LEADVILLE, Colo. – The Leadville Ranger District of the US Forest Service is recruiting some fluffy friends to help maintain its public trails.
Llamas have joined the team, helping carry heavy equipment up and down the steep, mountain paths.
“The llamas are a really helpful pack animal that just helps us go farther and faster into the wilderness because they help us out,” said Wilderness Manager Kate DeMorest. “Like this guy here, Junior, he can probably carry about 70 pounds. That means a lot to us. If you look at some of the tools here that we have, it's a considerable amount of weight.”
The Leadville Ranger District can use the help. The team of three maintains over 200 miles of trail, and their prime work season is only a few months long.
DeMorest worked with llamas in a different district before coming to the Leadville district two years ago. Knowing how helpful they can be, she quickly made a budget proposal for the animals.
“They're really not that expensive to care for, to feed,” said DeMorest. “They're very easy to maintain and work with. So, there are a lot of selling points."
Llamas, native to the mountains of South America, are adept at handling Colorado’s mountains and trails. They are big enough to haul heavy gear but small enough to handle the tight curves and small paths that many of the trails have. They’re also safe to be around Colorado’s native animals, like big horn sheep. Other pack animals don’t share that distinction.
“Domestic livestock can transmit disease to the wild,” said DeMorest. “With llamas, there's enough of a distinction between their species that they're not at risk of transmitting those types of diseases.”
The llamas are also a recruitment tool. Wilderness Ranger Sarah Staron joined the team this year after hearing about how helpful they can be.
“It was definitely a selling point,” said Staron. “Just because the difference between carrying a 40 to 50 pound pack on overnights when we're doing patrols, it's life-changing.”
The llamas work on the trails in teams of two. The males work with the males, and the females work with the females to reduce any drama between the llamas.
Each animal also has their own distinct personality. The pair of animals working at Native Lake trailhead were Junior and Wyatt.
“I feel like Junior is like, he's like a teenage boy. He's like your average teenage boy,” said Staron. “He likes to work, he likes to run, but he always wants to be with his friends.”
“He's a little bit obstinate, but that's okay,” said DeMorest, referring to Wyatt. “When we usually get llamas, we get two together. The boys like to be together. They're pack animals. They like companionship. And even though they seem a little ornery with each other, they don't like to be out of sight with one another.”
The bulk of the work they do is in late spring. Trees and logs fallen across the trails are a common sight after the snow melts. The sure-footed animals are great at maneuvering the wet, muddy ground, even while carrying all of that weight.
“It's fun working with these animals,” said DeMorest. “It's really fun introducing others to work with them too.”
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