White Sands

This past Monday morning, instead of heading back home right away after my remote viewing course, I decided to extend my time in New Mexico with a trip down to the White Sands National Monument.  It is located SW of Alamogordo, and is at the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert. 

When I woke up on that morning, there was about 3 inches of snow on the ground, which was the result of a weather front that came through the southwest US the night before.  In addition to that, the area was fogged in.  I didn’t have a chance to take a photo of that surreal sight.  It was quite eerie!  The distance down to White Sands was about 160 miles, and there was snow on the ground for 2/3 of the trip.  Fortunately, the roads were dry and the driving was pleasant, and the weather gradually cleared up. 

As I approached the monument from the northeast, the dune field looked like a bright white stripe that was in between the mountains in the distance and the flat land in the foreground.

It is a bright white color because it is made up of gypsum, and is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.  BTW—our local newspaper had an article in it today about the state of New Mexico wanting to make White Sands National Monument into a national park!

There are 2 kinds of landscapes that I find fascinating.  The first is volcanic, and the second is sand dunes.  White Sands did not disappoint.  The sand is so white that it glares in the sun!  I hiked through an area where there were plants growing, and then, further out, where there were no plants and only the endless hills of the dunes.  Maybe it was the mineral composition of the sand, the sunny and balmy weather, or because I was tired from the workshop and the drive there, but I fell into a very serene and relaxed state.  The wandering over the dunes was extremely pleasant! 

After a few hours of that, it was time to drive back to Mountainair.  By then, all of the snow had melted, and I got a good look at the countryside that I was driving through.  Below are some photos of the fabulous White Sands National Monument.