"The Story of Ladies & Llamas"
by Georgeann Roeder

In early June of this year, I had the opportunity to do something I have wanted to do for several years. I attended the BOW and More Program at the Granite Ranch near Jackson, Wyoming. Having attended a Department of Natural Resources BOW weekend here in Maryland a few years ago, I had an idea about what to expect.  The workshop for women at the SCI Foundation’s American Wilderness Leadership School facility was everything I expected and more! 

First of all the location near the Grand Teton Mountains and Yellowstone National Park is one of the most picturesque areas in the western US. I spent about a day in the town of Jackson Hole, which is like an Old West town gone modern. The airport is located very near the National Elk Refuge. The area around Jackson and the ranch offers the observant visitor a wealth of wildlife to see, including pronghorns, bear, big horn sheep, bald eagle, moose, mule deer, snowshoe rabbits, and, in the high country, elk.

At Granite ranch the participants stay in a lodge with comfortable dormitory accommodations. Some participants stayed in the little cabins near the main lodge. Meals, which were excellent, were eaten together in a large dining hall in the main lodge. The meals provided time to get to know the other participants and the staff, since the seating changed with each meal. A young moose visited the salt lick behind the lodge almost every morning.

The choice of courses offered in the five day program range from survival skills to a strenuous hike into the high country for a simulated elk hunt, and everything in between. There were also several informative sessions presented to the entire group. One evening some of us entertained the camp with a fashion show, modeling all types of clothing from Cabella’s. On the last day everyone participated in a round robin skills challenge, where we competed in events testing what we had learned during the week.The participants for the week ranged in age from the 20’s to the 60’s. Some of the women were hunters or had family members who hunted. Others were interested in learning outdoor skills unrelated to hunting or fishing. Many of us were attending for the first time, but there were several women who had been to AWLS multiple times before. Getting to know and work with other women of diverse backgrounds, and learn from the very experienced instructors, added to the whole experience.

I enjoyed all of the workshops I chose, which included personal safety, outdoor photography (taught in part by CSCI member Karen Jenks), game cooking, dutch oven cooking, and basic shotgun skills. The two more adventurous sessions were whitewater rafting on the Snake River and the hike with the llamas.

The llama hike was a challenge in that we had a range of weather on the hike from chilly, to rain, to hail that was like sleet, to warm sunshine, as we hiked from about 7000 ft elevation to about 8000 ft. in the mountains behind the ranch. We crossed logs laid across a swiftly moving stream, and ate our lunch in a beautiful meadow. The gentle llamas carried our gear. In the picture, I am the third person from the left, holding the lead for our llama, Oz. Oz had grown overweight during the winter, and actually didn’t carry any gear. My hiking partner, Jeanie, and I had to prevent him from snacking along the way on grasses and pine saplings! We made a good threesome bringing up the rear on the hike, along with Mona Merryman, SCI Sables president. The return trip was all down hill, so that Oz, myself, Jeanie, and Mona took the lead!

I plan to return to AWLS in the future for another session, and I would strongly encourage any other women to treat themselves to a fun and challenging experience at the AWLS BOW and More program in Jackson.