Friday, February 3, 2023

Texas ice storm - White Sands, NM - Seal Beach, CA

While trailering the Gold Wing rig west to meet up with a motorcycle group going to Mexico, got ahead of the ice storm in Texas, but not by much.



Nearing the Texas - New Mexico border, decided to swing by the White Sands National Park near Alamogordo, New Mexico for a photo op. 

When I stopped there last year, it was cold and overcast. 
The grey cloud cover made the shadows of the dunes dull. The photos taken then were flat.

This year I got lucky. Clear blue sky, bright sun casting long shadows in the afternoon.
Not many visitors in January, and the temperature was a very pleasant 56 degrees. 
Was a beautiful day to be there

There are several parking / picnic areas in the park with their unique wind shelters.



Wanted to capture the texture of sand ripples created by the constant winds.


Started to get nice shadow contrast as the afternoon wore on.
Stayed away from the dune edges as that sand is soft, easy to give way. 

The fall probably would not hurt as the soft sand would cushion some, 
but it is a long way down to a hard bottom



The endless waves of sand, would not want to be here in August with a blazing sun beating down.



Shooting in Black & White is a natural here, as there is little color other than the sky.

Can you see the solitary figure standing on the dune?  



Wonder how many people get lost wandering among the dunes. 
 There are marked hiking trails. But after a while, one dune begins to look like another. 
Easy to get turned around if you cannot see the distant mountain range in the west.

Then there is that urge to climb one more dune, just to see what there is to see...

After hiking numerous dunes to find that special view, 
it was back on the road, with miles to go.

Arrived two days later in Seal Beach, California, the rendezvous point. 
Took a night walk to the end of the pier, turning around, this is what one sees...


...with sounds of the Pacific crashing on the beach below.


Ride safe my friends

CCjon 




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