d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • s u m m e r 2 0 1 5
16
I
n summer it's time to venture into the back-
country and camp under the stars, sit by the
campfire, listen to wolves howl in the night,
wake to calls of cranes at sunrise. Yellowstone
National Park beckons with over 1,300 miles of trails to be
explored and charming campsites along creeks and rivers,
in canyons, and on the shores of high country lakes to be
called home for a few nights. Let's go! But then again, there
is the unpleasant prospect of a heavy pack on a tired back for
miles on end. And who really wants to sleep on a paper-thin
mattress? And that freeze-dried food? Isn't there somebody
who can carry our load for us? Some way we can bring that
extra blanket, the bigger stove, the yummy chili, the bottle
of wine?
Enter the llama, backcountry sherpa on four legs with
an endearing personality to boot. Aloof yet cooperative,
the llama is the hiker's choice of pack animal that is easy to
handle and easy on the environment with its soft two-toed
feet and browsing habits similar to native ungulates such as
elk and deer. Even its bean-shaped dung blends in conve-
niently with that of local herbivores. ese South Ameri-
can imports are one of the oldest domestic animals in the
world. Over 6,000 years of selective breeding have made
them the safest and easiest-to-train pack animals. Llamas
carry the load entrusted to them with nonchalant dignity,
follow their handler with little training, and generally are
a delight on the trail. eir charming banana-shaped ears
swivel as they scan the sounds of the wild and alert their
TrekkIng
wITh
LLamas
by SuSi HülSmEyEr-SiNay
