun is warming up the sand and it can be felt on the bottom of my hiking boots.  My husband, the cheerleader, encouraged me on and just kept saying it’s going to be great when we get to the top.  I came too far not to go to the top and on I plodded.  Eureka!! I made it and he was right, it was worth it.

The next day, we hiked Zapata Falls.  The unpaved road up was treacherous due to the deep ruts and multitude of scattered rocks of ample size.  Driving up in the truck was rocky and not fun as we both wanted to see it end.  Finally, we reached the starting point of the hike. Everyone getting out of their vehicles were shaking their heads as they noted, “This better be worth it.”  We agreed.  It was a good hike and yes, definitely worth it.