At Father Crowley Lookout we spied what seemed like the aforementioned park. It contained an alluvial plain and flat valley, complete with sand dunes at the northern end underneath a circle of high mountain peaks - so much like descriptions we had heard about the place - that we believed we were witnessing the last few hours of daylight on a national treasure.




The short roundabout dirt road that led to our crow's nest was merely a mile long at most. Little did we know this would just be the tip of the iceberg, or more appropriately, the grain of sand in the sand dune, when it came to utilizing the off-road capabilities of his low-clearance Volvo. More on that later.

Today we had one goal in mind - make it to the dunes before sun down! And we were able to do just that. The temperature must have been much higher during the middle of the day and early afternoon, because everything had the feel of relief, the stillness in the air, and the silence of pure desolation.




Well, that didn't last long, and Stovepipe Wells, the supply and gas stop that is very close to these particular dunes, not only had campers staying there - but sand boarders! What? I didn't know that was an actual sport until this trip, but just after the stillness and silence were broken by excited calls and voices in the distance, you could see them coming. A line of boys were charging up the dunes, carrying sand boards and a whole lot of enthusiasm.

I had never seen people riding down dunes in person, but I was excited enough about the idea that of course I had to do the next best thing. Climb the highest one I could find and run down it in my boots. Filling your boots with sand is not the best part about running down steep, soft and forgiving piles of miniscule rocks, it is the weightless slide, the moment of no gravity - or less gravity - when physical limitations cease just for a second or two. You just wouldn't be able to run down a mountain that care-free and with that kind of straight line course, although I have to admit I have tried that.

ER Harris