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 flow
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or und ...
s and small volcanoes, it is not itself a
volcano, but an
igneous intrusion. The core of the mountain is
Precambrian
The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...
granite.
The peak rises dramatically from its surroundings on all sides; the summit is almost above the Rio Grande Valley, to the east.
The name of the peak means "thief", and "Sierra Ladrones" means "thieves' mountains."
Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
and
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
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, elk, deer and reintroduced
desert bighorn sheep.
Notes and references
External links
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Mountains of New Mexico
Landforms of Socorro County, New Mexico
Mountains of Socorro County, New Mexico
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