walking down from a dune
i saw a wind-weathered tree
that looked like i imagined a ‘beach cactus’ would look
if they existed
just standing very still by lake michigan
(somewhat like me at one point in the middle of the dune odyssey)
—
we went on a hike
in a beautiful park
with tall grasses and water and rocks and views and sand dunes
that began with
one dune
looking forward to the rolling hills and flats
but we didn’t exactly
ever make it to the place where we were headed
turned into a bigger adventure than we had imagined
perhaps we never found the official ‘trail’
but we did find
dune after dune after dune
after dune
and once we got over one
we found another
and another
and another
i announced that it was like
we were in one of those old desert plane crash movies
all soft sand and more soft sand
and more soft sand
mostly uphill
thought
i may have to sleep there
or have them drag my carcass out
we may have to send one ahead
or leave one behind
and finally
after a few hours of climbing and descending
a refreshing rain, a snack, another few sets of dunes
we arrived
far from where we were headed
far from where we had started
at the very top of the ‘big dune’
looking down toward another lake
walked down this last dune
and
got a ride back to where we had started
surprised we had gone so far
didn’t have to send someone or leave someone
but it was a bit ‘iffy’ at certain points
interesting conversations happened along the way
i learned i could do more than i thought i was capable of
because there really were no options
and i did have a few comments
good thing i wasn’t the navigator
or we might still be there now
good training, good workout, good adventure, all good
and i’m still finding good sand…
—
“the voyager’s path is marked by the stars and not the sand dunes.”
-nilotic proverb
It really does look like a Dune Cactus, I agree.
Best wishes, Pete.
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it was quite symbolic
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First thought that hit me when I saw the post, Beth, is that you found a Salutin’ Sheriff cactus on the Northern Peninsula somehow, Beth! And what a walking adventure this trip delivered!
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Indeed!
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that sounds like a great adventure Beth! Glad you enjoyed it!
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At the end, I was )
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Sounds like you had a restful weekend. I think I have been on that same trail at sleeping Bear Dunes. We kept walking descending each dune and ascending the next, hoping we’d be at the edge only to find another dune. We turned back because it was dark and had pizza in Traverse City before driving home. An adventure is always an adventure. Peace
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Exactly, yes)
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oh I know the feeling, even though my only dunes were in the deserts of Death Valley (incl. Scotty’s Castle), Arizona and maybe, in passing, another area. Also, I visited the area around the Death Sea in Israel, but I was really truly flabberghasted by the endlessnes of those dunes. I have NO sense of orientation (proved many times getting hopelessly lost) and those wandering beautiful dunes would drive me into a serious panic pretty soon. But I also admired the absolute beauty, and YES, I saw numbers of cacti in the desert, less so at beaches! and I deeply admire you for not getting crazy with fear in the endless sands. Last week we wandered along a beach in Switzerland, not nearby and I wondered greatly about those wonderful sandy banks…. Even found 4 tiny sweetwater shells (which I left in the rental hut with gratitude).
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yes, it really can be disorienting )
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Whew! What an adventure.
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you can say that again )
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😀
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Haha, good fun and I’m glad you made it back!
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thanks, and me too )
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Beth This Cactus is growing in the sand. I saw these too. Anita
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it’s really a weathered tree by the lake, but it looked so much like one..
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Endless ridges…yep…know how that feels.
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just keeps going…
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It does look like a cactus. And this sounds like a wonderful adventure 🙂
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it was a mix of emotions and lots of energy
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I don’t doubt that!
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Glad you made it back to civilization, but what a workout! Sounds like the trails aren’t marked very well.
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well, some are, some not so much
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👍
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That looks like out of this world.
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it really does
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Love the dunes. I don’t live far from Indiana Dunes but I agree that I am not sure how far I can go.
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these were in northern Michigan and who knew there were so many? )
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Ahh, the Sleeping Bears were probably laughing in their dens at you all trudging through the endless sand. They are so beautiful though and to come upon the deep blue Lake Michigan when you crest a dune is like a dream…what a sandy adventure you had..
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I have no doubt about those bears and yes, it was like a mirage )
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I have never been to the dunes, sounds like quite the adventure!
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“still finding good sand” is why I’m not big on beaches, dunes, etc. The Great Lakes are hard for me to comprehend. Growing up in Oklahoma, lakes were something you could still see across to the other side. The Great Lakes, when I was there, seemed more like the ocean — making sandy beaches appropriate.
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yes, they are like mini-oceans without the salt and are always stunning. I do like the dunes, just not so many at one time )
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Oh, I forgot about the salt. That’s another reason I don’t like ocean beaches.
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Walking through/on sand is quite the work out. Massive sandy beaches are mostly foreign to me.
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it was an extreme workout for me, but I had to power through and lived to tell )
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Was this by the Indiana Dunes?
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sleeping bear dunes – northern Michigan
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The best adventures are the unexpected ones.
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I agree
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A lovely adventure ❤️
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it was really pretty
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I can see that! Loved it.
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Pingback: duned. – isoo
Happy minimalism.
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Thank you
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Hard to imagine official ‘trail’s in sand dunes??? Glad you survived your adventure.
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there are some through the parts that aren’t all dunes, but…
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