Here is the fit hiking group of 10/10/9! The picture was taken by Alice Stalnaker. We are Cowboy Jim, Happy Sue, Rabbit George, Immature Norm, Pretty Carol and Tall Tom.
Some pretty daisies by the creek.
Here is a better shot of the tree I call "The Encouragement Tree". Several VERY healthy trees are growing out what looks like a perfectly dead tree that is lying horizontally. There is another picture of the tree - a wider shot - later in this blog.
Check out the huge burls on the tree and the width of the bottom of these cottonwoods! The door and post shots are from the old buildings on the site.
Check out the huge burls on the tree and the width of the bottom of these cottonwoods! The door and post shots are from the old buildings on the site.
This bike has nothing to do with Empire Ranch, but we saw it in Patagonia and we thought it was purrty! The narrative and pictures that follow the bike are from our scouting out pre-hike adventure!
We saw this beautiful feather plume on the way to Empire Ranch, which is about 1 hour ride east of our place. It is on the other side of our mountains. We aren't blessed with such shrubs. This area is higher elevation and has more of a plains or grasslands look to it. 
The Empire ranch was started in the 1860's by Edward Fish as a working cattle ranch. In 1876, it was purchased by Canadian Walter Vail and Englishman Herbert Hislop. They and other partners expanded it to over a million acres - yes over a million!!! The land now belonging to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area was traded to the Bureau of Land Management and it is just over 1000 acres. It included many ranch buildings, which are shown in the distance in the pictures below.
This adobe home was for the hired man. It is quite large and luxurious in comparison to other adobe homes we have in the area.
I call this "the encouragement tree". Ever felt near dead and thinking that nothing will ever be right again? Well check out the huge trees that are growing from this fallen tree! These pictures were taken in Empire Gulch. Gulch is not a midwestern term. I guess we would call it a dry river bottom with a lot of trees!
The Empire ranch was started in the 1860's by Edward Fish as a working cattle ranch. In 1876, it was purchased by Canadian Walter Vail and Englishman Herbert Hislop. They and other partners expanded it to over a million acres - yes over a million!!! The land now belonging to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area was traded to the Bureau of Land Management and it is just over 1000 acres. It included many ranch buildings, which are shown in the distance in the pictures below.
This adobe home was for the hired man. It is quite large and luxurious in comparison to other adobe homes we have in the area.
I call this "the encouragement tree". Ever felt near dead and thinking that nothing will ever be right again? Well check out the huge trees that are growing from this fallen tree! These pictures were taken in Empire Gulch. Gulch is not a midwestern term. I guess we would call it a dry river bottom with a lot of trees!
Anyone home? We saw many, many groupings of holes, but we did not see any activity of occupants.
These are views to the east. The foothills have a tan color against the blue mountain range. One range is named Mustang Mountains.
We left the ranch on rt 919, which runs through their cattle grazing section. For the city folk who will read this,the picture below shows a cattle guard. We have open range ranching around here, so a cattle guard road sign means that there could be a steer on the road - so watch out!!! We are at fault if we kill one and we would have to pay up!
These are views to the east. The foothills have a tan color against the blue mountain range. One range is named Mustang Mountains.
We left the ranch on rt 919, which runs through their cattle grazing section. For the city folk who will read this,the picture below shows a cattle guard. We have open range ranching around here, so a cattle guard road sign means that there could be a steer on the road - so watch out!!! We are at fault if we kill one and we would have to pay up!
