Out on the Dunes with my Goons

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is an area you can go get a buggy or 4 wheeler (ATV) and put the pedal to the metal for mile and miles and miles, without interruption from anyone but the people you brought with you.  Perfect place for fun and disconnecting from society.  The first thing that comes to mind is “where the hell all of this sand from???”  I mean I was in places that are nowhere near the beach and it’s not like this area of the USA does “desert” type conditions that are super dry, because this area sees a lot of rain. I had to inquire how all of it came to be. The sand is from all of the sedimentary rocks dating back to 12 million years ago, flowing from the “Coast Mountain Range“. There used to be rivers flowing through here, and that force breaks and grinds up the rocks into sand.  That sand got pushed back into the land, about 2.5 miles inland due to tides and storms.  That’s how the dunes got so big, and the wind and water still blowhard, even today.

Some of the plant life from the sea obviously made their way to land, and the ecosystem changed, so they adapted and started to form on land.  That is why I saw these weird pieces of vegetation here and there, right in the middle of the sand. I tripped out over that, seeing long weed looking things and trees structures in the middle of the sand. The sand took over the forest area, but the forest and trees didn’t die. That’s crazy nature there! So you will see “tree islands” all over the place.  Try not to hit them.  

Then you have the matter of the full forests that were overtaken by the sand blowing over centuries. So while you’re out there on the grind, you can follow some paths through the dunes, jump a few low foredunes and then you will see the paths to the forest. You can race through the forests, and suddenly everything got really dark. Those trees’ canopies can get thick and completely blinds you from the light in the sky, on a cloudy day.  Freaking forest still growing in the sand!! Cool!

There is just nothing to see for miles, yet has its own special beauty with the contrast of the sand and the sky, especially on days like this one, where there are lots of clouds.  Patterns in the sand seem to pop more.  You can feel so alone, and at peace there,… or you can spark up the ATVs and create some adrenaline-filled days!  I do both, but mostly it’s a great place to find a nice empty space and just space!  What’s funny is you won’t get cell reception, and you can likely get lost for days out there, if you don’t know where you’re going.  You’ll be cut off from society… maybe it’s good to disconnect for a while. I recommend this place and this experience for adrenaline junkies!

As always, the finished products can be found on the main site of www.drunkphotography.com.