Ladron Peak
Encyclopedia
Ladrón Peak is an isolated, highly visible peak in central New Mexico
, lying about 50 mi (80 km) southwest of Albuquerque
. Ladron Peak is the only major peak in the compact range (really one large massif) known as the Sierra Ladrones, which lies between the Rio Puerco to the east and the Rio Salado
to the southwest.
Despite its conical shape and its proximity to lava flows and small volcanoes, it is not itself a volcano
. The core of the mountain is Precambrian
granite
.
The peak does rise dramatically from its surroundings on all sides; the summit is almost 4,500 ft (1,350 m) above the Rio Grande Valley, 10 miles to the east.
The name of the peak means "thief", and "Sierra Ladrones" means "thieves' mountains." Navajo
and Apache
raiding parties, and later Hispanic
and Anglo
rustlers, used the mountains as hideouts, hence the name. Evidence of human occupation goes back over 10,000 years, and more recent prehistoric use occurred by the Mogollon and Anasazi cultures. Today, part of the range is included in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
, administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The rest of the range is a mix of BLM
and private land.
Ecologically, Ladrón Peak is a sky island
, supporting vegetation and wildlife not found in the surrounding grasslands. It is high enough to have coniferous forests on its upper slopes. Animal species include mountain lion, bear, pronghorn, raptors, and reintroduced desert bighorn sheep.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, lying about 50 mi (80 km) southwest of Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Ladron Peak is the only major peak in the compact range (really one large massif) known as the Sierra Ladrones, which lies between the Rio Puerco to the east and the Rio Salado
Rio Salado (New Mexico)
The Rio Salado is tributary of the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. From its source in northeast Catron County it flows about generally east to join the Rio Grande just north of Polvadera and about north of Socorro. The name Río Salado is Spanish for "salty river".-Course:The Rio...
to the southwest.
Despite its conical shape and its proximity to lava flows and small volcanoes, it is not itself a volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
. The core of the mountain is Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
.
The peak does rise dramatically from its surroundings on all sides; the summit is almost 4,500 ft (1,350 m) above the Rio Grande Valley, 10 miles to the east.
The name of the peak means "thief", and "Sierra Ladrones" means "thieves' mountains." Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
and Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
raiding parties, and later Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and Anglo
Anglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to the Angles, England or the English people, as in the terms Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-American, Anglo-Celtic, Anglo-African and Anglo-Indian. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British Isles descent in The Americas, Australia and...
rustlers, used the mountains as hideouts, hence the name. Evidence of human occupation goes back over 10,000 years, and more recent prehistoric use occurred by the Mogollon and Anasazi cultures. Today, part of the range is included in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area of New Mexico managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located in the Chihuahuan desert 20 miles north of Socorro, New Mexico...
, administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The rest of the range is a mix of BLM
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
and private land.
Ecologically, Ladrón Peak is a sky island
Sky island
Sky islands are mountains that are isolated by surrounding lowlands of a dramatically different environment, a situation which, in combination with the altitudinal zonation of ecosystems, has significant implications for natural habitats. Endemism, vertical migration, and relict populations are...
, supporting vegetation and wildlife not found in the surrounding grasslands. It is high enough to have coniferous forests on its upper slopes. Animal species include mountain lion, bear, pronghorn, raptors, and reintroduced desert bighorn sheep.