North Fork Palomas Creek, lower box canyon - Ladder Ranch

We finally visited the Ladder Ranch on the first beautiful Saturday of fall. We met our guide Robert at the gate off of NM 152 and then proceeded down to the ranch headquarters on Animas Creek.  Along the way we saw turkeys and coyotes crossing irrigated fields and numerous turkey vultures perching in the trees. From there we headed out in the Polaris. The mostly well maintained ranch roads sprawled across  mesas and valleys barely turning green. The first major defile we descended to was Seco Creek right where it becomes constricted between rugged walls of volcanic rock.

 
After crossing, Andrea spotted a bull bison enjoying the stream-side greenery. We halted and watched from less than 15 feet away as his little tail wiggled and he occasionally threw a glance our way. We decided it was best not to go full Yellowstone  and moved on to our destination on South Palomas Creek.
Up on the  rolling mesas  in between again, we spotted a few more cow bison with their calves off in the distance. Bumping down the rugged winding route into South Palomas, our guide Robert pointed out a few petroglyphs on the road side boulders.
 The riparian area  of the canyon bottom was lush with willows, boxelder, alders and some unbelievably huge cottonwoods. Water flowed slowly  in these narrow stretches. Bear, deer javelina, coyote, bobcat had left their tracks in the thick mud on either side of each crossing.  We parked near the confluence and began our hike in the beautiful box section of  North Fork Palomas.


 
It was reminiscent of the East Red Box in the San Mateos, but not nearly as narrow, and perhaps not quite as deep. It was in fairly natural state compared to the overused East Red. There was no water, but our guide told us this was the first time he had come across these completely dry conditions in the box. After about a mile the box opened up upstream, so we turned around and enjoyed the cliffs and towers of orange as we made our through bends back to the confluence. A small hawk screeched and screeched at us as it passed over in the opening of blue sky and beyond. The echos continuing long after it was out of view.
NOTE: The Ladder Ranch is private property. Access is only through guided tours Contact the Sierra Grande Lodge in T or C for more information.