White Sands
Julie in position to photograph the dunes before sunrise. It was 28 degrees out.
Just before sunrise.
Sunrise with the San Andres Mountains in the background.
The dunes, unnlike others, are comprised of gypsum not quartz which gives it the pure white look.
The dunes cover 275 square miles.
A soaptree yucca plant, one of the few plants to grow in the dunes.
Rain and snow in the mountains to the west carry gypsum to Lake Lucero.
Strong winds then blow the gypsum to form the dunes.
The winds shape the sands.
Sun peeking through a yucca plant.
The dunes reflect the ambient light, here a golden hue.
Monochromatic view of a yucca plant.
Grasses struggle to grow in the dunes.
The open pods of the yucca plant.
The texture of the gypsum sand.
The wildlife in the White Sands is limited to rabbits, foxes, and coyotes.
The dunes are part of the Chihuahuan Desert.
The ever changing shapes and shadows of the dunes.
The dunes could easily be mistaken for snow.
We had to walk a good distance into the dunes to find ones without footprints.
On our last evening at White Sands we enjoyed watching these riders go by as the sun was setting.
Soft light falls on Sierra Blanca as the day comes to an end.
