| In Love with Llamas |
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 I awoke and looked up, peering into the Northern California sky on a cool night. I counted three falling stars. Hiking the day before was at times strenuous, but we did it with the comfort and indeed luxury of having llamas carry most of the load.
My children and I carried our daypacks, but llamas carried the rest-tent, sleeping bags, stove, food, clothes and gear. It made the climb much easier. We also were able to enjoy wonderfully delicious food packed into coolers carried by our llama "luggage carriers." Gentle, quiet and sure-footed, llamas make ideal trail companions. Ancestral natives of South America's Andes Mountains, until fairly recently most llamas in this country were caged in petting zoos where, oftentimes feeling crowded by humans eager to touch them, they developed a reputation for spitting. Treated with respect and given sufficient room to maneuver, no self-respecting llama spits.  Llamas easily carry 40- to 60-pound loads, can be led individually or in a string, and get along marvelously well with children. Because their padded feet and personal habits have about the same impact on fragile backcountry terrain as do those of deer, llamas are popular with environmentally conscious travelers. Families, hikers and anyone tired of carrying a heavy backpack appreciate how easy it is to move overland with a llama. Llamas have a non-threatening bearing-they look as though they're always smiling-and because they have no upper front teeth, the animals can't bite effectively. Weighing 250-400 pounds and standing 5-7 feet tall (to the tops of their heads), most pack llamas are extraordinarily polite. They possess qualities of temperament and intelligence that make them ideal hiking companions for children and their parents. They stop when trails narrow to let you go first, never accidentally step on your feet, and let you know with an almost apologetic hum when something's not quite right with their packs or the way you're leading them.  While llamas are polite, they're no pushovers. When overly effusive displays of human affection offend their dignity, the animals slowly back away, flatten their ears and fix the neck hugger with a disapproving stare.Northern California offers opportunities to hike with llamas alongside rivers, streams and canyons, as well as through forested areas, including old-growth forests. Llama pack trips make for a wonderful family vacation. The Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association offers information regarding Llama trekking in Butte, Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties. Contact Director of Tourism Karen Whitaker at (530) 365-7500 or visit www.shastacascade.com. For guided llama trips in Shasta County, the Highland Llama Trekkers, based in Grass Valley, offer trekking in Northern California's beautiful Trinity Alps and in the High Sierras. You can stay local: they will meet you at a trailhead, or at a restaurant for breakfast first. During your trip, relax and fish (fishing gear provided) or swim while delicious meals are prepared for you. Hike at a comfortable pace that allows time for photography and breaks. Trip fees are $295 per person for a three-day trip, additional days are $75 per person per day; includes meals, tents and gear. Highland Llama Trekkers are extremely flexible, love to share their knowledge, and will create a trip that caters to your needs. Offers day, overnight and drop trips. Call Brian Purvis & Lorene Grassick at (530) 273-8105 or visit www.llamapacker.net.  The Broken Wheel Llama Ranch offers guided llama trips to Northern California's remote Marble Mountains, Trinity Alps and Russian Wilderness within the Klamath National Forest. Hike along creeks and enjoy gorgeous lakes. Catered trips with meals featuring fresh healthy foods cost $180 per person per day, children ages 6 and under $90 per day; include tents and gear. They also offer drop trips, and will happily customize a trip for you; Broken Wheel Llama Ranch treks are a favorite experience for youth groups such as Scouts. For more information, contact Judy and David Inghram, (530) 468-2559, or visit www.llamapacktrips.com.When participating in a llama trek, you can walk on your own and enjoy the freedom of the trail, or you can lead a llama (or sometimes a string of llamas). The animals will follow wherever you go - it's as easy as holding onto a leash. Llama trekking allows hikers to walk quietly through the Northern California wilderness with an animal companion who will interrupt neither the serenity nor the opportunity to see wild creatures in their native habitat -in one of America's grandest showcases.  When choosing a guide service, look for one who has been in business for several years and has done the same route many times. If you are not a veteran of the wilderness, you are relying on their expertise to provide an enjoyable experience. Be sure to find out what gear you should bring - an experienced guide service/outfitter will provide you with a detailed list of what to bring and what is provided.For backpackers who are used to agonizing over whether to carry an extra pair of socks, llama packing may feel indulgent. Hiking purists who want to sweat it out for awesome views and to suffer for their suppers may find a llama pack trip too cushy. But for individuals who dislike being their own pack animals, and for families and those who avoid backpacking altogether because of the discomforts associated with lugging pounds of cooking and camping gear up a mountainside, llama pack trips are a dream come true. Joe Zentner is a freelance writer, photographer and animal lover who has hiked with llamas in several areas of California. |
March 2010
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