Laying Tracks Blast through the sand of the Killpecker Dunes on an ATV flats razorbacks By Dina Mishev
Killpecker Dunes by Dune Buggy Wyoming Travel & Tourism
It looks harmless enough. Both look harmless enough, in fact. Sand is a soft substance and the ATV resembles nothing so much as a mini-tank, super stable with treads replaced by gargantuan, grippy tires. How difficult can riding over one while astride the other be? Giving the ATV some gas – and nearly giving myself a minor case of whiplash – I fear the answer to that question might not be the “easy as pie” I initially thought.
The largest active dune field in North America (yup, right here in Wyoming), the Killpecker Dunes total nearly 109,000 acres (three times the size of our nation’s capital) in the Red Desert and stretch 150 miles each from the Green River Basin across the Continental Divide and into the Great Divide Basin. For those unfamiliar with the intricacies of Wyoming geography, they’re generally in the southwestern part of the state.
Within the dune field’s borders are sandy flats – where I’m confining myself and my wanna-be whiplash for the present – two Wilderness Study Areas, a rare desert elk herd, a homesteading ranch listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Boars’ Tusk (a prominent landmark on the Overland Emigrant Trail), dunes rising up to 150 feet in height, and ridgelines, or razorbacks, steep enough to really spoil your day if you make the mistake of riding off the back of one.
But don’t get too excited. Not all of this is open to the all-encompassing category of Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs). Dune buggies, dirt bikes, and ATVs only get 11,000 acres in a designated Open Play Area. That’s still nearly 20 square miles though. On the busiest of holiday weekends – Memorial and Labor Days and the Fourth of July – the main parking lot will be full (50 cars), but, divide 11,000 by 50 and you’re still left with 220-some acres all to yourself. Hit the dunes mid-week and you’ll most likely have the parking lot, and the dunes, all to yourself.
As I bounce my way through the flats, I’m glad it’s mid-week and no one is around to see me. To say I’m driving hesitantly is an understatement of the greatest magnitude. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Miss Daisy zip past. Prior to today, I once sat astride an ATV in a cycle shop. It felt good and seemed to promise fun if ever taken outside. And my boyfriend said I looked good on it. Introducing movement into the equation however changes the game. Dramatically. I no longer look good – a mixture of concentration and confusion contort my face. Neither does sitting feel good. My butt went numb two hours ago.
Figuring a lunch break can at least solve one of these two issues, I park next to a picturesque pondlet (properly called a flocket and formed when snow beneath the constantly shifting sand melts). Used to bare bones hiking fare – carrying food on my back I always try to pack as little as possible – the multi-course meal I pull off the ATV is positively gourmet – cheese, hummus, a loaf of freshly baked bread, sliced turkey, homemade chocolate chip cookies. Ten minutes and a bread binge later, I fall back into the sand for a rest and have an amazing dream: I’m flying over the dunes, the ATV wholly under my control, the wind whipping through my hair and a perma-grin on my face. I look good. The ATV feels good. I come to, and am inspired and ready to give it another try.
I never believed my high school cross country coach when she said you could visualize yourself into having a good race, but it seems I’ve just visualized myself into having a good ride. I feel more at ease. . . and I can feel my butt. Within an hour, I could probably give Miss Daisy a run for her money. I guess it is all about confidence. I begin to contemplate leaving the flats behind. It’s not that the flats are boring but rather that I’m not here to sightsee.
The flats at Killpecker are about as un-boring as dune area flats can be in fact. Killpecker is unique in that the flats weave their way betwixt and between a mixture of moderate to mammoth dunes. Most dune areas have smaller dunes and flat areas, i.e., beginner territory, only at their edges. Killpecker’s layout makes it makes it a great place for experienced riders to teach newbies without getting too bored themselves. Beginners get to really see what dunes are about too. But to reiterate, I’m not here to see (although I’m happy to say I have already spotted a few members of the desert elk herd). I’m here because – don’t laugh now, I know I’m not the only one – 20 years ago a poster of Evel Knievel hung in my bedroom. I want to feel like a daredevil. . . but without breaking any bones or concussing myself. Minor whiplash is about all I’m willing to risk, and I’ve already nearly accomplished that.
I start out with a moderate dune. Once I get comfortable with really giving the rig some gas, it’s actually not that hard to get up. And it’s quite fun. It is hard not to go flying down the much-steeper backside – those dreaded razorbacks – however. After several close calls, it dawns on me to do a long-radius turn-around before I get too close to the top. A few more dune summits under my belt and my throat opens up to allow the occasional whoop and holler to escape. But then I remember who I’m pretending to be. Getting into the Evel Knievel spirit, I throw in a few fist pumps. And a bow.
Weather makes the Killpecker Dunes best for riding from April through early October. For more information on the dunes and the Open Play Area for OHVs, log on to www.wy.blm.gov/rsfo/rec/dunes.htm.
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