Sand in backwash

I recently drained about 10 inches of water from my pool, mostly by setting the valve on Backwash. After the water dried from my sidewalk I'm seeing a little mound of sand. Is this normal for a sand filter?

I usually see a little sand in the cracks of my driveway after backwash. By a little, I mean a few tablespoons.
Do you open the filter and inspect the sand once in a while?

Thanks. A few tablespoons is about what I see. I changed the sand last year.