Monsoon Dunes July 9, 2011

  I was getting burned out on the dunes last year; the Medano Fire and resulting black sludge in Medano Creek put a damper on my visits, and the Winter snows never came after the driest Spring in recorded San Luis Valley history. Wasn't even tempted to pay a visit over the past few months. Then, the monsoon kicked into gear a few days back and I got my first real rain in months here in Pueblo North. I knew I had to return to the place I love so much, and I felt like a bull being released into the arena.
  I just got my new Canon 24mm Tilt-shift lens, and the dunes seemed like a good place to test it out. What was I thinking? The Sand Dunes is NOT a place to test out a new lens when you don't have a filter to cover it yet--the blowng sand WILL destroy your gear. So I kept it in the pack most of the day, used my 70-300 instead (since it has already thoroughly been destroyed by sand...)
Got to the dunes at mid afternoon, felt odd being there with the tourists, since Im usually there at 4 am in mid-January. The lack of creek water did limit the crowd, though. My friends at the Visitor Center were not around, so I headed out after taking a few shots of the building afternoon clouds from the road pull-offs.