Huge Sand Dunes and Colorado Springs

If you look really hard you can see the people (no they are not ants) climbing the dunes.

Todays aventure is the Great Sand Dunes ... they are pretty amazing.. and huge... there was no way Missy and I were even going to try to tackle them.. it was already hot.. before we got to the sand.. and anyone who has been around sand knows.. it just sucks in the heat and cooks you with it. Now the guys... they could care less... they see those other people at the top who look like ants from here.. and off they go.. to tackle the pile of sand... did I mention you have to cross a few miles ( so it seems ) of desert to get to the hill... oh yes you do.. and the little creek that runs through it has dried up by this time of year... so off the guys go.. I am thinking they will not even make it across the miles and miles of desert to the bottom of the hill but I am armed with camera and ready to take pictures of their adventure... it is nice watching them have one together.. Missy is in the motor home painting her toe and finger nails..and I am running back and forth between the edge of the sand and the motor home for different lenses.. because.. I am sure just to prove me wrong.. the guys have made it across the desert and have started up the hill.. and they just keep going.. they made it at least 3/4 of the way up... then started back down... when they got back I could see why they headed back... the sand had melted their shoes... you could smell the rubber.. on Daves it clear melted the top and bottom layer apart and the strap fell out. I am proud of them.. and I took a million pictures so they can never forget the adventure. Dave and John are out there.. crossing the desert and starting up the hill.

Now we are back on the road to Colorado Springs... hoping if we make it in time we will be able to go to the Seven Falls and see the night show.. which is all lite up at night. The flyers about it look amazing... 224 stairs that you can climb right next to the falls... and/or an elevator... thinking I can ride up and then walk the stairs down... I can't wait.. sounds so great... and we get there in time... it is open until 10:30 and we get there at 8.... the drive up to it is through a canyon and it is all lite up... it is so cool.. hard to see in the motor home though.. we pay... get a dollor off each ticket because the elevator is closed... we park.. almost at the bottom... since we have the motor home.. and then we hike up to the base of the falls... there is crazy lightning and thunder.. so far no rain... so we are good to go. By the time we get to the bottom of the stairs... they have closed them... and won't be opening again tonight... and now the rain starts... and yes it POURS in this part of Colorado too. We did bitch about it and one lady gave us four comp passes to come back again.. and the people at the gate gave us a rain check.. had to be used within 14 days... as if we would be able to hop up here to see it next weekend.... we were NOT happy... and we had never been so soaking wet before in our lives... not even when going swimming. We did end up getting to watch another huge lightning storm.

Looking up the falls and the stairs.. sure I do not want to do this.

We got up early in the morning so we could go take the cogway train to Pikes Peak. We had coupons for the 8 am train... $5 off per person.. wooooohooo... drove through a small little town called Manito Springs, very artsy crafty and fun looking. We parked the motor home and got in line to buy tickets... well... it was full.. next one was at 2:45 so we bought tickets for that.. and headed out ... decided to use our rain check and go check out the falls..... all I can say is that those waterfalls were not impressive... and I can not believe we paid $10 a person to climb the 224 stairs.. oh and the elevator was still down.. which was ok with me because it did not even go to where the falls are... it just went to a place that you could see the falls from... we even went on a half mile hike at the top of the falls to see another falls.. it was blah too.... so I would not suggest this to anyone... unless you like to climb stairs.. that part was pretty amazing :)

We made it all the way up.. this is the landing half way up.. looking down on our way down.

Back to Manitou Springs .. going to walk around here a bit and then head back to Pikes Peak to catch the train. Every thing was going great.... and then... lightning... thunder.. and omg.. yes POURing rain...it was flooding the streets... bouncing off cars like super balls...and we were stuck in the stores ( thankfully they have awesome stores... we found ourselves stuck in a chocolate one.. oh so sad ) A break in the rain and we run for the motor home.. make it without getting too wet... find out we left the vent open and the center console was a bit wet.. including my phone.. but all is well... head up the street to park for the train and have some lunch... we got parked.. in the pouring rain... and I am making lunch and notice that across from is a jeep commander and the sun roof is open... the rain is pouring into the jeep....We feel so bad for them.. trying to think of something we can do but we have nothing to cover it with that would not make the problem worse :(

Headed up the mountain... that is the car in front of us.

We got on the cogway in the pouring down rain... once it started up the hill it started getting really nice... we rode all the way up with our windows down just getting as many photos as we could. At the top we were with limited time and in a cloud bank.. so no real views from the top... kids headed out to get some of the high altitude doughnuts and we headed out to grab a couple of caches :) Trying to do things in a hurry on our limited time and being at an altitude of 14,110 feet... lol the hurry part did not work so well... I was out of breath with just three steps. We did manage to get two caches and a bunch of photos. The doughnuts were ok but as far as I could tell.. nothing special. It was very cold up there... The only part of me that was having problems though was my fingers.. I had worn jeans and boots and my rain coat so I was good to go.. all but my fingers.. they were so cold I thought they would snap off.

John and Missy at the top of Pikes Peak.. getting a shot for a virtual cache.

When we got back to town it was nice out again.. so we headed to the walmart and camped there.. made some nachos for dinner and played games... Missy was not feeling so good so she hit the sack early.