Travel

It’s been a while since the last update, but I’ve got a good excuse. I’ve been traveling and camping for the last two months. Have you ever tried to update a blog while you’re camping? Some folks seem to be able to do it, but I’m not one of them. It’s hard enough to find a place to take a shower out in the wilderness, and even harder to find a power plug so that I can charge my MacBook long enough to type something out. And then of course, you have the time for resizing all the photos I’ve been taking and then….IF (and it’s a big if) I managed to do all that while sitting in a (slightly leaky) tent in the rain in the middle of nowhere….I’d be stuck trying to find internet somewhere. Of course, there is always 3G internet, but contrary to what the TV ads all say about their great coverage, there are enormous areas of the United States where finding a signal of any sort (much less 3G) is about as unlikely as seeing Cher out mountain climbing. So, I didn’t even try. I know…it’s no excuse.

I briefly considered waiting until after the trip and then writing about every place I visited after the fact in chronological order, but now that I’m not camping any more, I want to write about what I’m doing now….not about how I was sleeping on a rock the month before. So, I’m stuck with a bunch of cool photos and awesome memories and experiences – but you might have to wait a while before they make their way to the blog – and when they do, it likely won’t be in chronological order. In any event, I’m in California now, where power plugs, showers, and granola are in abundance – so if I don’t start updating this thing more, I’ll have no excuse. Well, at least not any good ones.

Here’s a little tidbit from the trip.

I took this photo at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. There are 275 square miles of gypsum sand dunes to get lost in, and you could easily spend a few days exploring. We spent the night backcountry camping there, which was $3 per person. The site we camped at was about 3/4 of a mile from the parking area and trailhead. 3/4 of a mile is laughably easy on just about any terrain but sand, and as the name White Sands suggests….there’s a lot of sand here. It was quite a challenge getting to the top of some of those dunes carrying 50 pounds of gear and water. They recommend one gallon of water per person per day as a minimum and even though we only ended up drinking less than a gallon between two of us during the evening, it’s definitely better to struggle up a dune with a little too much water than to end up as a future archaeological exhibit.

There was only one other group camping in the backcountry and their site was far enough from ours that we couldn’t see or hear them, which is the way backcountry camping should be. Some people like the comforting sounds of screaming babies and generators humming at night, but I’d prefer to hear the wind. There were no fires allowed, so the propane stove probably added some unnecessary pounds to the pack – if I had to do it again, I think I would just forgo the cans of soup and just eat something cold. The temperature dropped at night into the 60s which was a great reprieve from the scorching daytime temperatures.

The sunset was beautiful and there was no worry about anyone else getting in the shots! The photo above was taken in the morning as we were hiking back toward the cars. The dunes are definitely more scenic the farther west you go from the parking area. They get larger and larger and the vegetation growing on them gets much more sparse, giving you the sense that you’re somewhere in the Sahara Desert. The photo was taken using a Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L lens, which really is a perfect lens to take to a place like this. I brought along a 300mm lens, but really didn’t use it at all. The wide angle the 16-35mm offers is perfect for showcasing the vastness of the dunes and the wide open expanse of blue sky above. A polarizing filter is a must have item for your kit too.

If you’re thinking of camping at White Sands National Monument, check out this Backcountry Camping Brochure. Campers have to register at the visitors center an hour or more before sunset, and with only 10 sites available it’s best to get there early in the peak season. You can fill your water bottles at the park visitors center, but there is no water available inside the dunefield once you go through the entrance, so be sure to bring a few jugs to fill up. Temperatures can fluctuate as much as 30-60 degrees from day to night, so if you visit during a cooler time of year, be prepared for it to get even colder at night. A good rule to remember is, bring extra clothing and extra water – the farthest site is only 1.1 miles from the trailhead, so carrying a few extra pounds trumps freezing during the night. It got chilly during our stay, but a lightweight backpacking sleeping bag plenty to keep me warm. If you’re backcountry camping at White Sands National Monument, you might not be able to get cell reception at your campsite so if you need to call someone, do it at the park entrance where there is definitely service. You could get a bar or two at the top of some dunes with AT&T.

There are rattlesnakes, black widows, and scorpions at White Sands, although the likelihood is that you will see none of these. Just don’t leave your shoes outside the tent and be sure to shake them out in the morning. Pay attention to where you are walking – several years ago I was jogging back to the car to grab my camera and nearly jogged right into a rattlesnake’s mouth.  Good thing they rattle! For photography here, a tripod or monopod would be nice to have along, but you can certainly take fantastic photos without it. If you are going to bring one, bring as light a tripod as you are able. Be sure to charge your camera batteries in advance since there are no power outlets near any of the trails. It might not hurt to bring along a little blower like the KOH Hepa Jet in case some dust finds its way into your camera – it can be pretty windy here, so if you are going to do a sensor cleaning, do it somewhere out of the wind.

Even if you aren’t planning on doing any primitive backcountry camping at White Sands National Monument, bring water with you even when hiking a short distance away from the road. If you lose sight of a reference point like a parking area, it can be very easy to get lost in the dune-field, and indeed several people do every year. Deaths in the park are rare, but as recently as June of this year a 23 year old woman died while hiking the Alkali Flats Trail, apparently of heat related causes. Temperatures during the day can soar to over 100F, so bring as much water as you can as well as high energy snacks. Have fun! I sure did.

See that little dot in the middle? That's the tent!