Sand sledding

On to the next hiking adventure...

can you see it out there?

The white in the distance?

We're headed to White Sands National Park today!

After a stop at the Ranger station

to pick up our Junior Ranger badges and books,

we headed into the park.

It was WILD!

There was sand EVERYWHERE!

Our KOA had sleds for us to borrow--

we were so excited to try them out

The first pull-off we came to,

we climbed out and hit the sand.

Beck was quick to head down.

It was pretty cool.

The sand is made of gypsum

which is cooler than the sands at the Great Sand Dunes.

It also stays in place and packs down

making for better sledding.

There were still plenty of loose places

we had to scramble up.

The cascade was really cool.

Dad got into sledding

and we did a little hiking through the sand.

There were a lot more plants and such

than in the Great Sand Dunes!

It was breathtaking--

all that sand, as far as you can see

Definitely worth a picture

Since we stopped at the very front of the park,

we decided we should move a little further in

to see what else the park had to offer

We found this cool spot for lunch

Isn't this a crazy parking lot???

After refueling with some lunch

and playing "spa" in the sand for a while,

Mom and Dad lead us to our trailhead

for today's hike--

the Backcountry Trail

It was this really cool 3 mile loop

where we had to hike from post to post--

little cairns in the sand

Mom was really excited about this hike--

the scenery was beautiful,

the sun was shining,

not a cloud in the sky,

the sand was cool,

and there is just something awesome about

hiking in a place where there aren't many footprints

We felt like the only people in the park

There were lots of hills to sled down

and plenty of placed to take a cool picture

Suns out, guns out!

We got some fun videos of all the sledding,

but we can only share the pics on the blog

I had some trouble gaining speed...

We did some "billy goat" climbing

and I did some solo venturing

It was awesome.

One of the coolest hikes we've ever done.

I mean, COME ON!!!?!?!?

 

Next stop!

Carlsbad, it's been fun

but it's time for us to hit the road

to our next stop

There was a lot of desert

and hills to see

before we paused at our hiking spot of the day--

Sitting Bull Falls

It wasn't massive

but since it's spring-fed,

it's always running

And since it's spring-fed,

it's always FREEZING!

Not bad for a toe-dip

and a family selfie

Being the hikers we are,

we decided we needed to get to the top

to see where the springs start

It turned out to be a nice spot for lunch

It was a gorgeous day!

We even took the time

for some hilltop yoga

Then,

it was on to our next stop--

Alamogordo!

We booked a deluxe spot at this KOA

complete with a BBQ grill, patio and swing

We checked out the foosball table

and were right next to the playground

and tetherball

There may have been some tetherball schooling

by Dad.

He was really good at it.

It was a nice, down day...

to prepare for tomorrow...

 

Waaaaay cooler than we imagined

Today we set out across the desert

to check out Carlsbad Caverns

We checked in at our appointed time

(thanks, COVID--

no really, it's nice  nothing is crowded right now!)

and headed down to the amphitheater

(like I said, really not crowded)

and then we set off through the natural entrance of the cavern

How cool is this?

The light poured in at first

but as we descended the 750 feet,

it got really dark.

Until our eyes adjusted.

And wow are we glad they adjusted!

There were all sorts of tunnels to slip through

and things to see

We couldn't believe

how enormous the caverns were

There were so many different stalactite and stalagmite formations

and columns and popcorn...

room after room.

It was breathtaking.

Of the nearly 3 miles we hiked and explored,

this one was Mom's favorite--

they call it Fairyland

and she thought the 3 structures in the background

looked like 3 bearded gnomes 

watching over the fairies.

There are usually hundreds of thousands of bats in the caverns.

You can watch them fly out at sunset

as they go to find their dinner.

But, unfortunately, they've all migrated south

and won't be back until late May.

Guess we'll just have to come back!

After our hike,

we filled out our Junior Ranger books

and headed in to meet Ross the Ranger

and get our badges.

We are a hiking family.

3 miles wasn't enough.

And there was a lot of park to explore.

So after lunch,

we headed out into the desert for a little more trekking.

This is Rattlesnake Canyon

Pretty cool, huh?

Well, at least it's cool right now

in the spring!

Still not much water--

Beck could lie in the riverbed!

We didn't go too far,

but after yesterday,

Jack and I weren't up for too many miles

Neither was Tucker.

Good thing Dad was there to help!

Not a bad desert hike!

Caverns and deserts,

5 miles of hiking

and 70 degree temps?

That makes for a pretty great day

and an even cooler night...

that's the full moon behind us!

Gotta love camping!