Signs of life abound on the dunes of White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, before the winds erase the evidence.

White Sands reminds me of going skiing. Do you remember how if you wake up early enough, and are among the first few people making your way up the ski lift, you can look down below and see the countless animal tracks of all sizes, forged in the stillness of night, soon to disappear under the myriad of skiers? White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, is the same way. The tracks which show up in the sand dunes overnight are just as varied in size as those on the ski slopes, though they tend to range from tiny to medium, instead of small to large. And instead of it being the skiers who will ultimately hide these tracks, here it’s the wind that comes with the scorching desert sun.

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