Beartooth Llama Trek for Adventurous Quilters - Day One

Close to heaven - as viewed from Surprise Lake in the Beartooth Wilderness.

Seeking inspiration from above, four female quilting companions ventured into the Beartooth Wilderness on August 13, 2007.

This particular adventure was the brain child of Kathy Lichtendahl, of Clark, Wyoming. Kathy is a skilled outdoorsman, world class quilter, talented artist, and athlete. Kathy and her husband, Ken own a number of llamas, some of which are trained as wilderness pack animals. They are well suited to the terrain and climate of the wild areas of Montana and Wyoming. You can read Kathy's blog to learn more about her life in Clark and the llamas.

Our group included four women ranging in age from 49 to 53, and four male llamas. Each woman led a llama up the trail. We began our adventure at the Clay Butte Trailhead. It was a warm, lovely summer day when we set out for six days in the wilderness.

The first day's hike was four miles long, a good "warm up" for those of us who are not as conditioned as Kathy (meaning the rest of the group). We set up camp at Surprise Lake. In the picture above, the llamas have been staked out in a grassy area to graze and rest.

Jeanne caught the first fish - a very large Brook trout.

Terri caught the second fish - also a nice Brook trout.

As evening approached, we had a few light rain showers, but by the time we crawled into the tent, it was calm and clear. When I crept out of the tent at 4 AM, I saw half a dozen shooting stars and the Milky Way - I felt very blessed.

I'll be posting images from the rest of the trip in coming days.