Burros on the Santa Fe Trail

In 2018, I set out with my horse Fancy, and my dog Holly to visit all of the major landmarks along the Santa Fe Trail. We made a movie from that adventure, which can be watched on our website. With the arrival of my burros, I decided to re-visit some of those Santa Fe Trail sites, and focus on areas that I only skimmed or would like to explore further. I still have a few more places of interest to cover, but I did manage to visit three key spots, with Lena and Larado, and my new dog JJ, in 2023. Once again, the donkeys put up with my silliness and, once again, I opted to play dress up :)

The top pic is of the donkeys and me at the base of the Wagon Mound along the Santa Fe Trail. The second pic is of JJ and I standing up near the top of Wagon Mound. The actual Wagon Mound is on private property, so I got special permission to climb it.

These photos were taken at Fort Union along the Santa Fe Trail. The top pic is of me and the donkeys at the fort's armory, which is only open to the public once a year. (Again we got special permission from the land owner.) In the far background, you can see the main, extensive Fort Union ruins out on the plain. The second picture was taken at the armory, with the towering Ocate Crater in the background. Ocate was situated along the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail. The bottom photo is of JJ and I at one of the ruins of the armory.

This last photo was taken outside Tipton House, which dates back to Santa Fe Trail days. It was built by one of the major traders along the Santa Fe Trail. It sits beside the Mora River in Watrous, and is actually my next door neighbor! I can see this house from my home at Shadowlands Ranch.

Although not as common as mules, oxen and horses, burros were often seen along the Santa Fe Trail. In the early days, before the War with Mexico in 1846, traders returning to "the States" from "Mexico," would often travel with herds of donkeys and mules to sell back east. Without a "Jack" donkey, there could be a no mule, and mules were proving very valuable as pack animals both on the plains and in the mountains. I have not been able to find many photos or images of donkeys along the Santa Fe Trail, but here is one taken at Cañoncito at the Glorieta Pass. A man and his burro crossing the old bridge over the Galisteo Creek.