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Your Hosts at Venture Outdoors
Outfitters Dave Markham and Sue Barney, have been operating
Venture Outdoors since 1982, and have all required public land permits for biking, hiking, llama trekking, sea kayaking, and backpacking.
Our access includes 7 mountain ranges in the vicinity of Sun Valley, Stanley and Fairfield, Idaho, and several State parks and US Fish and Wildlife preserves in Washington and Oregon. Our guides are well trained and professional with first-aid and rescue techniques, as well as the natural history of the regions they are assigned
Dave, started his career in recreation in 1972, teaching and guiding backcountry skiing. Then working for Boise City Recreation and Boise State University's PE Department designing and orchestrating Outdoor Programs. For the past 34 years he has been dedicated to producing exceptional  recreation programs for people from all walks of life and abilities. Winters will find Dave cross country skiing, back country skiing, sea kayaking or traveling.
Sue started her career in recreation with Venture Outdoors 25 years ago, leaving a career in library science and joining Venture Outdoors first as office manager, now she guides trips and still manages the office.  Sue spends her spare time exploring and researching the world of recipes and menu planning, striving to help create the best experience for your trips. Winters you'll find Sue cross country skiing with the dogs or downhill skiing. She spins and knits the hair from the llamas, and dogs. Sue is also an avid and ferocious reader!
Come join us for one of our trips and let us take you to some of the very special wild places that Idaho and Oregon have to offer!
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Paco
Venture Outdoors outfitters has 18 llamas that you can lead on guided single-days or overnight treks. Place the emphasis on leading, because the animals tend to have the attention span of, well, a llama, so you end up leading when they go astray. The llamas, which are generally aloof when they're not on lead (think Siamese cats), have personalities as varied as humans:Paco will vocalize an entire conversation with you. Lewis will eat a carrot out of your mouth.
Clark
Clark, Lewis' son, is a typical teenager.
A llama trek starts with Venture Outdoors picking you up at your hotel or other accommodation. The guides give you a brief history of the llama and explain how to hold the lead, how to handle stream crossings and what to do if you see horses on the trail (the two get along as well as cats and dogs). Henry, the outfitters' Irish setter who thinks he's an Australian shepherd dog is on hand to ward off any suspect canines.
 Frieda, Sam and Henry
The llamas tow lunch on the "Take a Llama to Lunch" trek. On the overnight treks, they carry the camping gear. Destinations include the Lost Lakes/Sawtooth National Forest area, White Clouds Mountains and Angel Lake/Pioneer Mountains. Venture Outdoors provides the tents, sleeping bags, pads, pillows and liners for the trip. They also have a broken cell phone that they'll lend out for any trekker with cell phone separation anxiety.
--Catherine McCafferty
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