Egyptian Idaho

 



    What similarities exist between Eastern Idaho and Luxor, Egypt? At first you might say "not very much, why are you asking such a stupid question?" but actually there is one thing: thousands of acres of twisting, shifting sand dunes. Yes, our own humble stretch of Idaho has its own little dune desert (well, not so little given that it's around 10,000 acres) to rival the great sprawling sand seas of Northern Africa! And just about ten minutes North of Rexburg, too.
    The majority of the sediment that makes up these dunes is Quartz sand, much of which was transported thousands of miles by wind before settling in glacial lakes which used to cover this part of the country. The sediment settled at the bottom of the lakes, which eventually dried up as the climate warmed, leaving behind miles of loose sand which blew together over centuries to form large dunes, some up to 400 feet tall. The grains of sand are well-sorted by the wind and water which have affected them, and the settlement under millions of gallons of water (as well as the grinding action of retreating glaciers) left them well-rounded. This sort of low-energy environment makes for beautiful dune-like structures, and left to its own devices for a few more tens of thousands of years--and assuming exposure to pressure and cement of some sort--would form into truly stunning sandstone, such as is common further South in the great parks of Utah. 
    I've been to these dunes many times. They're particularly beautiful in the winter, when they're completely covered in snow and look like a sledder's paradise. My very first time visiting them, I'm somewhat embarassed to admit that in an attempt to drive onto the shoulder of the road to look at the beautiful, clear, and starry sky, I drove directly into the sand and got stuck. Thankfully, two guys with a truck came by a while later specifically to look for green Dune Watchers who got stuck in the sand. I highly recommend a trip to the dunes by anyone who finds himself or herself near Saint Anthony, Idaho.


 










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