From February 2022
On one of our first days in Las Cruces, we drove out to White Sands National Park. East of the city, I noted the turn off for Aguirre Springs Campground where I stayed in 2018.
As we approached the national park, we rose in elevation to the point that we were in the snow again. There are a variety of "trails" at the national park. We took the longest one at the end of the road, Alkali Flats, which was about 5 miles.
Basically, you walk through the sand using line of sight to the next visible marker. The semi-frozen condition of the sand actually made it easier to walk uphill. Where the sand thawed in the sun, it was one step forward, 1/2 step slide back.
In the middle of it all, Julia had to sit down and take in all of the wonder.
We hiked some some sand dunes a few years ago at a Jockey Ridge State Park in North Carolina, but White Sands was on an entirely different scale for size and beauty.
