The Two-L Llama
Photography: Timothy Thimmes
There’s a new face in the American West: one that startles horses, impresses cowboys, and endears hikers. The llama, the predecessor to today’s camel, is now a common sight on some of Utah’s trails.
When Shirley Weathers and Bill Walsh take to the hills, their llamas do their packing for them. As the operators of Rosebud Llamas in nearby Fruitland, Utah, they know what the ancient Peruvians knew for millennia: llamas are versatile, intelligent, and sure-footed. They’re gentle, strong, and calm, and have keen eyesight and hearing.
Llamas can be good pets for many reasons. They’ll easily haul 80-pound loads and forage for food as they go. They protect herds of sheep, provide animal therapy for humans, and their wool is ideal for knitting and weaving. Llamas can be led by a child, go almost anywhere, and their padded feet leave no trace of their passing. They don’t bite, dig, bark, or have fleas. And their annoying yet infrequent habit of spitting is usually just between llamas.
Locals Craig and Rita Miller fell in love with llamas a decade ago. “We needed some animals for our Greenbelt tax status,” says Craig, “so we got a few llamas.” That “few” eventually turned into 26 animals at their Woodland ranch. The Millers then began renting out their llamas to accompany hikers. “Within 40 minutes, we can train anyone to handle them,” he says. “They’re herd animals, so they follow along well,” he adds.
Oakley photographer Tim Thimmes bought a couple of Craig’s animals for his wife on her 50th birthday. “I wanted her to go into the mountains with me, but she wasn’t going to carry anything anymore, says Thimmes. “Now every summer we take groups of friends for day hikes into the Uintas. Because of the llamas, we’ll take chairs, ice chests, and gourmet food. We sip a little wine, watch the sun on the peaks, and still make it back down before dark.”
“Llamas are really easy to take care of,” adds Thimmes. “They don’t really care much about people. They don’t startle easily, and you’ll spend more money feeding your dog than your llama.”
Rosebud Llamas takes guests on multi-day trips into three of Utah’s premier scenic areas: the Uintas, San Rafael Desert, or historic Brown’s Park along the Green River. Their 13 llamas are bred for their athleticism and long legs. Camping and hiking with llamas is healthy exercise, yet relaxing. There’s no strain, no heavy backpack and since you don’t have to carry light weight freeze-dried food, you can cook up real gourmet feasts for dinner.
“The more affection you give llamas, the more they seem to respond,” says Shirley Weathers. “We just want to introduce a great animal to great people in amazing places,” she says. Who would want more than that?
For more information about llamas, see www.llama.org or www.rosebudllamasutah.com.
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