30-365 | Day 80
Switchback
After climbing up a soft dune, I turned around and took this photo of my tracks switchbacking up the side with Medano Creek below. I was hoping for a good view from the top, but all I was greeted with was another large dune that blocked my view. Mosca Pass and Carbonate Mountain fill in the background of this photo nicely.
Bonus Photo: Icy Zapata Falls
We took a break from the dunes today and hiked up to Zapata Falls. We weren’t sure what to expect since we knew you normally had to walk through the creek to reach the falls located in a short slot canyon, and it was a little too cold outside for that today. When we reached the creek, we were lucky to find it was still iced over. It was a little nerve-wracking walking on the ice while hearing the creek flowing right below us, but luckily it was still strong enough to support our weight.
Bonus Photo: High Dune View
This last photo I am adding as a bonus today, mainly because I hiked up to the top of High Dune (650 feet) and was greeted with a great view of the rest of the dunefield with Mount Herrard and Cleveland Peak towering above.