I left the protection of the hills and headed back out into the open dunes. The wind was starting to pick up so I headed back in the direction I thought was 'home.' In the distance I notice a dark patch so went to check it out.

The mysterious dark patch

Down below, there was every kind of rock (and trash) imaginable.... including these strange mud balls.

Moqui (pronounced “mo-key”) Marbles are balls of pale Navajo Sandstone covered by a dark shell of hematite (an iron ore).

Moqui is the Hopi word for the dead. Supposedly the spirits of the dead would play with the marbles at night, leaving them behind in the morning to reassure the living that they were happy in the afterlife. The marbles range in age from 300,000 years old to 20 million years old, whereas the sandstone is 190 million years old. How is this possible? 20 million years ago is when the Colorado Plateau began to rise, allowing water to seep through the sedimentary rock and leave behind minerals that covered the sand grains with iron, creating tiny spheres. As the sandstone is eroded away by wind and water, the balls are released.

The wind was starting to get intense and I really didn't know exactly which way to go. My plan was to simply climb a dune and see where I needed to go. Unfortunately that didn't work. All I saw were more and more dunes.

By now, the wind was violently whipping sand around now like tiny shrapnel. I struggled to climb the highest dune I could find. Lo and behold I saw the observation platform! I was saved!

Now all I need to do is get there!

Back in 'civilization' with the OHV tracks

1965... I suspect it's been here a while!

The wind was VERY strong!

Welsh's Milkweed was listed as threatened species in 1987. These dunes are a critical habitat location for it.

Finally some familiar dunes!

The observation deck

By the time I got back, my feet were incredibly sore from all the sand I had been carrying around in them. It was not as windy in the campsite but it still made setting up the tent a bit difficult.

I rested a couple hours, taking the time to sort my various computer and camera gear out on the table. I was going to get up and go to the car when I happened to notice two large crows in the trees next to me... quietly sitting, waiting, watching. I realized many of my things were quite sparkly and perhaps tempting for a crow. I decided to quickly pack things up before leaving... just in case.

Under a watchful gaze

As the evening light began to fall, I took a walk up to the star dune.

The destination

A fellow evening walker

On the way, I passed a professional photoshoot. They moved locations several times.

Stealing a quick glance

Nearing the top...

Success!

The view

The evening light brought out the incredible color of the sand!

Buggies still raced about.

The final rays

I arrived back at the campsite at 9 pm. I heard it long before I saw it... generators, OHVs running, dogs barking, a car alarm, parents yelling, kids of all ages racing about screaming, etc. The wind had finally stopped and it was cooling off quickly. 10 pm (the quiet time) came... and promptly went. Most of the generators turned off but that hardly made a dent in the rest of the noise... people still talked loudly for hours, kids cried all night and let's not leave out the snoring. It also got very very cold.