The dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, though at first glance seem barren and lifeless, are full of little critters and hardy grasses that manage to survive in the shifting sands. The majority of the animals at Great Sand Dunes are nocturnal, including the sand cricket pictured above. This cricket is actually huge, at least one and a half times bigger than your standard black house cricket, and they have large feet splayed out to cover the most surface area so as to stay on top of the loose sand. We found one crawling on my pack after sitting on a ridge watching the sunset, and as I stayed up late stargazing I found several more crawling around on the sand and in the grass. Far from being creeped out, I was intrigued by these guys, and enjoyed watching them going about their nightly business far from any water source and seemingly far from shelter. Only when I observed one digging into the side of the dune, creating a pile of damp sand at the entrance to a small hole, did I realize they burrowed down into the dunes during the day to escape the heat and predators, and the foot traffic of hikers and thrillseekers all over the dunes. It is so neat to witness little things like that, when most people wouldn't even notice the little piles of sand all over in the mornings if they are just passing through. Backpacking adventures for the win!!
Leave me a comment below and tell me if you think this is as interesting as I do, or am I the only one?
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