Posted by Jack Brauer on March 18, 2009 at 9:29 PM
This weekend I hiked all the way around the dunes! I spent four days out there... one night in the hills to the east of the dunes, and two nights in the dunes, along the western side.
It was a pretty epic adventure... just what I needed after 3 weeks of doing nothing but working.
Nice stuff Jack, my biggest question is with all that sand around what did you do for water?
Posted by Jack Brauer on March 18, 2009 at 9:52 PM
Thanks Jody. For the first night, I filled up at Medano Creek, then the next day I filled up at Sand Creek and had to carry it all from there. I had a 6L MSR dromedary bag, and a 1 gallon (~4L) plastic jug. It was heavy.
Quite a trip. Like the first two on the web page the best - the contrast between the tree and sand in #1 and the lines in the sand leading back into the dunes. Well done.
Great collection Jack! I really love #1066, those pastels are stunning! I was just posting one of my recent dune shots on ESS. I think the sand is calling me ;) After seeing your images from the "far reaches" of the dunes I think I want to explore a little more then usual. Thanks for getting my creative juices flowing again
Posted by John Mumaw on March 18, 2009 at 10:50 PM
Well done indeed! A fine series.
Enjoyed the map you posted on your blog. That western traverse must have been quite a slog with all of that gear and water!
Posted by Paul Wegemann on March 18, 2009 at 11:16 PM
You're a machine being able to carry all that water plus gear! Very inspiring photos. I think the post here is my favorite.
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on March 18, 2009 at 11:38 PM
I also like the post above as my favorite.
WOW! I'm sure more people have climbed Everest than have completed this loop !!
Posted by Todd Caudle on March 18, 2009 at 11:50 PM
Holy freakin' cow! Between you and Jody, it's amazing to attend this forum. Great stuff, Jack!
No kidding, Todd. Then you throw in Stan's and Aleks' and others work at the dunes from this forum, and it is great to be a part of this group. Outstanding, Jack.
Quite the early-seaon epic there, Jack! Congrats on the journey - I like your lead-in, 1063 and the pine meets dunes shots the most. Excellent work ~ I'd love to know what that pack weighed! At least you had a lightweight camera.
You are a wildman Jack! To make such a journey is really quite an impressive feat. You need to put that on your resume! #1063 is my favorite!
Posted by Phillip Noll on March 19, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Wow. What a hike! Gives new meaning to the phrase "Go pound sand"!
Really like 1063 and 1065!
Posted by Jesse Speer on March 19, 2009 at 12:41 PM
You do what I only dream of doing. And images like this are your reward. Thanks for sharing these.
What camera? The new Olympus?
Posted by Jeremy Week on March 19, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Wow, sounds like a lot of fun!! Cool images, thanks for sharing!
Posted by Jack Brauer on March 19, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Thanks everyone for your kind comments!
Jesse - I had the old Oly E420 on this trip. (New one's not out yet). Between all the winter gear and water, it would have been ridiculous to try to bring the 4x5!
Jack, you are a hiking machine, hiking through sand, with all that weight, for that distance! How many miles is that? That is an epic hike! My favorite was the rippled sand foreground, Dunes Ripples.
Discussion
24 repliesIt was a pretty epic adventure... just what I needed after 3 weeks of doing nothing but working.
Check out my gallery of photos from the trip here: http://www.widerange.org/gallery.php?gallery=greatsanddunes
Thanks for looking!
Quite a trip. Like the first two on the web page the best - the contrast between the tree and sand in #1 and the lines in the sand leading back into the dunes. Well done.
Enjoyed the map you posted on your blog. That western traverse must have been quite a slog with all of that gear and water!
WOW! I'm sure more people have climbed Everest than have completed this loop !!
John
Really like 1063 and 1065!
What camera? The new Olympus?
Jesse - I had the old Oly E420 on this trip. (New one's not out yet). Between all the winter gear and water, it would have been ridiculous to try to bring the 4x5!