Llamas on the Trail

[homeranch]

Interesting comments Phil.

Having a llama carry a weight 1/3 of what a person normally carries does not make sense to me, was there a reason for the light loads?

It takes us no more than two hours from the time I get up to make coffee, eat breakfast, break camp, pack load and leave even with 5 llamas. We have assigned chores, and move expeditiously, but not with unseemingly haste.

If I get up at 6:00 AM we are on the trail by eight, which is reasonable I think for 4-5-6-7-8 people.

I get up first as it is my job to make sure my wife gets her coffee first thing

Using llamas as a basecamp works well, as does traveling each day. Here is an account of a basecamp trip; http://www.greatbasinguide.com/northtwintrip.htm

[madeintahoe]

Thank you for posting this....I bet your Llamas are very cute!....I have only seen a few while backpacking and hiking.. 1st time was through the Paria River Canyon in Utah/AZ. they really seemed to enjoy being in that canyon and then here in Tahoe...the Tahoe Rim trail crew volunteer used two of her Llamas to help with trail work...she had them carry supplies to a base camp....they were all so beautiful, I really enjoyed seeing them out there

Thank you again.

[gdurkee]

gdurkee, you are a back country ranger in Yosemite?

When we were kids we went to Tenaya Lake every summer for two weeks. my dad would take off to Sunrise Lakes to fish and leave us really little kids to play at the lake and meadow. Ruined me for any sort of real job.

We had a ranger come and give great campfire talks, we would sing songs like "Little Chief Tenaya sat on a Fiya (fire)

Years later I learned that was Carl Sharsmith (did I spell it right)

By chance do you know Olaf Carmel former ranger, or Victoria Brown, former ranger, now at the Inyo in Bridgport (now being sometime in the last 5 years)

Homeranch:

Yes, you had the great luck to have met the legendary Sharsmith. He started as a ranger/naturalist in Yosemite in, I think, the early 30s and worked into the early 90s. He was a professor of botany at San Jose State University and a recognized authority in alpine flora. Most of all, though, he was a great ranger with an incredible knowledge of the natural history of the Sierra.

I don't remember Olaf Carmel or Victoria Brown. I worked as a seasonal backcountry ranger in Yosemite in the 70s, but have been in Sequoia Kings since then (though until a few years ago I did work Ostrander in winters for about 20 years as relief ranger).

I can also credit Carl for saving me from a life of power ties and firm handshakes.

George

[homeranch]

the Tahoe Rim trail crew volunteer used two of her Llamas to help with trail work...she had them carry supplies to a base camp....they were all so beautiful, I really enjoyed seeing them out there

I wonder if that was Debbi Waldear? She had llamas for years.

gdurkee. Carl was an amazing guy, He made quite an impression on a little kid. We did a trip a few years ago, in over Cottonwood and out over Kearsarge, just before Forester Pass we met your Park Superintendint who was with another woman leading a pack horse. So, she got to meet our llamas and family.

[homeranch]

Here we are, a year and a few months down the road. I thought I would revive this thread, as, our boys are now for sale.

I am the kind of guy who is constantly changing obsessions and hobbies. As I look back over the years at my past hobbies, scuba, rock climbing, skiing, sailing, etc, I have come to accept my pattern, I have done much the same with jobs, and to pull up Durkee's? post quote,

I can also credit Carl for saving me from a life of power ties and firm handshakes.

Carl and Lake Tenaya did the same for me. But that would be digressing.

So anyway, we currently have three well trained llamas for sale with all tack. They must go to someone who will pack with them. And we need to meet and approve of the purchaser. We want them to get back out and hike, so this is a bit different than selling, say a bike rack, this is actually moving the boys on to more adventures.

If you are, a climber tired of hauling 100lbs into base camp on your back.
If you are a backpacker who likes the idea of ultra light but would prefer not to look at meal time with a sense of dread.
If you have backpacked up south facing slopes in the hot sun with a backpack, sweat pouring off you like the headwaters of a small creek.
If you are a bit older and your back cringes at the sight of your loaded back pack.
If you are the parents of young children and have felt you could not haul both your children and your gear into the back hills.

You might want a pack string of llamas. If our three are in shape, they can carry 80lbs apiece, or 240lbs total, which is about 6 backpackers loads.

If you want to know more about them, you can read back through this thread, I put a lot of information into my prior posts, and you may check their site; http://wanderingthewest.com/llama/llamasale.html

[Wandering Daisy]

I have talked with many goat packers and they all swear that goats are better than llamas. As with ANY animal, you really have to be into animals - I personally do not think the chore of keeping an animal 365 days a year balances the advantage on the trail, even if you are out 60 days a year. I would, however, love to hire a commercial packer who uses llamas (instead of horses) to bring in resupplies. Although it sounds good in theory, people who say they will still pack "minimalist" and use the extra capacity of the llamas for food only, usually end up throwing in extra comfort items. I have never seen a group with goats, llamas, horses or mules go "minimalist".

[homeranch]

I have talked with many goat packers and they all swear that goats are better than llamas.

And llama packers will tell you that llamas are better than goats, some people prefer Chevys to Fords. Others Fords to Chevys. Personally, I don't like goats, never mind packing with them, I just don't like them.

As with ANY animal, you really have to be into animals - I personally do not think the chore of keeping an animal 365 days a year balances the advantage on the trail, even if you are out 60 days a year.

There really isn't much chore to keeping animals, llamas or horses or mules or goats. Takes me five minutes in the morning to feed the horses, llamas and now, Betty the mule, and the same in the evening, that is about it. I think if you have children, tending animals is a great way to build respect for animals, and to learn responsibility. My children are all grown now, and they all appreciate our animals, my daughter who just graduated high school and will move away for college told me I could not sell them, as they are part of the family, we negotiated.

That said, you do need a little land, an acre will do fine.


I would, however, love to hire a commercial packer who uses llamas (instead of horses) to bring in resupplies. Although it sounds good in theory, people who say they will still pack "minimalist" and use the extra capacity of the llamas for food only, usually end up throwing in extra comfort items. I have never seen a group with goats, llamas, horses or mules go "minimalist".

You haven't seen us, or me. We can go with the niceties, why not? for a 5 or 7 day trip, we precook fancy meals and freeze with dry ice, and we carry salad makings and frozen orange juice, and a table, a two burner cook stove and chairs for everyone. We can also go minimalist, imagine 20 lbs of gear and 240 pounds of food, you can stay out for months, if you wish.