FINAL LLAMA UPDATE: 7- 14

“Folks....

This is the last you'll hear from me until I see you.
I'm headed out tomorrow and won't get home until July 26th (late).
I will have no time after that for playing with the e-mail.
Too much to do to get unpacked from this trip, and pack for the llama thing.

We have lost two more members of our group:
10 Bears and Freedom have other last minute commitments.

10 Bears, I have been mailing, and posting on TT about the t-shirts. I ordered them.
If anyone failed to contact me in the last 24 hours, there are shirts to consider. You ordered 2, short sleeve, large. They are lite blue.
If you want the shirts, you will get them. If you don't want the shirts, we will have to take up a collection to pay for them, and see if anyone else wants them.
The t-shirts are COD....That means I have to pay for them, when the shop is open (M-F 9 to 5) on July 27.
Just to let you know, cash around here is always tight. Let me know what you want to do.
I won't be able to answer you for at least 12 days.
Freedom....the shirts are ordered.....sorry, but you will get lite blue instead of gray.

JVZ...Ditto, sorry. I made the order before I got your e-mail.

We WILL finesse all the t-shirts as we sit around the campfire in the evenings.
The shirts will be one of a kind.

Freedom....
The September trip is Sept. 15 to 21.
We would be more than happy to have you come along. Your cash will apply to this trip, if you like.

As I'm sure all of you in the 10 day group are now aware, there will be SEVEN of us, ONLY for the return trip, and 10 llamas.

Do the math.

Grace and I will likely have 3 between ourselves, so that leaves approximately 7 llamas for the rest of you.
I think that adds up to almost one llama for each of you.
Think you can stand to have a llama carry 60 pounds of your sh!t for the last week of the trip?

As for you week-long trippers, this will also reduce your load. I can't say as yet by how much, my brain is on stand-by mode, but for sure you can drop another five pounds from the original seven llama estimate.

Don't ask me.
I don't remember what it was.

I can see it now.....

Happy Trail Talk Campers, gaily.....uh.....HAPPILY, tripping through the meadows, empty packs slung at half-mast.
No mess, no fuss, no worries.

We have a couple of llama leaders.

TurkMan, Oldtimers' 14 year old...(is he 14 this year, or 13?) intrepid grandson, will be one full-time llama caretaker.
As such, he will have most of his load carried by the llama (Joppa) he leads.

OT will also do some leading (I believe that's true..yes?), and on the days he leads, the llama he drags will carry much of his stuff.

Most of the time I will be leading four, but there will be times when I will need help if we get to a stream crossing that is iffy for a string of four in a line.

Now, there's GRACE.

Grace has a couple of slow llamas.
Grace is also unable (for God knows what reason) to manage four llamas at a time.
She will lead two, or three.
That will leave three llamas for one person, or three llamas for three people.

Or any combination, thereof.
We'll work that one out too, later on.

But, as I said at the beginning, if you lead a llama, you carry less weight that day. Whatever the weight ends up being.

Enough said.

I have much to do to finish getting out of here. Not to mention listening to John bitching the whole time.

I will post this message on TT for those of you I miss with E.

I will see you here, in Paradise, in 13/ 14 days.

Tonto”

“Anyone know directions to Mel's? I'll be coming from the north side, through Sacramento, toward Tahoe & 395, then South... but once I get to Mammoth, what then...? Feel free to E me: ObiWanCanoli@msn.com

Thanks!”

“8 days and counting!!!!”

“Directions to Mel's forthcoming via email.”

“Directions sent, in spite of software crashes all afternoon.

If you didn't get them, email me at prrosenkrant@csupomona.edu

Enjoy!”

“Thanks Phil, have a great trip.”

“Thanks Phil.....you are a prince....

I have been dehydrating food all day today..er ..yesterday.....sitting here in a tank top checking out some new socks with my hiking boots.....my son just rolled in and is shaking his head at the sight of me and this room spread from one end to the other with gear.....and the dogs are staring at me too....
Sea level to the high sierras!!!!! yahoo!!
Seven days!!!!!!!”