High Spice Alpacas of Walking Lightly Farm

"There's GOLD in them thar hills...Incan Gold!"

Welcome to the premier alpaca place in Colorado's Gold Country, near Cripple Creek and Victor in Teller County. High Spice Alpacas is a small ranch located high on a  central Colorado mountain top  on an old mining claim, the Colorado Lode, at an elevation of 10,000 feet (which the alpacas seem to adore). The barn sits part way down the hillside, surrounded by aspen, pine, and fir. Snowfall reveals animal and bird tracks, both predator and prey, including my canine LGD helpers, my territorial guardian Czar Czak (a Caucasion Ovcharka), my rescue Great Pyr, Bisquit, and my Central Asian shepherds Jam, ZZ (Ch. MaxOMagic's A'Zena) and Tux, and 17 huacaya alpacas, including 5 females, 3 excellent herdsires (Pepe, Basil and Douglas), 2 lovely junior herdsires (Black Pepper and Mace) and several geldings and fiber males. All of them "walk lightly on the earth, as its other creatures do." I try and do that too. 

I once told a Senate agriculture committee that if I'd been smart enough I'd have been a farmer, but since I wasn't I became a lawyer. They laughed. I meant it. Farming and ranching are not an easy way to earn a living. Then a friend told me there was a livestock I could raise without having to kill it...

Alpacas – they hum rather than spit, they poop communally, they are earth-friendly, gentle, and shy, with permanent little smiles, are easy to care for and handle, and produce the world's finest fiber. Alpacas will steal your heart.

Alpaca Fleece - warmer than wool, softer than cashmere, fire retardant and water resistant, a fiber industry still in its infancy. The future for this lustrous luxury fiber, once reserved for Incan royalty, is rosy. High Spice Alpacas was born.

High Spice Alpacas was born from a dream, a need, and a desire. The dream was to be a farmer but not have to kill things. The need was for something to do "in retirement" for income and activity. The desire was to have more critters around rather than less, more space in a more rural place, and more time to pursue interests.

Being a small ranch, our customers can be assured of personalized ongoing service, support, and intimate knowledge of every alpaca that we sell. Visitors are always welcome; just call ahead to make sure I'm there. Meanwhile,

"Come on in and set a spell..."

- Suzanne Core

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