June 6: SW Road Trip Day 28: White Sands

We awake to a very hot Alamogordo. Our immediate destination is White Sands National Monument, about 15 miles down the road. We actually take it pretty easy in the morning and don’t get there until 11:00AM. The temperature is already 85 degrees.

We really want to experience being totally surrounded by the white sand, so we set out on the 5 mile loop trail. There are warning signs posted that no one should be hiking if the temperature is above 85. We feel adequately prepared as we have 2 bottles of water each. We start hiking and within about 100 yards, sweat is dripping down my arms, onto my hands and off my fingers. Is this wise? The sand makes for strenuous hiking. We continue on for about a mile and a half. I have finished half my water. We decide to turn back. We have got the experience we wanted.

Start of our Hike in the Sand

Crusting Gypsum Sand

Pretty good camouflage for this creature.

Friend in the Sand

We made it back to the car! The temperature had risen to 88. My legs were starting to ache from climbing up and down the dunes. Good decision to turn back!

We took one more short hike (about a quarter mile or so) along a boardwalk with signs describing the vegetation. (This was in a transition area, not in the middle of the sand where we had hiked earlier.)

Transition Area

We got back in the car, keeping water at hand and drinking often as we drove the 50 or so miles to Las Cruces. We stopped at an eatery named Farley’s and had a nice, though late, lunch. Refreshed, but still feeling like we needed a shower, we got back in the car to head to our hotel in El Paso, TX. The drive was uneventful, but there was a lot of traffic once we crossed the city limits.

We checked into the hotel. With zero shade, it was way too hot outside to use the pool. So while we had time, we decided to visit a Barnes & Noble and purchase a few more audio books to listen to in the car. Mission accomplished, we then headed out for dinner at a New Mexico chain called Cattle Baron. Decent steaks! Huge salad bar. Enjoyable meal.

We went back to the hotel, anticipating a refreshing dip in the pool, but a weather front was moving through. We could see lightning flashes about 4 or 5 miles away. Life Guard Amy put the brakes on a swim, so we just freshened up from the hike with a quick shower. The heat is starting to get to me. Only a couple more days and we head north. Hopefully, it will be less hot there.