Every step was measured and calculated, carefully trying to use the least amount of effort in going up and down the rolling white dunes of sand while preventing sand from getting into my boots. And with the rise and fall of every dune, the views changed, horizons shifted, and features modified. The steady winds ensured that footprints disappeared as quickly as they formed. The mass swathes of tourists dwindled down to a steady few.
It was tough going in the loop at White Sands National Monument, dominated by dunes that gave this place its name. But thankfully, there was no real danger: even though visibility was reduced, the frequent and re-assuring trail-markers were ever present; the stewards of the park had ensured that no visitors would go missing.
Nevertheless, the surrealism of the place provided plenty of opportunities to gather some unique compositions against spectacular backdrops - backdrops of the sheer white-washed dunes. This is one such take where the hardy vegetation had taken hold in the tough dry environs that existed at the dunes.
White Sands National Monument
NM USA
