Hot Shot, born in Wyoming in 1986 was our first ever llama cria we pulled from his mother Monique. With sadness, he was respectfully euthanised from a serious accidental fractured leg this fall. Hot Shot was 16 years old.

It is very likely many of you have been privileged to pack wit HotShot over the years. He is remembered and cherished for his sociable and calm disposition. He also had a very high level of curiosity, hence the name HotShot. HotShot had more back country miles on him than any pack llama in America. We estimate this pack llama had over 5,000 miles logged, and it showed. He is the only llama I have ever known to e completely trustworthy without a halter or lead on the back country.

Medium wooled, dark rust, black, and some white in color, he was a very average classic "paint" llama. Average in confirmation that is. HotShot has humbally proven to us, that you can have an average looking llama, in terms of confirmation, yet excel in the packing arena with flying colors.

HotShot was our first choice for many of our pack trips for 13 years. He became a dependable llama that always got the job done. He was good with customers too, and the kids loved him. What few people know is that he may have imortalized llama packing recreation in America. Back in 1991, writer David Roberts and then less than famous Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air) wrote photographed a llama pack trip in the Wild River Range for Outside Magazine titled "Rambling through the Winds" David and Jon spent a week with their delightful packing companions and camp mates, HotShot and Cope Red. Outside Magazine ran the full-featured article in July of 1991. Llama Packing has never been the same. It opened the door to thousands of aging packers, with their heavy packs, to continue their lust for the wilderness with a little help from these wooly friends. We believe, if it was not for the great personality of Hot Shot the article would never have been published.

HotShot was so popular from that article, that in the summer of 94, we were llama trekking high in the Wind River Range with Hot Shot and many other llamas. As we approach a pass at 11,000 ft. a group of backpackers were on top. They greeted us with enthusiastic smiles! One girl recognized Hot Shot from the written and published photographs of Hot Shot. She yelled, "That's Hot Shot! That's Hot Shot! Do you mind if I take my picture with him?" I was asked to get out of the way so I would not want mottle the flurry of snapshots that took place with Hot Shot, the new alpine celebrity. I was humble and thought to myself "look at what I have created, a famous llama that loves to pose for pictures. Unbelievable!"

Hot Shot, we thank you for the memories.

Scott and Therese Woodruff,
Lander Llama Company