A hiker meets his match deep in the heart of the Rio Grande Gorge.
We lock eyes at once. And what eyes they are. Sable snow globes with Audrey Hepburn eyelashes. Is this to be my blind date? Please, please, please.
I approach with five others who are with me on this venture—Kevin, Bonnie, Jenny, Kearny, and Joanie—all of whom, like me, are seeking special companions this afternoon. Greeting us is Stuart Wilde, our genial guide and matchmaker for the day, sporting a smile and goatee under his bush hat. Beyond him is the 800-foot-deep Rio Grande Gorge—New Mexico’s Grand Canyon—down into which we will shortly descend.
Our six dates eyeball us with unexpected boldness. I’m astonished at how poised they are with their swan-like necks and elegant postures. Considering they’re male.
Llamas, that is.
Welcome to Taos, where adventure meets eccentricity.