Llamas on the Trail

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
Ozark Flip
Topix Regular
Posts: 373
Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 12:31 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Escalon & Cottonwood California

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by Ozark Flip »

Precisely Eric....dynamite. Whew dogs, all the trees and brush turned redish brown.

I wondered if anyone else had heard of this.

Flip
User avatar
gdurkee
Founding Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:20 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by gdurkee »

Campers:

Yep, dynamite. Very common when a horse or mule is close to the trail or water and there's not a pack of hungry bears close at hand. Short straw blaster.

Ozark: interesting about the foam. None in our case. Have to remember that. Thanks.

George
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by rlown »

gdurkee wrote:Yep, dynamite. Very common when a horse or mule is close to the trail or water and there's not a pack of hungry bears close at hand. Short straw blaster.
Ok, I'll bite. Who is carrying dynamite in the backcountry?

Russ
Ozark Flip
Topix Regular
Posts: 373
Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 12:31 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Escalon & Cottonwood California

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by Ozark Flip »

rlown,

Most carry dynamite for fishing. :lol: Just kidding!

I was told that it is the responsibility of the sommelier to drag your animal 100' feet from any trail or water. The backcountry ranger will then detonate it.

Flip
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by rlown »

soo,

On any given day, how much dynamite is our average backcountry ranger carrying, or is there another special bearicade that one has to carry their dynamite in?

I like the fishing idea. might actually be lighter than all the tackle i'm carrying. :-#
User avatar
ERIC
Your Humble Host & Forums Administrator
Your Humble Host & Forums Administrator
Posts: 3254
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 9:13 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: between the 916 and 661

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by ERIC »

Ozark Flip wrote:Precisely Eric....dynamite. Whew dogs, all the trees and brush turned redish brown.

I wondered if anyone else had heard of this.

Flip
Long story and details are fuzzy since the story was told to me some time ago, but the horse wasn't the only death on the trip. Apparently, the packer himself had a heart attack and perished the following night. And that's the G-rated version. The rest of the story having to do with the fate of the dead packer's body is pretty disturbing. :puke:

If anyone here knows Jim Fisher, then you probably know the story. :)
New members, please consider giving us an intro!
Follow us on Twitter @HighSierraTopix. Use hashtags #SIERRAPHILE #GotSierra? #GotMountains?
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HighSierraTopix
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by rlown »

Sorry for the dynamite diversion, but i'd kinda like to know if my ranger friends out there carry dynamite.

Back to llamas. Homeranch, how do you train your llamas for carrying a "pack" if you will, and which packs/panniers do you prefer and why?

Russ
User avatar
hikerduane
Founding Member
Posts: 1268
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:58 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Meadow Valley, CA

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by hikerduane »

I guess I'll give the Backcountry Rangers a little more room. I'm surprised though, that the Ranger below Little Pete Meadow last summer was only using a fishing pole.:)
Piece of cake.
User avatar
homeranch
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:02 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by homeranch »

Packs and Panniers are a great source of argument among llama packers, there are those who swear by one thing or another, I use what I got at a good price, Idaho Llama Gear, which is out of business now built aluminum Sawbucks from which the panniers hung. They work very well, for a saddle pad I use carpet samples from Home depot, they are thick and cushy and cheap.

Regarding transport, Even from Truckee in the Sierra the east side trails were up to 6 hours away, now that we are on the coast, times will be similar, but, there you go.

Another couple of llama items.

They walk at 2-2.5 mph, roughly what I hike at or a little slower, but a fine and reasonable pace. I seldom do more than 10 miles a day, which is a tad less than I do backpacking, but, keeping the beasts safe and sound is the most important thing. I do carry a pistol in case I have to put one down (easier than bashing in its head with a rock, but, I have never had to do so and never intend to.

Training, buy trained llamas, they don't cost much, I have never spent more than $1,000 and two of my strongest packers were free. As far as obstacle, creek crossing, leading, On the job training is the key. As you walk and train you and the llamas are getting fit.

I got my first date with my wife by convincing her little girls that they would just love a llama hike, but you have to clear it with your mother, naturally she had to come along, which was the whole point! Our lives together grew with llama trips, horsepack trips (yes we do that also) and hikes. Romantic little buggers those llamas are.
User avatar
gdurkee
Founding Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:20 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Llamas on the Trail

Post by gdurkee »

Sorry for the dynamite diversion, but i'd kinda like to know if my ranger friends out there carry dynamite.
Extremely good news. Backcountry rangers carry a lot of junk that we wouldn't otherwise carry were we not paid so much (e.g. a calculator to figure out our bonuses & 401K), but dynamite is not something we carry. Only trail crews and then only a few with a blaster's license. Even then, they don't routinely carry explosives unless they know they've got a big rock or something that needs blowing up. Then they order it and it's either flown or hauled in by mule.

Another dynamite story: I was rustling around looking for garbage at Vidette Meadow many years ago. I found a tin inside of which was a sheet of newspaper from 1918 and some weird copper tubes. Took it back to the station. My much brighter supervisor looked at them and said "hey, those are blasting caps." Yep. Trail crew blaster came in and blew them up.

Not as bright as we could be sometimes... .

g.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Gogd, Google Adsense [Bot] and 150 guests