Day 107 Llama Farm

23.5 miles

With rain two days in a row and much of my gear wet or damp I needed a dry place to camp tonight and an opportunity to dry things out. For this reason I saw an opportunity to take another mile alternate route to a llama farm that hosts bikers and hikers for free. This sounded great and I committed to getting there.

From camp I had a straight run downhill for a few miles on pretty good quality single track trail without much encroaching vegetation. I blasted down this making good time. This connected to a series of forest roads soon after which I found myself walking on for the rest of the day.

The weather had cleared into a bright sunny day giving me an opportunity to dry things out during my lunch break. I could continue on the CDT redline or keep going with the plan to reach the llama farm. There was practically no difference in the distance between the two options. I chose to stick with the llama farm given it promised a dry cabin for the night, sandwich, beer and sift drink.

It would all be on forest roads for the rest of the day, passing through private property. It was obviously a popular route as several properties provided trail magic along the way including water, cookies and a place to hang in the shade if need be.

Road walking is tedious but fast and it was a case of head down, plodding forward to reach the farm. I arrived around 4pm.

No one was home at the time however multiple signs around the place basically said make yourself at home.

Barbara and John have created an oasis for bikers and hikers at their property with multiple tiny cabins all kitted out with beds and linen, cooking facilities, water, some food, even 12 volt lightning. There was also a separate bath house to use if you needed a wash. Their principle – pay it forward. There was no requirement to pay any money but an expectation that hikers/bikers would pay if forwards to the value they thought an overnight stay here would be. This could be through paying for some groceries for the person behind you at a supermarket, paying for fuel for a ride out from town when hitching or paying for someones dinner at a diner. They would not take any monetary payment or donations. In fact even if you tried to leave money it was explained that it would simply go into a kitty to pay for other travellers out of the ordinary expenses, say a replacement derailer hanger or other bike bits.

The cabins can be booked in advance or are first come, first served if they are not booked.

The farm provides drinking water and a fridge topped with sandwiches and an assortment of drinks including coke and beer.

A polaroid camera are in each cabin with the expectation you take a selfie, right your name and what activity you are doing – cycling or hiking – and hang it on the wall.