this summer i was hired by ted turner’s vermejo park ranch to photograph landscapes and wildlife.
and yes, i had to pinch myself every day…
vermejo is over half a million acres of mountain wilderness. it is some of the most spectacular landscape in all of new mexico.
i was lucky enough to be invited back to vermejo last week for another shoot.
the hummingbirds were very social.
there are a few groups of ferrel horses on the property. they don’t call them wild because at some point they were broken and used by humans. but they are now ferrel because they have been released and are free to roam the 600k acres.
i came across a group of about a dozen on the road down to the main lodge. i stopped the car and stepped out to snap a few shots. two of the horses came right up to me and began sniffing. they gently rubbed their long faces against me.
i had no idea what was going on, but it seems these powerful, wild creatures wanted to be friends. perhaps they missed the strange bond that horses and humans share.
one of them seemed interested in tasting my camera.
i had a strong urge to hop up on one of their backs and see if they remembered what it was like to transport a human to and fro. i decided against that idea.
it was really hard to get back in the car and leave my new friends…
but i did. after all, we had lots of great wine to drink…
the next day, we set out for lower underwood lake to catch some trout. i have never fly fished before, so i thought i’d give it a try…
with the help of a fantastic guide, and a lot of luck, i got to land a 3 lb brown. good looking fish!
that afternoon, john and i headed for the streams. fly fishing streams is a whole different game, and frankly, my confidence was high and i wanted to give that a shot as well.
the weather had different plans however. the sky opened with reckless fury. lightning and wind kept us from fishing the rest of the day.
we set out at 6 a.m. the next morning to catch our flight out of amarillo. on the way out of vermejo, we were treated to a spectacular sunrise.
a great last memory to hold in my mind of this amazing place…
i sincerely hope i have the opportunity to return, some day.
this week i was invited to vermejo park ranch in northern new mexico to shoot phenomenal scenery, fly fishing, and wildlife. no complaints here.
ted turner’s private home near the main lodge is quite impressive. but even more awe-inspiring is the sheer size of the property. at just under 600,000 acres, vermejo is the largest privately owned parcel of land in the u.s.
aside from the common bee, vermejo is home to elk, black bear, mountain lion, and one of the largest herds of american bison in the world.
our view from the front porch of costilla lodge.
the crew (minus the photographer)…
the art of fly fishing.
jim and i went for a drive down to one of the lower lakes to meet folks that were already there fishing.
we found their truck recently ransacked by a bear.
we must have scared it off when we pulled up, judging by the minimal amount of damage done to the refreshments.
looked like he climbed up the side of the truck-bed to get a better look.
it started to rain. and as jim and i scanned the lake, i noticed another bear heading toward us…
he got within fifty feet of me before he ran away.
back at the lodge, some of the fattest chipmunks i have ever seen hang around for handouts.
nick was the star of the bunch. he was named “nick” by the kitchen staff who noticed a chunk taken out of his ear.
believe it or not, nick actually comes when you call his name.
no wonder they’re so fat…
saturday morning before sunrise… time to head out. off to telluride, colorado!!
andrew slaton | blog 