Once again the uniqueness of this park is amazing. I rented an audio tour of the park, which was great – and i didn’t need to tip the tour guide! The white sand and dunes almost made me feel I was at the shore or near water. The dunes shift and settle over the Chihauhuan Desert, covering 275 square miles. This is the largest gypsum dunesfield in the world. July and August are the months of storms. Following these storms, lakes emerge. When I visited Lake Lucero was not visible but lay dormant below the surface.
The tour also pointed out that bordering the park is an air force base and the Missile Range. The park is closed during testing. Also, this is where the atomic bomb was tested prior to dropping it on Hiroshima. This info put a little damper on the visit to this beautiful park.
Driving to Carlsbad, NM today and will visit Carlsbad Caverns tomorrow.
One of the plants is the soaptree yuca plant. This plant, like the other vegetation adapt to the shifting sands. There are over 100 uses for this plant – the flower when it blooms is edible. The same is true for the animals as they adapt to the climate to protect themselves. The pocket mouse and lizards are a lighter color.
When I climbed this dune, if I didn’t know better, I would think I was at Lake Michigan and I half-expected water on the other side!
Through evolution, the gypsum breaks down into sand particles. It has the feel of sand but is always cold. The sun does not heat up the sand.
About half-way through the drive, the road is not paved but rather sand covered. Looking at this scene, one could think I was back in MI and driving on a snow-covered street!
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