July 2011 we headed to The Great Dunes to meet up with some friends from Albuquerque… only a small turnout of the four of us but was still good fun. Snagged a pleasant camp site at Great Sand Dunes Oasis. It was a dry year for the stream so we opted to do this hike outside the park. Beautiful day for being outdoors.
![The Architects are Ready to Hike](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/11-06-25-Zapata-Falls-Hike-at-Sand-Dunes-02.jpg)
So these architects all met in Grad School at CU Denver a few years back and have worked in some of the same firms with some of the same people so was a ” Do you remember…?” type of weekend. Best friend German Shepard – his first time on the trail carrying his own water.
![Zapata Falls required hopping stones to get this view](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/11-06-25-Zapata-Falls-Hike-at-Sand-Dunes-09.jpg)
Zapata Falls was spectacular. Was worth the rock hopping to get this view. This picture with three of us gives the falls a sense of scale.
![Looking at the basin that holds the Dunes](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/11-06-25-Zapata-Falls-Hike-at-Sand-Dunes-12.jpg)
A nice photo of us with the valley in the back ground. The sun was intense. The wildflowers were in full bloom as well as some oputias – gotta love the cactus! Pleasant to hear the aspens rustle in the wisp of a breeze.
![The Architects on the Trail to Zapata Lake](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/11-06-25-Zapata-Falls-Hike-at-Sand-Dunes-20.jpg)
We figure we only made it about 2/3rds of the trail to the lake. We found out afterwards it was a 5 hour hike to the lake (not round trip), is a 2500 foot elevation gain. So we probably climbed about 1500 foot elevation gain in a 5 hour round trip hike. Snapped this at the stream crossing where we lingered, refueled, and turned back. So next year a bit earlier in the season so it is cooler…?