After we finished collecting, we took extra time to pack our stuff before leaving since we knew that it was our last day of collecting. During this process, I discovered that we didn't have adequate space in the back of the truck for everything that we had collected, so I was forced to jettison two large banded marble specimens from Radium Springs. Someone is going to be a happy camper when they find those two out-of-place rocks. I can only hope that the person doesn't waste his time looking around for more of the same at Hatch!
Friday was the first of three long days spent driving home. Just before reaching Alamogordo, New Mexico, we stopped at White Sands National Monument. White Sands comprises 275 square miles of pure-white wave-like dunes of gypsum sand that have engulfed the desert and created the world's largest gypsum dune field. The brilliant white dunes look almost like snow drifts, especially when set against a dark blue sky.
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The drive home was fairly uneventful and we arrived by late Sunday afternoon. We were a bit road weary when we pulled into our driveway, but still buoyed by our wonderful western experience.
Before I slap a bow on this bad boy, I'd like to acknowledge our friends, old and new, whose help and advice helped to make our trip a roaring success. A big thank you goes out to the following:
Virgil Richards
Brandon Richards
Jim Flora
Ron Burke
Faye Burke
Bill Gardner
Bill Jaeger
Jim Ricker
Barbara Fullwood
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