Bebop Reviews Sand Dunes National Park

We are on vacation again in our Bebopabago camper van. It's been really nice and cool, which I really like. Today, my parents told me that I get to hike with them on some Great Sand Dunes. It sounded like an oversized cat litter box, but they seemed enthusiastic, so I went along. Also, very few national parks let dogs hike, so I wanted to take advantage of their hospitality here.

Great Sand Dunes

Right away we crossed a little flowing creek and I wanted to run and splash in the soft sand and nice water. I grabbed a stick and started running wild. Dad encouraged me to get a drink of water, which I did. Good thing, because we climbed a lot of tall sand - over 700 feet high! Also, I took a big poop on the sand (photo not available), My parents picked it up and disposed of it properly.

Frolicking near Medano Creek

It was very nice with an air temperature in the 60's and bright sunshine. The sand was cool from some rain the night before. Some parts were steep, and we had to stop and catch our breath a few times. We are over 7,500 feet in elevation, so the air is a little thin. I drank all the water dad offered me on the way up.

Climbing up the sand

I also met some other dogs, which was fun. They were all nice. Many people asked if they could pet me, and I'm glad that I could make them smile. We finally got to the top and sat down to enjoy the views. We watched some people sledding and riding boards down the hill. Some did well and others crashed.

Resting at the top of the high dune

When we came down, I got to run in the water again. Then, I was glad to get back to the van for a nice nap. Next, we hiked a nature trail. It was short and shady - and loaded with nature.

Nature trail with sand and mountains

We drove down to our nearby campsite at Zapata Falls. In the afternoon, we hiked to the falls, which meant hiking in an ice-cold creek. It was shocking at first, but very refreshing. It was deep in places and the current was very swift, but even my hooomans were agile enough to make it all the way to the falls. We came out of the water to see a thunderstorm approaching, so we scurried back to our camper and opened the door right as the wind picked up, and the rain began falling.

Our campsite, and Zapata Falls (ice water!)

Dad's data logging watch said we hiked 15,108 steps (about 7 miles) and climbed about 1,000 feet.  I'm going to take a big nap now.

- Bebop

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Climate Evacuee Vacation

The daily high temperature at home climbed this week from 100ºF up to 105ºF. Fortunately, we had planned a trip to the mountains, so off we go to cooler air. Here's our rough trip plan, departing on Sat, Jun 25th:

Summer 2022 Trip Plan

After we got up to around Wichita Falls the temperature stayed between 106ºF and 108ºF for a long time. Then some large thunderstorms (with hail) appeared, and we stopped and let them clear out from the road ahead. We spent the night boondocking in the parking lot of the Amarillo Travel Center. Bebop was not fooled by the fake metal cows.

Not fooled by fake metal cows

We drove through a cool front, so it was in the 80's with scattered storms nearby. There was light rain falling the next morning. We had a reservation at Cimarron Canyon State Park in New Mexico, but the forests and parks are all closed due to the fires and continued fire danger - though I just heard they were opening again this week due to increasing rainfall in the state - the same rain we are experiencing right now as we drive through NM. We diverted up toward Sugarite Canyon State Park for our 2nd night. On our way, we stopped at the Capulin Volcano National Monument. It was 48ºF with low clouds hanging over the peak. It is a young volcano, having erupted only 60,000 years ago. We hiked into the volcanic vent anyway and Elena got to pet a volcanic rock.

Elena pets a volcanic rock inside the vent of Capulin

Sugarite (pronounced Sugar Eat) Canyon was our camp for the night. The mouth is an old coal mining camp. It was a boom town for 30 years - about 100 years ago. The town is gone, except for a few old foundations, and the full canyon is now a state park. We managed to get a hike around Lake Maloya between the raindrops.

Elena and Bebop spot a bird

Lovely wild roses and lovely Elena

On our third morning, we awoke to a steady rain, so we decided to head north and drive out of it. We took CO hwy 12, which was recently designated a National Scenic Byway. The rain stopped about the time we go there. We saw some interesting rock features and lovely mountains and streams. We went on a muddy forest road up to a scenic overlook too. The temperature even climbed to near 70ºF as the sun appeared.

Elena at Cuchuras Pass at 10,000 feet

 Next up is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Zapata Falls.  

- Paul

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