Our route, day 8, along the Front Range and into the sand!

Yesterday, we decided to linger in Buena Vista, and set off late in the afternoon on a short day's ride recommended by John P., down the San Luis Valley, the jagged jaws of the Front Range on our left and lots of 14,000+ foot peaks on our right, dodging rain clouds, as we headed almost due south through a wide plain filled with scrub, signaling the desert ahead. Absolutely stunning. Thanks, John, for the tip!

We ended up at the Great Sand Dunes National Park, recommended by Jon O. and Dan H. Another great recommendation, and fitting transition into the desert. The sand dunes, nearly 700 feet tall, accumulate from sand blown across the plain from the west, and deposited by rivers flowing down from the east. It's as though you suddenly entered the Sahara!



I also led Julie and I on an exhilarating, if extremely ill-advised, ride down a "primitive road" along the dunes, part of which is only traversable by 4WD. The road was aptly named, as we quickly found ourselves scrambling over rough rocks, and then deep, soft sand. I felt that stomach-turning shift in the handbars several times as, while riding along, the sand suddenly grabbed the front wheel, causing it to turn suddenly to the right or left, with the momentum of the bike carrying it toward the ground on the opposite side. There were several times I was sure R2 was going down, and then the thoughts of repair bills and the self-recriminations of "who thought it was a good idea to take motorcycles we need to get us to Alaska down a sandy primitive road?"

Thankfully, and honestly, luckily, we make it to the "Point of No Return" (where only 4WD vehicles can proceed) and back without incident. And, I have to admit, the ride was a hell of a lot of fun!

Day 8: Buena Vista, CO to Great Sand Dunes National Park (109 miles)

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