It's Training Season (finally)

[squirrel]

Holy moly what a spring it has been. If indeed we had any spring. I went with 3 new boys and a couple been there done that guys on an antler hunting /training run once my beloved government deemed it to be proper and legal. Didn't do well on the horns nor on the trip, though it was not a llama problem but a "me" problem. I had a couple moments with one young fella as usual in the first few hundred yards before he settled down to do his job. Nothing unusual about this for a young llama on his first trip of the season.





Came home and ended up in the hospital, glad I made it off the mountain without a helicopter fee.

While waiting for the medical bureaucrats to decide when to cut me I made time to do a parade with a few of the fellas allowing the young girls to swoon over them (us)... This is not an easy job and i strongly recommend that young inexperienced guys with washboard abs not attempt it. It takes a certain maturity and physique to pull it off without injury to any of the parties.

Tomorrow starts a critical training step letting them get poked and molested at the YMCA by gazzillions of city folks who don't know which end poops. If they pass muster there they can handle about anything a normal rental will throw their way, and then come the big parade of the summer on the 4th I may take 6... what could possibly go wrong?? Thousands of people, alcohol, and explosives, all that is lacking is a string of pack llamas walking down the street!

 

[squirrel]

They do point animals better than most dogs I have had the pleasure to yell at!

We won first place with animals at the 4th of july parade, complete with trophy of course to go with the bragging rights.

Just got back from a 25 mile loop through some gorgeous country with a couple of client/ friends of mine. All the llamas did fine (we took 8, 3 older and 5- 4 year olds) Went off trail which was difficult on my neophyte friends but a great work out for the wooly boys. Everyone learned a lot including me about taking people into the deep end of the pool before they are quite ready!

Saw mucho elkos and deeros and a lot of very pretty country. Some of the elk were not far from joining the herd as they gawked and barked at these strange looking creatures.

 

[njdoxie]

Enjoy your posts you always manage to put a funny spin on things.
I would like to hook up with you next year for a training run, but as you say, until concrete plans are made it’s all barstool bs. If we meet up in 2020, I’m expecting a steady stream of funny comments, don’t let me down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[squirrel]

Wife claims I am one big let down after another, but wtf does she know?

Cow elk weren't the only females barking at me. Diane double winged me after a small rodeo on a very steep descent after the trail disappeared on their ruggedly handsome and personable guide, wasn't his fault as it was under 30-40 feet of snow still and at best was used by two field mice in the last century before being made an official "trail"...

Little did she realize that I have a force field against the double wing brought on by daily marital assaults. I'm even immune to the single wing which is where one hand is busy holding a drink, and the barbed tongue is sharper, honed by consumption of same.

Seemed to me calf ratio is low, bulls were everywhere, horn growth was getting on towards being over, with some fine animals, snow pack was unreal with our off trail efforts in the timber running into 5' deep drifts making for some very challenging navigation with pack stock in tow.

 

[squirrel]

Got the call to help out on the Leadville 100 mile footrace. They stock an aid station at treeline on hope pass using llamas. My buddy runs it and had a bunch of people back out at the last minute and asked me to cough up some llamas.

I took 8 of my "A" team as i thought I may have to lead them all by myself round trip, but was able to pawn off 4 to a young couple who were there to volunteer but had not brought their llamas.

The base camp was a fun time with lots of good fires and lies, but the drama started as soon as we headed up the mountain. One volunteer collapsed with a heart attack in the first mile and it took 3-1/2 hours to get him to medical attention via helicopter lift, he is still not out of danger yet, he had a lot of blockage and was without blood for WAY too long.

Camp was beautiful but tempered in revelry due to the uncertainty of our friends condition. I left to cover some rental business and the race occurs today, them 100 miler boys are a bit nuts!

About 2000 pounds of food and medical support was delivered to 12000 feet via the 20+ llama pack train and 4 mules the race organizer hired for some big bulky stuff.

 

[hobbes]

Hope the heart attack guy pulls through. Lived In Leadville May 07 to Sept 11. The 100 was always a busy time of year. Visited back in July.

 

[squirrel]

All the boys are out making their hay money so I thought it would be a good time to go pick up six new and put saddles on next year's trainee class. Nice looking young fellas 4 boys 2 girls Girls are for sale asap as i don't have room for the chaos they bring. 2-1/2 year olds were super easy to saddle up I'm sure they will make up

for it when the panniers get tossed on! The new foursome are behind watching in the 3 rd pic

 

[EastMont]

Super cool! Keep us updated! I do the burro race in leadville so maybe we will have to meet up if your around next summer.

 

[RickH]

Are those the girls in the pics? Sent you a PM.

 

[squirrel]

Well with the Corona thing this spring has begun in earnest while staying home and isolated. Refresher courses for the 3 I got saddle started last fall while adding additional lessons on top of the repetition. One I acquired last fall belongs in this age group, (3 years old ), appropriately named Leaper as he LEAPED out of his pen and went rogue for a year. He is getting special tutoring to bring him up with the rest of his age class. Saddle training, pack string training, then yesterday pannier day, aka rodeo day (it did not disappoint) Dental day is coming! Everyone's favorite!

 

[weatherbow21]

I have two young llamas and two more I'm picking up this weekend, they'll be 2 years old this fall, how soon do you guys start training with packs on? Is 2 way to young to take on a trip into the mountains? Not loaded up of course, just with packs on and a little weight to let them know its there.

 

[Paul M]

These boys are 11and 12 months and have had saddles on them since 6 months , they all have saddles and empty panniers

 

[Blueticker1]

I'm headed to cut fighting teeth in about 30 minutes, not looking forward to it but apparently its gotta be done.

 

[Blueticker1]

Hair and teeth done, probably not going to make a living clipping llamas but it will work

 

[weatherbow21]

These boys are 11and 12 months and have had saddles on them since 6 months , they all have saddles and empty panniers
View attachment 175093

I need to get the packs loaded on my boys, they're virgin to that still. What I'm curious about is how soon I could take them on an actual trip, not full on packing but loaded light?

 

[Blueticker1]

From everything I've been told 4 years old

 

[Paul M]

Get the saddles on them as soon as you can
just tie them out in the yard with the saddles on the ground next to them for a couple hours so they get use to it
Then put the saddles on them while they are tied up in the yard and just let them eat for a couple hours
then start doing training hikes with saddles on , after that put on empty panniers then if all is well stuff the panniers with something light to give it some size like a pillow or sleeping bag of equal weight on both sides , might be a small rodeo at this point .
Then hit the trail so they can learn how to get past a tree with all the plus size gear they are wearing
I am training four 3 year old females that i will put about 50 lbs each this summer they are really good in a string on the trail
I would get them up the hill as soon as you can , your first trip shouldn't be your big trip
be aware they need practice and to be in shape or they may lay down if they get tired

Paul

 

[Paul M]

Yes 4 yrs old for full weight

 

[squirrel]

did you get all six teeth??

Hair and teeth done, probably not going to make a living clipping llamas but it will work

I had dental day and it was a huge disappointment, have some late bloomers here and two had bumps only under the gum line, no teeth to be seen. Only one had all 3 sets of a cuttable size. Guess there is always next year. Waiting on spring to show up as my 4 are ready for a trail run with minimal weight.

Aint nothing worse than going out for a spring trail run with nothing but the crocs/loin cloth thing going and having single digits and frozen water buckets...

 

[squirrel]

I need to get the packs loaded on my boys, they're virgin to that still. What I'm curious about is how soon I could take them on an actual trip, not full on packing but loaded light?

There is no true set answer to your question it is a function of pounds/miles/difficulty of the trail. But the price of over doing it is severe, always ere on the side of less is more and bring them slowly, you will thank me later.

Perfect first trip would be a level mile or two on a trail with the llamas carrying a load of clothing-sleeping bag-top pack of pillow/sleeping pad Total weight of 10-15 lbs of payload (3 yr olds)

Stake them out have some dinner sleep the night and retreat next day. Increase miles more than pounds on subsequent trips. Loads of more than 30 or so pounds should be for fully grown llamas (4)