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| Hiking | 4.81 Miles |
933 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.81 Miles | 2 Hrs 46 Mns | | 2.14 mph |
| 933 ft AEG | 31 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | We arrived at White Sands National Park in time to catch the sun rising over the distant mountains and reflecting off the white sand. We explored the park for a while, then hiked the Alkali Flats loop.
The temperature was 35°F when we started, but it warmed up as the sun rose. We went counterclockwise. The dunes seemed endless as we climbed up and ran/slid/tumbled down each one, following the orange markers. There is no actual trail, just a series of orange markers in the sand approximately every 50 meters to mark the route.
The dunes range in height from 10 to 60 feet, and range in inclination from 30° to 70°. Some of the dunes require persistence and quickness to ascend, as our feet sank deeply into the thick, soft sand, and we slid back 1 foot for every 2 feet that we ascended. It was worth it, as the views are remarkable the entire way. The AEG for the trip was over 900 feet due to the number of dunes that we climbed. This AEG is not required to complete the loop, as there are many instances when a dune can be bypassed, but we wanted to keep it interesting, and we followed the orange markers precisely, most of which were at the top of the dunes.
We reached the "unexploded munitions" sign and returned on the south leg of the loop. There was a 20 foot tree growing directly out of a slab of gypsum stone, which was fascinating to explore. There was no other vegetation except for the occasional clusters of yucca.
We eventually returned to the trailhead, did some sledding on the sand dunes, saw a random camel wandering around the dunes, and headed back. There were a number of people at the Alkali Flats trailhead, but very few people beyond the trailhead. A fascinating place to visit for a day trip or a weekend. The highlights were the sunrise and the camel. |
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