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🦙 PACK A LLAMA. HIKE SPRUCE MOUNTAIN OPEN SPACE. SERIOUSLY

A wildly uncommon Cornell adventure with Llamas Colorado

This experience is part of our Gone Hikin’ and Meet the Maker Series. Some Cornell experiences make you think. Some make you move. This one lets a llama carry your lunch and hiking supplies! Join the Cornell Club of Colorado for an extraordinary, hands-on morning exploring the ancient tradition and modern science of packing with llamas, followed by a beautiful foothills hike alongside our newly loaded camelid companions.

📅 WHEN: Sunday, October 4, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
📠WHERE: Llamas Colorado, 12680 S Mesa View Road, Larkspur, CO 80118
🎟 REGISTRATION: $18.65 per person—in honor of Cornell’s founding year
Limited to 10 guests

THE LLAMA LOWDOWN

Our host, friend and Cornell parent Dr. John Myers, will introduce us to the remarkable animals behind Llamas Colorado and share how he built this wonderfully unexpected business.

We’ll meet the herd, learn about llama behavior and discover why these calm, sure-footed animals make such extraordinary backcountry partners. John will pull back the curtain on the art and science of packing: selecting equipment, fitting a pack saddle and balancing the panniers—or saddlebags—so the llama can carry the load comfortably.
Then things get delightfully real.

We’ll pack our own lunches and basic hiking gear onto the llamas and head into Spruce Mountain Open Space for a beautiful, moderate hike.

WHY PACK LLAMAS?

Llamas have supported travel and trade in the Andes for thousands of years. They are naturally adapted to mountainous terrain, remarkably agile and equipped with soft, padded, two-toed feet that tread more gently than traditional hooves.
A well-trained pack llama can carry balanced gear while hiking steadily alongside its human companions—helping people travel farther and more comfortably without sacrificing the essentials.

They are intelligent. They are curious. They have impeccable posture.

🎒 WHAT TO BRING
•Your own packed lunch and water
•Comfortable, sturdy hiking shoes
•Layers appropriate for Colorado’s famously unpredictable weather
•Basic personal hiking gear
•Curiosity, humor and your finest llama energy

The hike will be moderate, with time built in to learn, ask questions, meet the animals and fully appreciate the glorious absurdity of spending a Sunday morning adventuring with pack llamas.

📣 COLORADO SPRINGS FRIENDS: JOIN THE PACK!
We would especially love to welcome our Cornellians from the Colorado Springs area. Larkspur makes this a perfect opportunity to meet fellow alumni, parents and friends from across the Front Range—roughly halfway between Colorado Springs and Denver.
Come for the llamas. Leave carrying less and knowing much more.