Sign up for my snail mail club…coming soon!

The Apples in My Orchard

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Silent Sunday: White Sands National Park

Published by

theapplesinmyorchard

on

Silent Sunday: White Sands National Park
IMG_9831
Headed to White Sands National Park, a four-hour drive from Santa Fe. 

 

IMG_9836
White Sands is our newest National Park in the US. It became one in December of 2019.
IMG_9837.jpg
Driving on Dunes Drive after entering the park.
IMG_9841
More and more of the dunes become visible.

IMG_9838

Nature Trail in the park

IMG_9852
Lake that is dried up now. Fills in the wetter months. Underlying the dunes is water.
IMG_9855
The Gypsum Dunes come into view.
IMG_9864.jpg
Entering another world.
IMG_9862.jpg
The White Sand dunes look devoid of life but there is a whole ecosystem that resides here.
IMG_9872
A sample of scale – a man over 6 feet tall in the distance.
IMG_9873
A beautiful day make the dunes glisten.
IMG_9880
Yucca is a prevalent species in the park.
IMG_9915
The winds move the dunes each year – some inches and some feet! 
IMG_9881
Yuccas can grow rapidly to avoid being buried by the shifting dunes.
IMG_9914.jpg
Another sample of scale.
IMG_9934.jpg
Most of the dunes are firm, not unlike a beach where the water meets the shore.
IMG_9917.jpg
One of my favorite shots from our visit to White Sands with the mountains in the background.
IMG_9939.jpg
Endless.
IMG_9948.jpg
A sample of erosion.
IMG_9956.jpg
Driving on the compacted gypsum was cool!

 

IMG_9961

IMG_9962
A beautiful day in White Sands National Park.

All images copyright by Carol Labuzzetta, 2020. All rights reserved. Do Not Duplicate.

9 responses to “Silent Sunday: White Sands National Park”

  1. Fomtriok Avatar
    Fomtriok

    Wow, the sand looks so white! Almost like snow. Beautiful. Very fitting name of the park I guess 😄

    Like

    Reply
    1. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
      theapplesinmyorchard

      It is very fitting! Thanks for stopping by!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Debbie Lynn Avatar
    Debbie Lynn

    Love your photos. I was amazed with the quiet when I took a hike out in and among the dunes. And everything was SO white! Looks like you enjoyed your visit! 🙂

    Like

    Reply
    1. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
      theapplesinmyorchard

      It was so quiet there, almost like another world. Glad you got to experience it as well.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Debbie Lynn Avatar
        Debbie Lynn

        Me too! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  3. M.B. Henry Avatar
    M.B. Henry

    That’s very high up on my National Parks priority list! Hope to make it there someday very soon 🙂 Gorgeous photos and looks like an amazing trip.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
      theapplesinmyorchard

      I hope you get to go soon, too! It is a little remote – taking the whole day to get there, visit, and back from Santa Fe. But, it was worth it. Such an unusual ecosystem. What other parks have you been to?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. M.B. Henry Avatar
        M.B. Henry

        Oh, LOTS hahaha. My husband and I have a National Parks Passport and we like to chase after those stamps! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
        theapplesinmyorchard

        Lol! Okay! Sounds good! We are just getting into going to the parks but have enjoyed each one we’ve been to.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

Hello,

I’m Carol

Welcome to my space, where I’ve been blogging since February 2017.

Let’s connect

Join the fun!

Stay updated with our latest tutorials and ideas by joining our newsletter.

Publicatons

An Anthology of Ekphrastic Nature Poetry with twenty-five authors from four countries. Featuring the poets’ color photography and a variety of poem types. Written for middle-grade students, their teachers, and homeschooled students. Published in 2024 by Northern Loon Press.
My chapbook of poetry (2022) is available on Amazon.