4 Corners Quest - Day 16: Jornado del Muerto

Jornado del Muerto, loosely translated from Spanglish as ‘you’ve got one day to be found before you are dead’, is a topographic bowl in southern New Mexico where rain does not leave the area. We learned how the area formed skimming through the National Park museum while scamming another round of Junior Ranger badges:

Gypsum... yada yada yada... and then you’ve got White Sands National Monument, 

275 square miles (about the area inside I-285 in the ATL) of 20’-30’ dunes

What isn’t published for the masses, but you can find through the chat-rooms of abovetopsecret.com and thetruthseeker.co.uk, is that the lower elevation gypsum crystal sand is highly unique in that it absorbs O₂ from the air and kCal through osmosis. Those in the know call it 'Gypsum Geriatitus', as it causes involuntary naps. It’s all very scientific, and above the reach of this publication. 
The Spanglish believed that people would lay down to nap after a day’s journey due to the heat and lack of water; Gypsum Geriatitus was not yet understood by the Conquistadors.

Manifestations are found below, taken within moments of the 2-hour, out-of-the-way drive and purchase of sleds:

 

Ironically, Gypsum Geriatitus does not seem to have the same effect upon adults. While this has yet to be fully studied, early hypotheses are considering the Oxygen-depletion training inherent in a 3,700 mile roadtrip immersed in the continual chatter of others. As well, the Rents partook in generous snacking to counter gypsum caloric absorption.