Would I be correct in stating that almost every ATV enthusiast at some point or another has dreamed of powering through golden-colored sand dunes? Well, there might be a few who would say no, but I believe most of us would agree that we'd love to give it a run at least once! The reason: It just looks as if it would be a complete blast spending a day aboard a quad roosting dunes and carving enormous peaks. Growing up on the East Coast, I didn't have the option of riding dunes unless I could save enough to drag my quads across the United States to the more Western states where sand dunes are plentiful. So as you can imagine, I never really had the opportunity to go dune riding until later in life. But I can promise you that I had a huge desire to do so and have now experienced the dunes about six times. I can assure you from firsthand experience, it's every bit of fun as you might imagine it could be.
Whenever I get the chance to ride a new region or terrain which is outside of my normal area, I jump at the opportunity. As I always say, it's awesome to try something new, and that includes the dunes for me. As you've probably noticed by now, I'm not a dune guru by a mile, but many on the ATV Rider staff are. So rather than me telling you what sand season means to me, I'd rather you hear it from those who grew up enthralled with it. So check out what Eli Madero, Adam Campbell and Ray Gauger have to say. Hopefully it'll get you excited as sand season is now upon us.
"For me, sand season means trips out to the desert with family and friends to enjoy weekends of riding and relaxing. From the time we get to our destination, cell phones get put away so there really isn't anything that can distract you. That's the whole reason for getting away in the first place, isn't it? The only worries I have are the question of whether or not I brought enough fuel to last the weekend.
"The big weekend for me to head out to Glamis is Thanksgiving weekend. Preparing a huge feast that our group enjoys every year and ending every night sitting by the fire with my favorite beverage is the perfect getaway for me. The dunes are packed with people on every kind of ATV you can imagine, and that sweet smell of race fuel lingers over every dune. All in all, sand season means huge gatherings of people and their machines with one common interest. Having a good time doing what we all love...riding!"
-Associate Editor Eli Madero,
Anaheim, California
"Every year there are a handful of cool things I look forward to doing, one being the first run to the dunes. As you drive down Highway 78, off into the distance you'll see the Imperial Sand Dunes, aka Glamis, emerge from the horizon. The best way to describe the feeling of getting the first glimpse is like the first time my parents took me to Disneyland. As you get closer, you can hardly wait to find the perfect parking spot next to your buddies, who in some cases you only get to see just a few times a year. At that point, you can't get geared up fast enough as your boys are yelling at you to hurry up.
"The best way to describe riding the dunes for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to experience them for yourself is it's like getting onto your favorite roller coaster and never having to get off the epic ride. Now combine that with friends, food, camping and telling stories (lies) late at night around the campfire of how you went for that one ride by yourself and hit a 140-foot gap on your stock Banshee.
"Now that's livin'!"
-ATVR Photographer Adam Campbell,
Valencia, California