There are places in Nebraska where the landscape still feels untamed. Places where the wind moves through the ponderosa pines, cattle trails disappear into the hills, and the rhythms of ranch life continue much as they have for generations.

One of those places is the Ponderosa Ranch in the Pine Ridge Escarpment of northwest Nebraska.

Located within the Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area, the 3,500-acre ranch serves as a working cattle operation while also offering hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, elk, coyote, and mountain lion, along with guided horseback trail rides through some of the most rugged and beautiful country in the state, and spectacular views for rail fans.

Near the iconic Crawford Hill (Breezy Point), the ranch offers visitors a unique way to experience the remarkable landscape and wilderness of northwest Nebraska from horseback.

I was fortunate enough to meet Marci McGowan and Jayme Lefor after they had seen some of my photography online, and they graciously invited me to the ranch to photograph both the scenery and their annual spring cattle branding.

Arriving in the Pine Ridge after the long trip from Lincoln on Thursday, I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring. After dinner I photographed Chimney Butte and caught sight of the distant Ash Pole Wildfire burning beyond East Ash Creek Road beneath a dramatic sunset sky.

Friday was spent photographing throughout the region before arriving at the ranch Friday afternoon to say hello and meet everyone.

The Ponderosa Ranch itself carries a deep sense of history. Established in 1900, the main house originally served as a stagecoach stop long before modern transportation came along. Over the decades, several owners shaped the property before the Lund family purchased it in the early 2000s and named it the Ponderosa Ranch. Jayme later purchased the ranch in 2020. Before becoming the Ponderosa, it had long been known locally as the Paris Place, named after a former owner.

Today the ranch includes barns, corrals, open pastures, and a four-person guest cabin on the property. The operation supports not only cattle, but also hunters, horseback riders, and railroad enthusiasts drawn to nearby Crawford Hill, where BNSF trains climb Nebraska’s steepest rail grade at 1.55 percent through the famous twin horseshoe curves below Breezy Point.

The cattle branding began early Saturday morning.

I arrived shortly after sunrise to prepare my camera gear and drone equipment while ranch hands, neighbors, friends, and family members were already beginning to move cattle into the corrals. Dust drifted through the morning light as horses paced slowly along the fencing and cattle gathered tightly together inside the pens.

Over the course of the morning and early afternoon, approximately 130 head of cattle were worked.

Groups of calves were herded into corrals where the branding crews worked with remarkable speed and coordination. One by one, calves were roped by the back legs and pulled carefully from the herd before being wrestled to the ground by each team of experienced hands who had clearly performed this work countless times before.

Every movement seemed choreographed through repetition and experience.

One person controlled the front legs and head while another removed the rope and secured the rear legs. Vaccinations were administered quickly and efficiently before the branding irons were brought forward from the nearby fire.

When the heated iron touched hide, smoke and flames curled upward instantly into the morning air. The sharp scent of burning hair and singed hide mixed with dust, sweat, leather, and livestock drifting across the ranch. It was harsh and unforgettable, yet also deeply tied to the history and reality of ranch life across Nebraska and throughout the cattle ranching country of the American West.

Branding itself dates back centuries and remains one of the most practical ways for ranchers to permanently identify cattle grazing across large open ranges where herds from neighboring ranches may intermingle.

On the Pine Ridge, it still feels less like spectacle and more like continuity—a demanding but necessary tradition carried forward through generations of working ranch families.

After the first brand was applied, a second mark followed. For steers, castration was performed quickly afterward before the animal was released and allowed to return to the herd.

Throughout the morning, several ranch dogs wandered constantly around the branding operation, eagerly waiting nearby for discarded scraps. One of the dogs in particular became slightly too enthusiastic in his efforts and eventually overindulged before briefly retreating to recover. Not long afterward, however, he returned immediately to continue gathering and burying more prizes for later.

Even in the middle of hard physical work, moments like that brought laughter to those of us watching the spectacle.

What stood out most to me throughout the day was the efficiency and teamwork involved. Nothing about the operation felt chaotic despite the noise, movement, dust, horses, barking dogs, and constant motion of cattle through the pens.

Everyone knew exactly where to stand, when to move, and what came next.

The branding was not some sort of romanticized theater or staged western imagery. It was skilled labor carried out by people deeply familiar with both the animals and the land itself.

That authenticity is what stayed with me most after leaving the ranch.

The Pine Ridge is often photographed for its dramatic landscapes, pine forests, buttes, and storms. Yet places like the Ponderosa Ranch also reveal another side of the region—one shaped not only by scenery, but by working ranches, livestock, horses, weather, tradition, and the people who continue to build their lives within this rugged country.

In many ways, the branding was not simply about cattle.

It was about continuity.

A way of life still surviving beneath the pines and escarpments of northwest Nebraska.

Dinner, Horses, and Trains

After the branding wrapped up, everyone gathered for dinner.

The work may have been over, but the day certainly wasn't.

Dinner consisted of tacos with the shells crisped on the grill along with a generous helping of Cowboy Caviar. If you've never had Cowboy Caviar before, it's a colorful mixture of beans, black-eyed peas, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, avocado, and a variety of other ingredients that somehow come together into something far greater than the sum of their parts. Like many ranch recipes, I suspect a few secret ingredients remain known only to the people making it.

After a long morning and early afternoon of working cattle, helping neighbors, and documenting the experience through my lens, it tasted especially good.

As we ate, we listened to a fascinating presentation by Chris Kness of Unbridled Valor, an equine therapy program serving military veterans.

Chris spoke about the benefits of horses and equine-assisted therapy, as well as the use of cryotherapy for both horses and veterans. It was an interesting discussion and another reminder that ranches often serve purposes beyond agriculture alone. They can also be places of healing, learning, and community.

With dinner finished and storm clouds beginning to build on the horizon, it was time for one more adventure.

Marci paired me with a black Tobiano Paint horse named Azure.

That immediately brought back memories of my own horse years ago, a black Tobiano Paint named Speedy. Sitting in the saddle again felt surprisingly familiar, and before long we were making our way through the pine-covered hills of the ranch.

The trail wound through stands of ponderosa pine and across open ridges overlooking the surrounding landscape. Eventually we descended toward the railroad tracks below Crawford Hill and continued climbing toward Breezy Point, hoping to catch a train making its way up Nebraska's steepest rail grade.

From the hilltop I launched my drone to photograph the famous horseshoe curves and the surrounding Pine Ridge landscape. The approaching storm made for dramatic skies, but it also brought increasing winds. Before long the gusts became strong enough that it seemed wise to bring the drone back down.

As we turned our horses back toward the ranch, we suddenly heard a train. The distant sound echoed through the hills.

I quickly dismounted, grabbed my camera, and hurried into position just in time to photograph the train as it climbed the grade below us.

Sometimes photography requires careful planning.

Other times it simply rewards being in the right place at the right moment.

This was one of those moments.

The combination of the branding, the horses, the landscape, the railroad, and the people made for one of the most memorable experiences I have had while photographing the Pine Ridge.

What impressed me most throughout the weekend was not simply the scenery, although the scenery was remarkable.

It was the hospitality. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed not as an outsider with a camera, but as a guest.

If you're looking for an authentic Pine Ridge experience—whether that's hunting, horseback riding, train watching, photography, or simply spending time in one of Nebraska's most beautiful and overlooked regions—I would highly recommend contacting Marci McGowan and Jayme Lefor at the Ponderosa Ranch.

Website: Ponderosa Ranch | Explore & Book Your Adventure

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 1+701-290-2363

The Pine Ridge remains one of Nebraska's most remarkable landscapes.

After spending a weekend at the Ponderosa Ranch, it's clear that the people who call it home are every bit as remarkable as the land itself.

What began as an opportunity to photograph a cattle branding became much more than that. I left with a deeper appreciation for the ranching traditions that continue to shape the Pine Ridge, countless new photographs, and memories that will stay with me for a long time.

Most importantly, I left having made some new friends.

The Pine Ridge has a way of doing that. I'm already looking forward to returning this fall to photograph the ranch once again as the herd is gathered and brought in from pasture. Until then, I'll continue sorting through the images and memories from a weekend that perfectly captured the landscape, people, and traditions that make this corner of Nebraska so special.