“I say, my good human, is that Lipton or a proprietary blend?”
If you stopped by the Mountain State Fair last week, you might have met some llamas, alpacas, or other fleecy four-legged friends hanging around in the livestock barns. Although these soulful-eyed pack animals have roots in the incredibly rugged Andes mountains, in our own Blue Ridge, llamas and alpacas are raised in temperate conditions on hobby farms, not in the nomadic life, and are sought mostly for their fur, not to haul supplies on their backs.
But on Saturday, September 23, the Cradle of Forestry hosts its popular “Tea with the Llamas” event, where area llamas are loaded up with participants’ lunch — iced tea and sandwiches — and get to do an afternoon’s worth of honest pack-animal work, carrying the repast along the wooded trails. Everyone, two-legged and four, gets to go on the lovely hike in Pisgah Forest, which includes educational discussions with the llamas’ handlers and a relaxed meal in the shade.
“Tea with the Llamas,” September 23, the Cradle of Forestry, 10:30am-4pm. 11250 Pisgah Hwy. Call to reserve a spot: 828-877-3130.
