Red Rock 'n Llamas Newsletter #1
January 2005

Greetings to all our friends and Happy New Year from Red Rock 'n Llamas!

A new year is upon us, so all of us at Red Rock 'n Llamas would like to check in to say hello and update you on what is happening here in Boulder Utah.  Basically, it's COLD!  As I write this there are about five inches of new snow on the ground and more coming in a couple days.  Each morning the llamas get their daily ration of hay since the pasture is covered with snow. The llamas spend the day warming themselves in the sun and their usual chasing about of each other and playing in the field.

This newsletter is a new venture for Red Rock 'n Llamas.  You are receiving this because you have contacted us in the last few years or have been on a trip with us.  We are always seeking new ways to effectively advertise and expand our business.  Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you know who might be interested in a trip with us, or send their contact information our way and we will send them a brochure and 2005 schedule. Word of mouth from satisfied past customers is our greatest advertising, so tell a friend about us!  Thanks!

Spring trips are beginning to fill up, but there is still plenty of space to sign up for the upcoming season's adventures.  Give Bevin a call if you are considering a trip with us in the coming year or have any questions.  Have you updated your files with our new phone number?  Our home/office number is now 435-335-7533, and the toll free number is still the same 1-877-9LLAMAS. Did you know that we offer discounts to families who book a trip?  Another good deal that we offer is a free trip for the leader if you book a full trip with us!  So, get 8 of your friends or family together, sign up for a trip and the ninth person goes free!

A new development in 2005!  This coming year we will be offering special wilderness retreat trips at a beautiful property in Deer Creek Canyon.  This 120 acre property abuts the Grand Staircase/ Escalante National Monument and offers a spectacular setting for group and family retreats.  This is a base camp situation where you would stay at the retreat center, enjoy a bit more civilized accommodations, and explore the local canyons each day.  This is a great setting for retreats of all kinds: your family, your staff, spiritual retreats, workshops.  Talk with Bevin for more information about this new offering from Red Rock 'n Llamas.  More information and some photos will soon be up on the website at http://www.redrocknllamas.com

Red Rock 'n Llamas News:

    -- This past June we picked up and moved our whole operation to a new property nearer to the town of Boulder.  The move was difficult, but we had lots of help from the staff and good friends.  Our new place is slowly developing and looking more like a ranch.  We've fenced in our pasture for the animals, cut and stacked hay for the winter, installed a freezeless water line to the pasture, and built a small shelter to get the animals out of inclement weather.

    -- Last Fall we retired four of our old llamas who no longer were up to doing pack trips.  Moe, Drinian, Chief, and Lucky all now live on the Navajo Reservation down near Page Arizona.  The Navajo's were quite excited to get these llamas to use for their wool and to guard their sheep.  We think they will have good, loving new homes.

    -- To replace the retired llamas we purchased two new llamas.  Their names are Hopi and Gold Nugget.  Both are young animals and totally green, so they will require plenty of handling and training this winter and spring to get them ready for the upcoming packing season.

    -- This season we will be offering a couple new services.  If you have been on a guided trip in the area previously, and want to come back, but not do a totally outfitted, guided trip, we have a couple options.  You can do a "Drop Camp", let us haul you to the trailhead, we'll guide you in to a spectacular camp spot, drop you off, and pick you up in a few days.  Or, if you feel that you can handle your own trip, and still want llamas to carry the load, why not "Lease" a couple of our well trained, gentle llamas.  We can still haul you and the llamas to the trailhead, help you pack up, then send you and the llamas on your way.  Additional information about these services and a rate sheet is available on our website at www.redrocknllamas.com

Guide News:
    At the end of each season the Red Rock 'n Llamas guides scatter and move on to other things for the winter.  What's up with them?

Bevin McCabe:  Bevin continues to live full-time in Boulder with her two wonderful children.  Mackinzi is now 9 and in 4th grade and Dakota is 7 and in the 2nd grade.  Bevin is excited about her new horse "Naco", a spirited Arabian who loves to run down the trail just like Bevin does! Bevin is also excited about the prospect of offering wilderness retreats and is working hard to put this program together.

Brian Dick:  Brian is once again spending the winter in Boulder.  Boulder is a quiet place with not much going on in the winter, but Brian manages to find things to do.  As well as caring for the Red Rock 'n Llamas animals, Brian helps out on Bevin's ranch.  There isn't any work at the Boulder Mountain Lodge this time of year, but Brian has found work with a few of the neighborhood ranches building fence, installing water lines, doing construction, and feeding animals.  The big project for the winter sees Brian working on getting a Utah Real Estate Agents license.  So, if you are looking for property in the Boulder area, give Brian a call.

BJ Orozco:  BJ ended his season early last year and left in September for a trip to Mongolia!  We tried to tell him it would be cold up there, but he didn't listen.  Through postcards and email we've heard that BJ has had many adventures.  He traveled around the country mostly on horseback and on an old motorcycle with a side car.  BJ's girlfriend Abbie met him in Thailand in early December (much warmer!) and we just heard that they both survived the Tsunami and are doing fine.  BJ is planning on being back for more trips this Spring.

Jacque Koenig:  Jacque has also spent the winter in Boulder.  She is still working on her house and got the outside stuccoed prior to winter setting in.  Jacque (and Brian too!) dreams of the summer heat and getting out on bicycle rides.

Breck Crystal:  Breck has spent part of the winter at his home at Calf Creek Ranch.  Breck is the ranch caretaker for that beautiful property down where Calf Creek flows into the Escalante River.  He has done some trips to Arizona and Florida to visit friends and family, but is back now and working on training his new horse named Chaco.

David Holliday:  Dave's big news is his marriage to his girlfriend Jill back in November. Congratulations Dave and Jill! Dave and Jill are working on building a small house on their property down in Deer Creek canyon.

Matt Graham:  Matt is up to his usual adventures.  He is taking the next few months to walk from California to Alaska.  Yes, I said walk!

Tomalene Evans:  We haven't seen much of Tomalene in the last year.  She has been living mostly up in Vancouver.  Tomalene continues to teach wilderness first aid classes all over the west.  She is nearly done with her Senior thesis and hopes to be a college graduate soon!  We hope to see Tomalene guiding for us again this summer on trips in July and August.

Once again, the staff of Red Rock 'n Llamas wishes you a Happy New Year and expresses their desire to see you in 2005!  Please give us a call and let's talk about scheduling a Red Rock 'n Llamas trip or wilderness retreat for you, your friends, and family this season.

Best wishes,
Bevin, Brian, BJ, Jacque, Breck, and the llamas!