Our pool has a Hayward Vari-Flo Valve system. How do I operate this crazy thing?

There are settings, a gate valve, some timers for the pump, a big ol' thing full of sand, etc., HELP!

In all likelyhood, the gate valve is located in the plumbing going into the front of the pump. It's there to help you in re priming the pump after opening the pump lid to dump the basket.
Typical weekly maintenance of that equipment would go akin to this.
If you have a gas pool heater, turn it off. Vac your pool.
1/ Lay out your backwash hose, making sure there are no kinks
2/ Shut off the pump and close that gatevalve.
3/Open the pump lid and empty the basket of debris. replace the basket and lid making sure the Lid Gasket is free of debris and intact.
4/ Set the filter valve to backwash. It's 180 degrees from your current valve position. If this is a hayward, all the filter positions will be clearly marked. Those labels don't come off and some models are actually stamped.
5/ Turn on your pump and open the gate valve on the suction line.
6/ Most haywards are equipped with a sight glass (little glass jar) on the side of the filter valve. It will show the colour of the water going out your backwash. it will go clear, dirty, clear.
7/ When that water shows clear, turn off the pump and switch the filter valve to rinse. Run the pump for 5 seconds.
8/Stop the pump and switch the valve to filter (where you started) setting. Turn on your pump. You're done doing your weekly backwash. Roll up your backwash hose and turn your pool heater back on.
You say you have timers, as in plural, meaning two? One will likely be for the filter pump. The other could be for a polaris Vac Sweep. Is there another pump motor by your equipment? Is there a strange 3 wheeled, blue and white "car" with a tail and a 20 foot or so hose? If so, you'll need to make sure those timers are synchronized. They both need to be the same time and the polaris one needs to only be running during the filter's cycle. How long the polaris cleans is up to you, but it can only be going when the filter is set to run. It's important because if the polaris runs without the filter pump, it'll roast it's Shaft Seal. It relies on the filter pump to provide enough water for it to run.
As for the filter pump itself, I don't like to see them run any less than 16 hours a day. The equipment is sized to turn over your pool water about 1.5 times a day. If it doesn't get fully turned over, you don't filter it all or sanitize it all, costing you more money in chemicals and down time than electricity to run the pump. You aren't saving money, you're wasting it running less than 16 hours.
Additionally, if you have a gas heater for this pool , make sure that the fireman's switch in the filter timer is working properly. It shuts the heater down 20 minutes prior to the actual filter pump. This allows the pool water to cool the heater down before there's no more "coolant"(water) running through it. If that switch isn't working, it could lead to some repairs and possibly much worse. I've seen both. This is why you turn off the heater before you vac. It gives you time while vaccing for the heater to cool down enough that it's ok to shut down the filter pump to backwash or do other maintenance on the system.
As for the sand lasting a year, that I saw someone else post. Nope. If you properly maintain your equipment and water chemistry it lasts 8 years before you need think of a sand change. Additionally, you don't need to add sand to those filters. If they begin to lose some out the pool returns or out the backwash line, you've got an issue that adding sand won't fix. The filter needs repair internally or in the Vari flo valve.

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