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On the dunes at White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo, NM
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People slide down the steep, loose sides of the dunes as if it were snow. It's not as slippery, though.
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The dunes are made of gypsum crystals, not regular sand. That's why it's so white.
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It's pretty windy up here, and the dunes and ripples are constantly moving. Gypsum crystals are much more fragile than sand so you can see a lot of dust in the distance
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The gypsum comes from the distant mountains
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Over the course of about 2 minutes, the wind has greatly obscured my footprints on the right, compared to the returning ones on the left.
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Sunset at the Oliver Lee Memorial New Mexico State Park, near Alamogordo.
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Sunrise at the Oliver Lee Memorial New Mexico State Park, near Alamogordo.
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