MP Ranch, New Mexico
July 30 - August 4, 2023
Join Ranchlands for four days of living and working alongside the MP ranch crew in New Mexico, learning about ranch life and experiencing one of the coolest landscapes on which Ranchlands works. In a first-of-its-kind, invitation-only opportunity, we are excited to invite a select group of friends to join us on this amazing property.
The MP Ranch
The MP is a wild, isolated landscape steeped in Native American heritage, and it remains one of the increasingly rare places that is untouched by humans and modern life. The ranch’s landscape is characterized by the high desert, a stark and beautiful terrain of big, rough forested hills and hidden draws and meadows. It is home to a rich population of elk, gemsbok (oryx), antelope and mule deer. Because of its isolation, the night sky is untainted and bright with crystal clear starscape. The ranch ranges from shortgrass prairie to pinon-juniper woodlands and savannas with trails traversing through them, on which you will ride with the ranch crew. The highest point of the ranch is Brushy Mountain, from where you can gaze out upon layer upon layer of purple mountains disappearing to the west. It sits at almost 6,625 feet, with ranch headquarters at 6,200 feet. Climbing to the top and looking out over the Chupadera Mesa will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of time on the ranch for all.
The Program
Ranchlands’ guest services arm began in 2000 on the Chico Basin Ranch, where guests were invited to come and work alongside the ranch crew. After over 20 years, the Chico guest experience is going strong and for the first time, we have created an experience in the same spirit on the MP. Guests will join Ranchlands Apprentices Lynae and Ruby, who manage the MP’s ranching operations and are widely enjoyed and respected for their abilities to work hard, fix things and manage the day-to-day work that it takes to run a large scale cattle ranch. Days will be spent riding with the crew over a landscape that is much different than the short grass prairie of the Chico and equally as special and unique to the American West. Each day will be different, as guests become a part of the team to work on fences, check water, put out salt and mineral whatever the crew is doing each day. There will also be plenty of time to hike and explore the trails leading into the juniper forests or for quiet reflection, if you choose. In the evenings, key members of the Ranchlands team will join the group for food, drink, and conversation about ranching, ranching’s history and future, conservation, and much more. Guests will be provided with an optional suggested reading list so that, upon arrival, they may be fully immersed into the rich history of the land and lifestyle of the West.
Accommodations
Two neighboring, separate buildings, the Quincho (an Argentine word for a small house used for asados, or barbecues) and the Bunkhouse, make up the retreat space. They were recently constructed by the ranch owners for their family and special occasions and create an oasis in the truest sense of the word.
The Quincho has two bedrooms, indoor and outdoor kitchens and gathering spaces, as well as a phenomenal view of the open New Mexico savannas stretching to the eastern horizon. The Bunkhouse has a common room, outdoor deck, nine bedrooms and four shared bathrooms. The two buildings are intentionally designed to serve different purposes—the Bunkhouse for sleeping, and the Quincho for cooking, gathering and sharing the day together. This design originates in Argentina, where cooking meat is an experience.
Food
Meals will be creatively prepared by a private chef and team from New Mexico and will feature Ranchlands beef. A large outdoor cooking space with a wood oven and wood-fired grill will be the centerpoint of each evening, with cocktails, wine and beer. We are happy to accommodate all dietary preferences with advance notice.
Sample Itinerary
6:30 a.m. Coffee around the fire at the Quincho, while watching the horses gallop into the corrals down below
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Collect your lunch for the day and head down the corrals to ready your horse
9:30 a.m. Head out with Lauren and Ruby to check cattle. Plan to spend at least an hour trotting to get out to the pasture, and then spread out to make your way systematically, as a team, through the thick wooded pasture
12:00 p.m. Picnic-style lunch in the
pasture
1:00 p.m. Head back to headquarters for some free time
2:00 p.m. Downtime to relax at the Quincho or around the stock tank pool, or explore the land by bike or on foot
4:00 p.m. Join the Ranchlands team in the leather room and try your hand at making something—a keychain or a belt
6:00 p.m. Drinks and appetizers on the patio, watching the sun set over the Gallinas Mountains
7:00 p.m. Dinner
Rates
$3500 includes all activities, instruction, and meals. Tax and gratuity not included.
To inquire about availability, please email lauren@ranchlands.com.
