This October, I thought I'd try something a bit different. Since it is the time when the veil is the thinnest, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some good, old fashioned Colorado ghost stories with everyone. :) This is the first in the series. Enjoy!
The origin of the Great Sand Dunes in the 80 sq mi Great Sand Dunes National Monument is not especially controversial. They are thought to be the remnants of an ancient inland sea, long since evaporated. The winds blew the exposed sands across the San Luis Valley and up against the western edge of the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) mountains. The highest peak of these mountains is a 14er (Sierra Blanca Peak is 14,345 ft), so the sands are trapped at the foot of the mountains. President Herbert Hoover was the one who designated the national monument in 1932 and he believed that the only possible value of the "sea of sand" was in its unique, forbidding scenery. Geologist and ecologists know the dunes as "singing sands" --- when the wind blows, the sand grains have been so rounded and perfected over time that when the winds kick up, it blows through the spaces between the grains causing a singing or moaning sound. Tourists can also cause this sound when they're "sand skiing" down the slopes. Visitors are always warned not to venture too far into the dunes... because the landscape constantly changes so it's easy to become lost.
There are American Indian legends of the dunes dating back to ancient times telling of their evil nature. They have long been known as a region of death and disappearance. There are stories of lost Indians, vanished sheepherders, and even entire wagon trains that have gone missing around the dunes. The sand is quite deep in some places, up to 1500 feet down to bedrock and they routinely reach over 750 feet in height. Bodies and body parts have been found in the dunes, along with skulls polished until they gleamed.
The Indians tell tales of a web-footed horses that appear along the edges of the dunes near dusk and dawn. Their webbed feet allow them to race across the sands, luring people to chase after them. Those who did, were never seen again.
Early during the white settlement of the area, there is a story of a pair of sheepherders who wanted to take their flock from the valley up to the higher meadows for summer grazing. To do this, they needed to skirt the dunes at Mosca Pass. The two lead a pack train of mules loaded with supplies, and a herd of 1,000 sheep along the flanks of the dunes. None of them survived the trip.
Another story tells of a wagon train that stopped at the edge of the dunes where shallow stream of cool, clear water was. It seemed the perfect place to camp for the night. By morning, the wagons, wagon master, all the animals and people had vanished. And the stream was gone.
Perhaps the most chilling story is the story of the Martinez family. The Indians warned them not to try and homestead in the shadow of the dunes because the dunes harbor evil spirits and could shift hundreds of feet in one stormy night. But the family ignored the warning. One day their young son stumbled into a distant ranch, dazed and unable to speak. The sheriff found his parents sitting at the table in their home --- dead --- their mouths filled with sand and dinner plates piled high with sand.
The rancher, where the boy had gone for help, took in the boy who made himself useful tending sheep. One day a sandstorm enveloped the boy and the sheep. Neither were seen again.
Be cautious when visiting the Dunes. The park closes at dusk, so don't linger long once night falls. And be careful if you go out the play and "sand ski" during the day. The Dunes have a long history of taking the living.
(Adapted from Haunted Colorado by Charles Stansfield, Jr.)
