Our first "port of call" on our fall West trip was White Sands National Monument in southern NM. The sand is a dazzling white. Easy to imagine you are in a vast snowfield rather than a desert except that it was warm!

Desert Mound
several of these unusual mounds were scattered throughout the dunefield

3 white sands.jpg
3 white sands.jpg 2012-09-18

Resting in the shade of a tall dune
4 white sands.jpg 2012-09-18

ridges
5 white sands.jpg 2012-09-18

simulated dusk
photo program used to simulate dusk in the dunes

simulated night
7 night white sands stars.jpg 2012-12-13

7 night white sands.jpg
7 night white sands.jpg 2012-12-13

Wes in the Dunes at sunset
8 evening white sands.jpg 2012-09-18

trail marker
9 white sands backpack loop.jpg 2012-09-18

10 white sand dunes.jpg
10 white sand dunes.jpg 2012-09-18

another simulated dusk
11 dusk white sands.jpg 2012-12-13

simulated night
12 night white sands stars.jpg 2012-12-13

13 marker.jpg
13 marker.jpg 2012-09-18

14 dunes.jpg
14 dunes.jpg 2012-09-18

hiking stick
15 desert oasis.jpg 2012-09-19

16 desert sunbeam.jpg
16 desert sunbeam.jpg 2012-09-19

alkali flat
a vast alkali flat extended for miles beyond the dunefield. We hiked out across it for a bit,stopping for a rest under the shade of a large bush.

18 dunes.jpg
18 dunes.jpg 2012-09-20