The Wildland Trekking Co

I can't comment on a recent backpackers poor experience with Wildland on a recent trip in the Basin area where he supposedly witnessed a Wildland trip. I can share my experience with this company from 8/23 to 8/27 in the Green Lakes and Granite Basin area. The company and the guide Laura. went above and beyond to instill in our group of 4 that we had to respect the environment, fully understand the LNT concept and leave our campsites like we found them. This included staying on trail, packing out our garbage and personal waste (toilet tissue), rotating the llamas grazing areas so not to destroy an area, and even spreading the animals waste so not to be covering just one concentrated area.

The sad thing is that the horse packers that were in the sites b4 us didn't practice the same steps.

All in all, this was an incredible trip, led by an incredible guide working for a company that clearly cares about the etiquette required to keep the pristine wilderness of the area as we found it. I highly recommend WT and especially Laura, to host your trip. And I highly recommend the use of llamas to help those who can't carry a 50 pound backpack help you have a trip of a life time so you too can enjoy the wonderful back country as much as back packers.

Based on all of the 4 and 5 star reviews, and my own experience, I believe if the person leaving a 1 star review of a trip he witnessed actually did indeed witness what he purports, that this was an isolated event.

I haven't done any business with you directly, but my GF and I encountered one of your groups backpacking into Basin Lakes this past week. I don't know where to start, so I'll just make a list:

1) The trails and local vegitation are being absolutely destroyed by pack animals and your llamas are greatly contributing. I wish I had taken pictures of the trampled flowers and foliage to share here. Your group's blatant disregard to minimizing the impact to this area is astounding.

2) The Basin Lakes area explicitly restricts pack animals. This restriction is noted on every publicly available map, and is visibly posted on the trail. Despite this, a heard a llamas and backpackers comes trampling through the area on our second night. Not cool.

3) Your group's presence was unwelcomed and disruptive to say the least. People like me backpack into remote locations like this to get away from large groups of loud and obnoxious people. In my 20+ years of backpacking, I never have seen so many people come out of the woodwork (many of whom I hadn't even seen up to this point) yell "a**hole" across the lake at your group. There are many places that are far more appropriate for your group to pack into - a remote alpine lake isn't one.

4) The Forest Service restricts camping 200' from the lakes. This is done for several reasons, but mostly to minimize impact to the local ecosystem. Your group was camped right off the shore, easily 50-100 ft. I confronted your group about this and was met with a response that they didn't really care.

I must agree with the above mentioned backpacker's assessment from across the lake. The presedent you set for the children in your group for complete disregard of wilderness etiquette and "leave no trace" practices is disheartening. It is our responsibility to teach younger generations how to care for our wilderness. I wouldn't recommend one of your trips to anyone.