67 Double E
Ranch Road ~ PO Box 280 ~ Gila, NM 88038 ~
866.242.3500
You'll find a
real piece of history at Double E Guest Ranch!
Long before the time of
Columbus and Coronado there were people living in southwestern New Mexico.
Hunting and grinding artifacts dating back 10,000 years have been found near
Headquarters. The region was home to the Mimbrenos, an advanced pre-historic
Indian culture. Highly artistic, they are known for
their exquisite
black-on-white pottery featuring nature motifs. The Mimbrenos made their homes farming and
hunting along the Gila River and Bear Creek, living in pit houses, shallow caves and small cliff
dwellings. Earlier Indian cultures most certainly lived in the area.
Limited evidence of hunting by the earliest inhabitants (9500-6000BC) has been
found in several highland areas. Widespread
evidence of the Archaic Culture, which is considered part of the Cochise Culture
dating from 6000 BC to 300 AD, has been found in the region.
The ranch has several privately protected Mogollon ruin pithouse sites dating from 700 to 1100 years. Somewhere in the early 1300s
the Mogollon people suddenly left the area. Some speculate their numbers
grew to a point beyond the carrying capacity of the area and the culture
collapsed. Disease, drought and war were also factors. They were
gone by 1400 when the
last wave of Asian immigrants entered the areas from the north, destined to form
two distinct modern tribes: The Apache and the Navaho.
The Chiricahua Apache
ranged throughout southwestern region and knew Bear Creek, the (HEE-la) Gila River and the Gila Wilderness well.
Many local ranches, town, missions and small mining stakes suffered heavily from
raids in the 18th century. Among these Apaches was Mangas Coloradas
(literally "red sleeves"), a leader destined to become an important
chief. A young member of his tribe was Goyathlay ("one who
yawns") - Geronimo - who was born in 1829 (?) somewhere around the
headwaters of the Gila River. Geronimo, Mangas Coloradas and Victorio
would form a powerful union that would resist American expansion until
Geronimo's surrender in late 1886.
The Double E Ranch is
over 100 years old and the area was once part of the Gila Apache Indian Reservation,
established by the U.S. Government in 1853. In 1878, the
Apache Nation turned the grant back to the U.S. Government.
After the Civil War, one of these early
settlers, Joseph Hooker,
and his descendants put together one of the largest working
cattle ranches in Grant County, New Mexico, comprised of nearly 70,000 acres. Located 4 miles
from the town of Gila, along beautiful Bear Creek, the Ranch stretches into the southwestern edge of the
vast Gila National Forest.
Story has it that
Geronimo and his band stole some pretty good mares from this and surrounding
ranches, killing
the colts to keep them from following. A group of local ranchers took chase,
following the trail to the base of the mountains near Turkey Creek where they found a mare with
her throat cut, still bleeding out.
Needless to say, the ranchers decided
right then the horses weren't worth THAT much, after all! All turned about
and headed back for home. Only 114 years have passed since the Apache Chief Geronimo surrendered,
permitting miners and homesteaders to explore and settle the Gila-Bear Creek
region without fear of Indian attack.
Around 1925 one of the most famous
characters in the southwest was Ben Lilly. He hunted lion and bear in the Gila Wilderness
and knew
all of the ranchers in the area better than anyone around. The
Hookers knew him well and hunted with him often. When they were working cattle
he would sometimes come into their camps and visit.
Ranching, cowboys and
rodeo have always been an important part of life here. Once part of the
famous "LC Ranch" covering nearly 100 sections (64,000 acres), Horace
Hooker worked as Wagon Master for the LC for many years. In 1905 he leased the
land along Bear Creek up the (Gila) river to Hell Canyon and Turkey Creek
and built up a pretty good herd of cattle.
Purchased by your hosts,
Debbie and
Alan Eggleston, in 1996, the Double E Ranch, as it's now called, has
become a perfect spot for a brief escape from the real world! Why
not join us and experience this bit of history for yourself!
Indulge your Cowboy Spirit with
a New Mexico working guest
ranch vacation, lots of horseback riding,
roundups, clinics, spectacular New Mexico vistas and the undiluted, real sensations of
ranch life in southwestern New Mexico. Unlike many working dude
ranches or guest ranches,
Double E Guest Ranch is a working cattle and horse ranch
inviting its guests to participate in the day to day activities on a real ranch. On our
working New Mexico guest ranch
(dude ranch) we
provide our guests with an opportunity to spend their days with the Wranglers and Cowboys who
live the cowboy life and work at
Double E Ranch.
Feel nature up close and explore
a ranch vacation paradise exceptionally beautiful, filled with abundant
wildlife and rich in the history of
southwest New Mexico. Located in the heart of Apache country, 30 miles
northwest of historic Silver City, the Double E Guest Ranch and surrounding
territory is the home of Billy the Kid, Geronimo, Judge Roy Bean, "Dangerous" Dan
Tucker and Ben Lilly. The 3.3
million acre Gila (HEE-la) National Forest and pristine Gila Wilderness
are our back yard! A working New Mexico cattle and horse ranch
consisting of nearly 30,000 acres, the
Double E Guest Ranch
is family owned and operated.
Situated along the western edge of the
Gila Wilderness,
the Double E Guest Ranch proudly
boasts some of the most spectacular riding vistas in the southwest!
This country is incredible, rugged, remote and pristine - and the best way to see it is from the back of a
good horse.
Tough, seasoned ranch horses will take you trail riding or rounding up cattle;
searching for Indian Ruins or traveling the trail of outlaws and
gunfighters. Please
don't expect a jacuzzi or pool -- you can leave yer swimmin' gear at home!
We're a working cattle and horse ranch and we invite you to get yer hands dirty,
saddle up and work with the cowboys. We encourage our guests to
take advantage of the opportunity to get involved in the
daily
ranch routine. You'll learn new skills and improve old ones and experience
first-hand what it takes to ranch and raise cattle in country that is anything BUT
flat!
Origins of Dude Ranching
By
the end of the 1800s most of the American West had been explored and the stories
of its natural wonders had spread throughout the Eastern portion of the country
and Europe.
Lured by the promise of awesome beauty, a spirit of romance and adventure, and
the honest simplicity of the western way of life, many easterners sought, in the
West, a respite from the crowded, noisy squalor of fast-paced cities. With the
ease of travel provided by the transcontinental rail systems, the stream of
visitors soon became a torrent. The West was ill-prepared to receive this
onslaught. Those limited accommodations that did exist
in the frontier towns hardly measured up to the standards of the new visitors.
The dude ranch industry soon evolved to, in part, meet the need for safe,
comfortable accommodations from which the easterner could experience the wonders
of the West. The original dude ranches of the late 1800s and early 1900s were
established by rugged individualists who frequently had started as cattle and
horse ranchers. These early ranchers were besieged with requests for summer
accommodations from relatives, friends, and friends of friends, for nowhere else
could they find adequate food, shelter, and hosts that would help them enjoy the
natural wonders. As was typical of the times, the ranchers offered the
hospitality of their homes and ranches to all who asked.
Dude ranches are great
destination vacations for families, couples, singles and groups of all types.
All seem to fit-in quite naturally with the easy going ranch atmosphere.
Dude ranches offer a wide variety of activities and at
Double E Guest Ranch you'll find such activities as horseback riding,
clinics, cattle drives, barrel racing, team penning and plain relaxing
close to nature. We think you'll find some activities that are
bound to appeal to every member of your group.
The bright and
cheerful ranch crews gently guide each guest to full enjoyment of all
the ranch amenities while pleasantly seeing to their every need.
Believing
in being stewards of the land, Dude
Ranch operators are typically dedicated to preserving the beauty,
natural resources, and the original western ranch experiences that
attracted the first visitors. All preserve the open warmth and
hospitality of the first ranches and allow for the original western
ranch experience by requiring an extended stay.
The formation of lasting
bonds and memories still brings families back to ranches generation
after generation. This is truly a living testimony to the timelessness
of the values and standards of the original dude ranchers.
Today, as it did over a century ago, the western dude ranch experience
offers relief for both the body and spirit of those seeking refuge from the
pressures and routine of modern life. Most of these early visitors came to
stay for extended periods, weeks or months, and all were seen as guests in the
rancher's home. Each ranch developed its own special flavor, reflecting the
personality of its owner. It quickly became apparent that it was not only the
natural beauty of the area that was attracting the returning visitors, but also
the sharing of the picturesque, charming, and peculiar western ranch experience
and the ranchers' love of their way of life. The shared experiences quickly
formed lasting bonds between ranchers and guests and between the guests
themselves. This was an experience far different from the impersonal, often
isolated, experience of guests in hotels.
Picking
the Right Ranch for YOU!
When you say "dude ranch",
many folks think inexperienced riders on dead-head horses.
There are some dude ranches which cater to a clientele knowing
little about horses or riding and they offer a pseudo western experience
where square dances, hay rides, cookouts and jacuzzis are the main
attractions. Not all ranches are like that and they are as
contrasting in character and philosophy as the individual types
who run them. If serious riding on fine horses is your main
interest, here are some important points to consider in selecting
the ranch which best meet your ranch vacation expectations:
OWNER ATTITUDE
– Do the owners or
managers ride personally with their guests or do they feel they
have more important things to do? If riding is a top priority
with them, they will participate often. Hired managers can
be excellent, but if they are not the owners, the riding program
is less likely to have continuity because managers often come
and go. Family ranches with an established history are generally
a better bet than ones which have only been operating for a few
years.
Double E Ranch is family
owned and operated. Debbie and Alan Eggleston regularly
interact with guests, sharing meals, participating in most
activities. They'll welcome you into their home as guests
- most guests leave feeling like family!
THE HORSES
– Do the horses used at the
ranch belong to the ranch itself or are they rented? Many
ranches rent horses during the season only and are often
unfamiliar with the horses they get at the start of the season.
They have little control over the quality of these animals and
rented horses are usually not of top quality. This approach is
not likely to produce as good a string as the horses which have
been carefully selected over the years or raised and trained on
a ranch. If a ranch has its own horses and many or all of them
have been raised and trained there, it shows a real commitment
to an excellent riding program. Many guests enjoy seeing
newly born foals, stallions, brood mares and young horses in
training.
At Double E Ranch we own
all of our horses as well as conduct a breeding program using
registered quarter horse stallions. Our horses
are the most important component of our operation. We
select for disposition, temperament and willingness.
CLIENT/HORSE RATIO
- A vital factor to
consider is the client/horse ratio. If a ranch has only one
horse per client, the horses are going to be exhausted long
before the end of the season unless they are used very lightly.
A hard riding cowboy will need half a dozen horses used in
rotation so that they can be fresh enough to work well for
months on end. Guests are unlikely to ride that hard, but if
they are going to put a horse through its paces and cover some
ground in rough country, they will need at least two or better
three horses per serious riding client.
Double E Ranch has a small guest capacity
and more than 45 saddle horses in it's string. We'll do
our best to find just the right horses for you during your
stay.
TERRAIN AND LOCATION
– Ranches vary
greatly in the kind of terrain they have for riding. Some are
surrounded by flat, uninteresting country. Sometimes the ground
is very rocky and there are few places where one can ride safely
at any speed. Some ranches can ride in every direction with a
great variety of terrain from mountains and forest to alpine
meadows and sagebrush plains. Others are limited by steep
mountains, highways and no trespass neighbors. Some ranches are
far from paved roads and signs of civilization, but others are
located near highways and have buildings nearby. In some places
one can usually ride all day without seeing other people, but in
other places the riding trails are crowded with bikers and
hikers. Some ranches have rides in pristine wilderness areas and
others have fences, traffic noises, paved roads and houses near
the riding trails.
Double E Guest
Ranch is comprised of 30,000 acres of varied terrain. We
are surrounded on two sides by the 3 million acre Gila National. Definitely NOT
boring! The southwestern edge of the Gila Forest Region is
some of the most diverse in the U.S. ranging from miles of
creek bottom to steep canyons, to high mesas, to rugged
mountains.
PACE OF RIDES
– Few ranches today
allow riders to gallop around freely. Liability issues have
become too important. Many ranches do not want riders to
get out of a walk and others go no faster than a trot.
Rides can move at a faster pace safely if they are kept in small
groups and it is important to find out how big the riding groups
will be. Some ranches will take up to twenty people together
regardless of their experience. Others will send out groups of
six or less carefully matched according to ability which allows
guests to ride to the top of their ability. Determining ability
is vital in putting guests in the most suitable group for them.
If a ranch has a broad selection of horses, it is of the utmost
importance to match the rider to the most suitable mounts.
Height and weight are important, but so are the rider's seat and
the sensitivity of their hands.
At Double E Guest Ranch our focus is
horseback riding and cattle
related activities. We offer some of the safest as well as
challenging and most
exciting riding available on horses that are well conditioned,
accustomed to the rugged terrain and willing to take you where
you want to go.
TACK – It is vitally important that
the tack should be comfortable for both riders and horses. Does
the ranch have a broad selection of saddles? Are they careful to
select a saddle which will not have uncomfortable pressure
points on a horse? The rider can tell you if the saddle does not
suit, but the horse cannot. A poorly fitting saddle can cause a
horse to buck or act strangely and detract greatly from the
riding experience. Is care taken to give each horse a bit which
suits him and is fitted properly? Obviously the equipment
must be well maintained and headstalls, reins, girths and latigos checked and replaced periodically. Some ranches will
have Australian, endurance or English saddles as well as
western. Double E Guest Ranch uses
western tack which is better suited for the rugged terrain and
long hours in the saddle.
SAFETY – If you are enjoying your
life, safety should be a major consideration. Like most of
the world's exciting sports, horseback riding has inherent risks
and dangers. They can never be eliminated, but they can
be minimized without losing most of the thrill and pleasure.
Here are some of the ways Double E Guest
Ranch works to reduce risk: A) Match the horse and the rider carefully.
After careful observation, Double E Ranch
Staff diligently selects horse and saddle for the rider and
skill level. B) The pace of the ride should be slow enough for to be
comfortable for the least skillful rider in the group.
At
Double E Guest Ranch we often split riders into groups based on
skill and interest level. C) Each rider should get careful instructions in how to
handle this particular horse. A rider who is not in control of
his horse can endanger others as well as himself.
Double E Ranch Staff is happy to spend
instruction time in the arena working on control issues,
horsemanship or other problems before guests head out on the
trail. D) All ride leaders should be well qualified, have first
aid training and be attentive to all the riders with them. E) It is an added safety feature that ride leaders should
have quick communications to summon help in case of an accident.
Quick help can sometimes save a life and helicopter evacuations
are often the best option. Double E Ranch
Staff carry cellular telephones and First Aid Kits. F) It is important to see that cinches are properly
tightened, neither too loose nor too tight. They should be
checked before the rider mounts and again after a few minutes of
riding since horses often puff up at the start. G) As is the case with people, a small percentage of
horses cause most of the accidents. A safety conscious ranch
will be vigilant in getting rid of potential problems. They
cannot do this if they are not familiar with the horses they
have. That is one reason why owning, raising and training them
on the ranch is best. At Double E
Ranch we know our horses like we know our kids. Those with
problems too complicated or too unwilling to resolve aren't
kept. We make a monumental effort to find these
horses good homes with single riders which often solves many
problem behaviors. H) Head accidents are probably the worst kind. Wearing a
hard hat greatly reduces the danger of them. One has to decide
whether a pseudo Western experience with a Marlboro style hat is
worth the risk. Most ranches allow riders to ride without hard
hats. At Double E Guest Ranch we
provide riding helmets and encourage their use. However,
as responsible riders, we leave the decision up to you.
ATTITUDE TO HORSES
- Ranches have
totally different philosophies toward handling and training
horses. At Double E Guest
Ranch we encourage mutual respect between rider and horse. Our
guests are encouraged to feed, saddle and groom our horses.
However, out of respect for the horse, we ask that you let us
put bridles on. We know our animals and can anticipate
problems. Imagine 400 people poking into your mouth
every year?!
WORKING RANCHES
– Some ranches have
their own working cattle operation and others get all their
income from paying guests. Working cattle in partnership with a
good horse in the traditional Western sense can be an exciting
and rewarding experience. In many parts of the West it is still
the best way to move cattle from one part of a range to another.
Remember that there is a big difference between rounding up
cattle over a wide grazing area with varied terrain and driving
a herd of cows down a dusty road at a slow pace.
Double E Guest offers an authentic chance
to
work cattle.
Round ups, team penning or team sorting, barrel racing for fun,
learning to rope and improving your horsemanship
clinics
are all part of our
riding program.
PACK TRIPS
– If the ranch is near a
national forest, it may offer the opportunity to take a pack
trip into the wilderness for an overnight or more. These
wilderness trips can be a marvelous experience and provides a
chance to bond with the horses who will be your close companions
throughout the trip. You will see country which would be
difficult to visit in any other way. Keep in mind that this is
usually not an opportunity for fast riding as pack horses should
usually go at a walk and trails are often steep and rocky.
Double E Guest Ranch offers such an
opportunity. Our entire northern border adjoins the Gila
National Forest and Gila Wilderness Region. Join one of
our
Gila Nature Expeditions.
The experience will be one you will never forget!
WRANGLERS – A good wrangler
needs not only to know how to ride well, but they should be
attentive to those behind them and their problems. Sensitivity
to riders and horses is the great virtue, not macho strength.
At Double E Ranch, we are proud of our
entire
Staff.
They are extremely knowledgeable and willing to share that
knowledge, concerned for your safety, anxious to help you
have a great vacation.
INSTRUCTION – The horses at each ranch
are trained in a particular way which may not be the kind of
riding you are used to. For instance, if you are a dressage
rider, you will need to adapt to the ranch horses. They cannot
be retrained for the week you are there. Most places will give
at least some basic orientation as to how they expect you to
handle the horses. Some will offer instruction from qualified
riding instructors which can be videotaped for your later
viewing to get the best results. If you are not familiar with
the approved style of riding at the ranch you visit, you will be
more comfortable and get more out of the riding with a few hours
of instruction. Double E Ranch Staff is
happy to provide arena instruction so a rider gets the most out
of the visit. Double E Ranch horses will neck rein. Some
will respond well to leg pressure. They are comfortable with
riders posting or sitting a trot. We provide clinics on
Horsemanship, as well as Roping, Barrel Racing, Team Penning
Clinics.
Double E
Guest
Ranch
P.O. Box 280, Gila, New Mexico 88038 USA 866.242.3500
Long before the time of
Columbus and Coronado there were people living in southwestern New Mexico.
Hunting and grinding artifacts dating back 10,000 years have been found near
Headquarters. The region was home to the Mimbrenos, an advanced pre-historic
Indian culture. Highly artistic, they are known for
their exquisite
black-on-white pottery featuring nature motifs. The Mimbrenos made their homes farming and
hunting along the Gila River and Bear Creek, living in pit houses, shallow caves and small cliff
dwellings. Earlier Indian cultures most
certainly lived in the area.
Limited evidence of hunting by the earliest inhabitants (9500-6000BC) has been
found in several highland areas. Widespread
evidence of the Archaic Culture, which is considered part of the Cochise Culture
dating from 6000 BC to 300 AD, has been found in the region. 
when the
last wave of Asian immigrants entered the areas from the north, destined to form
two distinct modern tribes: The Apache and the Navaho. 
Story has it that
Geronimo and his band stole some pretty good mares from this and surrounding
ranches, killing
the colts to keep them from following. A group of local ranchers took chase,
following the trail to the base of the mountains near Turkey Creek where they found a mare with
her throat cut, still bleeding out.
Needless to say, the ranchers decided
right then the horses weren't worth THAT much, after all! All turned about
and headed back for home. Only 114 years have passed since the Apache Chief Geronimo surrendered,
permitting miners and homesteaders to explore and settle the Gila-Bear Creek
region without fear of Indian attack. 
Indulge your Cowboy Spirit with
a New Mexico working guest
ranch vacation, lots of horseback riding,
roundups, clinics, spectacular New Mexico vistas and the undiluted, real sensations of
ranch life in southwestern New Mexico. Unlike many working dude
ranches or guest ranches,
, Geronimo, Judge Roy Bean, "Dangerous" Dan
Tucker and Ben Lilly. The 3.3
million acre Gila (HEE-la) National Forest and pristine Gila Wilderness
are our back yard! A working New Mexico cattle and horse ranch
consisting of nearly 30,000 acres, the
. The West was ill-prepared to receive this
onslaught. Those limited accommodations that did exist
in the frontier towns hardly measured up to the standards of the new visitors.
The formation of lasting
bonds and memories still brings families back to ranches generation
after generation. This is truly a living testimony to the timelessness
of the values and standards of the original dude ranchers.
