Our sons love science experiments. Every time we travel, our 10-year-old always seems to be on the look-out for fun, science-y things to do along the way. When we heard about magnetite in large quantities in the sand at Great Sand Dunes, we knew we had to check it out! Therefore, we brought our UST Compass, picked up a magnet at the gift shop, and hit the dunes. Check out the video above to see how it worked out for us.
Our UST Waypoint Compass came in handy. We always have it in one of our backpacks along with a fire starting kit, emergency blanket/poncho, and water filters. Because hypothermia or heat stroke are science experiments we don’t want to try! Moreover, being in the mountains in spring can result in just about any kind of weather, so be prepared!
Pro Tip: Hit the dunes in the early to mid-morning for the best experience year-round. In summer, sand temperatures will reach over 150 degrees F. In spring and fall, afternoons tend to be plagued with windy conditions that blow sand into your eyes. Lightning storms are most frequent in the afternoon and evening. In fact, you can hear the wind howling on our video clips and yet both were done early in the day, two days in a row in April!
