Long, long ago a giant lake called Lake Lahonton dried up, leaving nothing but sand where the water used to be. As the winds blew the sand away from the dried-up lake toward the mountains, a sand dune began to grow. The sand mountain was no ordinary sand dune. It was a singing sand dune! Sometimes, when the sand slipped off the tip top of the mountain, it would sound like a pipe organ or cello. At other times, the sand avalanche made flute sounds and drum booms. Sand Mountain was indeed no ordinary sand dune.

Once, when the angels were rejoicing in the heavens, they heard the musical tones of the booming sands and came closer to its source. The angels were so impressed with the mountain's beautiful sounds that they spontaneously burst into a celestial chorus in harmony with the sand dune. The music filled the air. Lizards and coyotes crept out of their homes among the rocks and cliffs to listen to the heavenly concert. The eagles also came to listen. They soared through the atmosphere as if carried by the windtune that the sky danced to. It was a harmonic celebration of heaven and earth. The more the dune boomed and cooed, the more angels joined the choir, until the sky was almost full!

A great wind was aroused as the wings of the angels kept beat to the mountain melody. It got stronger as more angels joined the festivities. It was then that the angel of the wilderness became concerned as the sand mountain was blowing away in the wind. By the time the rest of the angels saw what had happened it was too late. The singing sand dune had disappeared. "Oh dear, what happened?" they asked.

The angel of the wilderness explained the wind from their wings had blown away the sand off the mountain in four directions. So the angels made a plan to restore their beloved musical mountain. First the angels gathered all together, then some went to the east, some to the south, and the others to the west and north. When they had gathered in all four directions, they began to sing and beat their wings. Sand began to swirl and dance within a whirlwind that centered itself where the mountain used to be. Bigger and bigger the sand dune grew until it was its original height. The angel of the wilderness was pleased, as were the other angels.

The next time the angels gathered around the mountain they did not sing but listened to its music instead as booms and whistles, drones and deep notes emerged from it. After the concert, each angel blessed a grain of sand. Every grain was blessed because there are many, many angels.

Nowadays, people who live near Sand Mountain say once in a while it mysteriously disappears, but always magically returns a year or two later. Of course, you and I know how this happens, don't we? We know the angels are singing on the mountain, keeping winged rhythm with its heartbeat. From the four directions when the sand is scattered will come a mighty desert wind strong enough to rebuild the singing mountain and carry its sound to the Creator. So, if you ever meet someone who asks what happened to Sand Mountain, you can tell them the angels borrowed it!

Author's Note: Sand Mountain is located twenty miles east of Fallon, Nevada and is one of three "booming sand dunes" in the U.S. It does disappear and reappear from time to time and it also sings. The last audio recorgings of a Sand Mountain sheer avalanche sounded like a didgeridoo.

by Bernyce Barlow,
copyright 1999
From the 13Witches eGroup, 2-13-01