Day 14 of Autumn 2023 Trip to Mountain States, Great Sand Dunes and Bent’s Old Fort

The fourteenth day of my autumn 2023 trip to the mountain states. After checking out a very windy Great Sand Dunes in the morning, I took a long drive into Central Kansas on my way back east.

Great Sand Dunes


Great Sand Dunes

Heading east from Durango, CO, Great Sand Dunes National Park was only a short detour away from US160. The sand dunes provided sandboarding opportunities, potentially making it one of the more “fun” national parks while not requiring much physical efforts to enjoy. Considering the hours of sandboard rentals (and some other factors), I only covered a short distance of driving the previous day, and planned to leave Great Sand Dunes (together with lots of driving) for today.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Unfortunately, weather wasn’t as cooperative today. Leaving Monte Vista, I drove through some intense storms on my way to Great Sand Dunes. But once I got there, there were only low-hanging clouds, no signs of rainfall. (Maybe the nearby Sangre de Cristo Mountains were just immune to rainfall.)
Nonetheless, just like the previous day, wind was strong at Great Sand Dunes. I was trying to rent a sandboard at “Oasis resort”, and the gentleman at the rental shop kindly reminded me that the wind would make it a “different experience” and suggested me to “cover up”. After some hesitancy, I decided to check out the sand dunes first and decided later, which saved me 20 bucks.

At the parking lot for accessing sand dunes, I changed into sandals, but made a mistake by also removing my socks. It turned out that to reach the sand dunes, one had to cross a dry river bed (Medano Creek), made of not only sand, but also gravels. The gravels made their way between my feet and my sandals, making it quite an uncomfortable walk.

  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Sandboarders
    Sandboarders
  • Drifting Sand
    Drifting Sand
  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Plants next to Great Sand Dunes
    Plants next to Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Sandboarders
  • Drifting Sand
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Plants next to Great Sand Dunes

Click here to display photos of the Great Sand Dunes.
Great Sand Dunes


Great Sand Dunes
Great Sand Dunes

Great Sand Dunes


Great Sand Dunes
Great Sand Dunes
Great Sand Dunes

Sandboarders


Sandboarders

Drifting Sand


Drifting Sand

Great Sand Dunes


Great Sand Dunes

Plants next to Great Sand Dunes


Plants next to Great Sand Dunes


Once on the sand dunes, the strong winds were visible from the drifting sand on top of the ridges. Even while standing, my pockets were slowly being filled with sand. I found a few people sandboarding but most others weren’t. At this time, I could see I wouldn’t enjoying being battered by sand and wind while sandboarding.

Below is a short video that I captured of the drifting sands uphill, just to give a sense.


20 seconds, 2160p30fps, 5.5Mbps/15MB for H265, 6Mbps/16MB for H264.

In addition, here’s a panoramic video.


18 seconds, 2160p30fps, 7.5Mbps/18MB for H265, 8.5Mbps/19MB for H264.

Great Sand Dunes


Great Sand Dunes

Before I left the park, I checked out the visitor center, which showed the formation of such sand dunes. In short, the San Luis Valley between San Juan Mountains to the west and Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east was once flowing with water rich in sediments. The water dried up, and the sediments were blown by the prevalent wind to the current location, forming the sand dunes. The strong winds I experienced today sort of showcased its force in transporting the sands over large distances.

  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
    Great Sand Dunes
  • Mt Herard behind Clouds
    Mt Herard behind Clouds
  • Road
    Road
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Mt Herard behind Clouds
  • Road

Click here to display photos of the Great Sand Dunes.
Great Sand Dunes


Great Sand Dunes
Great Sand Dunes

Mt Herard behind Clouds


Mt Herard behind Clouds

Road


Road


In fact, the winds were so strong that I could watch the patterns of clouds dashing across the sand dunes.

Great Sand Dunes from Road


Great Sand Dunes from Road

Once out of the park, I drove east along CO-150/US-160, circling around the southernmost part of Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I knew Blanca Peak and Little Bear Peak were among this group, which were 2 of Colorado’s 53 14ers with a challenging traverse in between them.

  • California Peak
    California Peak
  • California Peak and Twin Peaks
    California Peak and Twin Peaks
  • Twin Peaks in Clouds
    Twin Peaks in Clouds
  • Sangre de Cristo Mountains
    Sangre de Cristo Mountains
    The summit of Little Bear Peak thinly covered by clouds in the central-right.
  • Sangre de Cristo Mountains
    Sangre de Cristo Mountains
    From left to right: Little Bear Peak, Blanca Peak, Hamilton Peak, Mount Lindsey.
  • Sangre de Cristo Mountains
    Sangre de Cristo Mountains
    Blanca Peak and Mount Lindsey in clouds.
  • Road onto La Veta Pass
    Road onto La Veta Pass
  • California Peak
  • California Peak and Twin Peaks
  • Twin Peaks in Clouds
  • Sangre de Cristo Mountains
  • Sangre de Cristo Mountains
  • Sangre de Cristo Mountains
  • Road onto La Veta Pass

Click here to display photos of the slideshow
California Peak


California Peak

California Peak and Twin Peaks


California Peak and Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks in Clouds


Twin Peaks in Clouds

Sangre de Cristo Mountains


Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The summit of Little Bear Peak thinly covered by clouds in the central-right.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains


Sangre de Cristo Mountains
From left to right: Little Bear Peak, Blanca Peak, Hamilton Peak, Mount Lindsey.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains


Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Blanca Peak and Mount Lindsey in clouds.

Road onto La Veta Pass


Road onto La Veta Pass


I planned to spend the night in central Kansas, which meant there’s a long drive ahead of me. I didn’t want to keep driving for the entire day, so I stopped and checked out “Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site” outside La Junta, CO.

Bent’s Old Fort

This fort was located along the shores of Arkansas River, which was back then the border between United States and Mexico. Along Santa Fe Trail, it was the only permanent settlement not under the jurisdiction and control of Native Americans or Mexicans. The fort facilitated trade (mostly fur) with native American tribes, while providing shelter and supply for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail.

  • Bent's Old Fort
    Bent’s Old Fort
  • Graveyard
    Graveyard
    The marked stone for Edward Dorris, a stagecoach driver.
  • Courtyard
    Courtyard
  • Fur Packaging Machine in Courtyard
    Fur Packaging Machine in Courtyard
  • Overlooking Courtyard
    Overlooking Courtyard
  • Corral
    Corral
    The park raise some chicken here, just like the old days of the fort.
  • Wagon Display
    Wagon Display
    An original Conestoga wagon that was popular along Santa Fe Trail. The curved box shape kept loads from shifting on rough trails.
  • Bent's Old Fort
  • Graveyard
  • Courtyard
  • Fur Packaging Machine in Courtyard
  • Overlooking Courtyard
  • Corral
  • Wagon Display

Click here to display photos of the slideshow
Bent's Old Fort


Bent’s Old Fort

Graveyard


Graveyard
The marked stone for Edward Dorris, a stagecoach driver.

Courtyard


Courtyard

Fur Packaging Machine in Courtyard


Fur Packaging Machine in Courtyard

Overlooking Courtyard


Overlooking Courtyard

Corral


Corral
The park raise some chicken here, just like the old days of the fort.

Wagon Display


Wagon Display

An original Conestoga wagon that was popular along Santa Fe Trail. The curved box shape kept loads from shifting on rough trails.


While the fort was abandoned in 1849 due to disease among native American tribes (and hence declining trade), the layout of the fort was carefully documented by Army Topographical Engineer Lt. James Abert, which contributed to the reconstruction of the fort as seen nowadays.

  • Council Room
    Council Room
    Where tribal people negotiated prices and terms with traders.
  • Trading Room
    Trading Room
  • Dining Room
    Dining Room
  • Kitchen
    Kitchen
    While most of the fort nowadays was restored, the stone floors in the center of this photo were original.
  • Blacksmith Workshop
    Blacksmith Workshop
  • Blacksmith Workshop
    Blacksmith Workshop
  • Carpenter Workshop
    Carpenter Workshop
  • Council Room
  • Trading Room
  • Dining Room
  • Kitchen
  • Blacksmith Workshop
  • Blacksmith Workshop
  • Carpenter Workshop

Click here to display photos of the slideshow
Council Room


Council Room
Where tribal people negotiated prices and terms with traders.

Trading Room


Trading Room

Dining Room


Dining Room

Kitchen


Kitchen

While most of the fort nowadays was restored, the stone floors in the center of this photo were original.

Blacksmith Workshop


Blacksmith Workshop

Blacksmith Workshop


Blacksmith Workshop

Carpenter Workshop


Carpenter Workshop


  • Fur Storage Room
    Fur Storage Room
  • Water Pump Room
    Water Pump Room
  • Laborer Quarter
    Laborer Quarter
  • Room for Susan Magoffin
    Room for Susan Magoffin
    The wife of a wealthy trader that suffered a miscarriage here.
  • Billiard Room
    Billiard Room
  • Sr Vrain's Quarter
    Sr Vrain’s Quarter
  • Room
    Room
  • Room
    Room
  • Fur Storage Room
  • Water Pump Room
  • Laborer Quarter
  • Room for Susan Magoffin
  • Billiard Room
  • Sr Vrain's Quarter
  • Room
  • Room

Click here to display photos of the slideshow
Fur Storage Room


Fur Storage Room

Water Pump Room


Water Pump Room

Laborer Quarter


Laborer Quarter

Room for Susan Magoffin


Room for Susan Magoffin
The wife of a wealthy trader that suffered a miscarriage here.

Billiard Room


Billiard Room

Sr Vrain's Quarter


Sr Vrain’s Quarter

Room


Room

Room


Room


After leaving Bent’s Old Fort as it closed at 4pm, I continued east. The highway passed a few cattle plants on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, with an unpleasant smell.
After dinner in Garden City, KS, it’s a 2-hour dash in the dark to my overnight hotel around Great Bend, KS. For a final disappointment of the day, the high density of bugs along KS-156 was not a pleasant sight.
END

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Day 14 of Autumn 2023 Trip to Mountain States, Great Sand Dunes and Bent’s Old Fort by Huang's Site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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