Assistant trip leader Kristy reported Wednesday afternoon for the Trip 9 team:
“We have yet another reason to appreciate Charley and his family‘s hospitality: Last night, [Charley’s wife] Lanora arrived in our camp with an apple crisp, made from apples from their own orchard, still warm from the oven, served with local salted caramel ice cream. So delicious.
“This morning we were up at our usual time to meet Charley and the llamas at the barn. This time it was just Charley with two of his ‘gals,’ Josie and Kate. We’re all getting to know the llamas better. Kate has a propensity to kick her leg if she’s getting annoyed or impatient. Josie has the most amazing eyes, one brown and one translucent blue. She is frequently humming, which sounds a little like bagpipes only a lot better.
“Today we returned to the trailhead in the Teanaway Community Forest and headed out on the Carlson Canyon Trail, connecting to the upper Big Sandy Trail to Roslyn Ridge. It was a long hike, but the easy pace and good company made it seem easier. We enjoyed a lunch, and everyone told stories about past trips, future planned trips, and Charley added tales of the llamas he has known through the years.
“We had some rain overnight last night, and a little bit on the trail today, but fortunately, the weather has been very cooperative. We’ve seen lots of birds, and enjoy looking up what to call groups of them. We saw a cubby of quail and a rafter of turkeys, as well as hearing a realm of kingfishers in the mornings. The past two nights, we have heard coyotes howling and yipping.
“On our way back to the ranch today, we were all excited to see that the local general store was open, so we stopped to purchase treats, including ice cream bars, chips, and sodas that we enjoyed on the porch of the store.
“We have a shorter hike planned for tomorrow, which will be our last full day.”