Here is some general information about Lama Foundation and the environment in which we are located that may help you better prepare for your stay here.
Click here to view our location on Google Maps
Directions
By Car
Go north of Taos on NM Highway 522 or south from Colorado. Look for the small green “Lama” township sign, which is just before our turnoff, immediately north of the 15-mile marker coming from Taos, or about 4 miles south of Questa. Turn east (toward the mountains) on Taos County Road B-014 or La Lama Road, drive over the cattle guard and follow the road east for about a mile. The road will curve to the left; continue for 1/2 mile and turn right on Upper Lama Rd. Then turn right at the next fork onto Lama Foundation Rd. Continue straight for about 2 miles, then follow the road as it turns left; you’ll encounter some sharp S-curves, go through them for about a mile and a half then follow the sharp left uphill until you reach the Lama Foundation.
By Air
The nearest major airport is Albuquerque.
Public Transport: You can a bus from the Albuquerque airport to the main transit center. From there, take the Rail Runner https://www.riometro.org/ from Albuquerque to Santa Fe S Capital rail station and from there then take the Taos Express http://taosexpress.com or the Blue Bus http://www.ncrtd.org to Taos. On weekdays, the Blue Bus can take you from Taos to the bus stop at the bottom of our mountain. If you can get to the bottom of our mountain, someone from Lama can drive down and pick you up.
Ski Valley Airport Shuttle: Another option is the Taos Ski Valley Shuttle which can take you from the Abq. or Santa Fe airports to Taos (http://www.skitaos.com/
From the Albuquerque Airport, RoadRunner Shuttle & Charter (505-424-3367) also offers service to Lama or the Taos area. They are expensive but they do offer group discounts.
By Train
The closest Amtrak station is Lamy, NM, about 18 miles from Santa Fe. From the train station, there is a shuttle service to Santa Fe operated by Lamy Shuttle and Tours (505-982-8829). Please make a reservation at least 24 hours in advance to ensure service. From there, follow directions for public transportation or Ski Valley Airport Shuttle from Santa Fe, as above.
Taos.org also has some helpful tips for getting to Taos, NM.
If you are coming from Denver, here are some options to consider: http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Denver/Taos
Facilities:
Lama’s facilities are rustic. A major part of the Lama experience is being close to the earth. Our accommodations include camping areas and limited dorm and private spaces. Interior spaces must be reserved in advance. There are no hook-ups for RVs and the winding mountain road prevents access by larger RV’s. All our water is supplied from a natural spring on our land. Our natural spring supplies adequate, but not copious, amounts of water so our “restrooms” are simple outhouses or composting toilets. We do not have indoor flush toilets. We do have indoor and outdoor showers. There are no laundry facilities, although there is a Laundromat in nearby Questa. Our Lamassary store carries basic sundries only. The nearest store is in Questa about 10 miles away. A flashlight is essential at night as there is very little outdoor lighting.
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Housing Options
Visitors to Lama usually choose to camp. We provide level spaces for tents and also have a limited amount of room for car camping. In addition, we have some indoor dormitory space available, as well as a limited number of private indoor spaces. If you require an indoor space, please reserve it in advance of your visit.
Meals:
Our meals are vegetarian. We can accommodate special dietary needs and food allergies with advance notice. Very important: because they attract bears, you may NOT leave any food or food wrappers in your car or sleeping area.
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Packing Tips:
- The temperature may vary greatly between day and night, so we suggest dressing in layers.
- Dress code is always casual at Lama and because we live close to the earth, things tend to get dirty quickly, so bring appropriate clothes.
- If you are coming from a low elevation, we strongly suggest that you start drinking liquid chlorophyll with water several days in advance (1 tablespoon per glass of water). This will help prevent altitude sickness.
- In order not to attract bears: pack all toiletries (including lotions, lip balm, camera film, vitamins, perfumes, toothpaste) in a separate bag to be left in the washhouse; do not bring any scented items into your sleeping area or leave these items in your car. You can put yourself in danger. We cannot over-emphasize this!
- Because the water from the washhouse feeds plants, Lama supplies biodegradable soap, shampoo and lotion. Please do not use non-biodegradable toiletries that will go down the sink drains.
- Our solar electric system cannot handle the load from hair dryers, curling irons, toasters, or any other electrical heating devices. Please do not bring these items.
- If you have clothes that you are planning to donate to charity, please consider bringing them to Lama’s free-clothing room, “the Gypsy”. The Gypsy is also there for you if you need an extra sweater, shorts, etc.
What to Bring:
- Tent with a good-quality rain fly
- Two tarps—one to be used as a ground cloth under the tent; the other to be used inside the tent to reinforce the flooring—this has proven to be significant in assuring dryness in sudden storms
- Sleeping pad
- Flashlight and a tent lamp (no candles or lanterns with an open flame)
- Sleeping bag (good to 40° F) and an extra blanket for additional warmth
- Clothes for variable weather
- Sturdy shoes for hiking, rain
- Sneakers, sandals
- Toiletries, including sunscreen, lip protection; lotion if desired
- Medications, if applicable
- Sunglasses and hat
- A warm jacket
- Rain gear
- Water bottle
- Optional
- Musical instruments
- A journal
- Art or practice materials
- Phone card for long distance calls
Health and Climate:
Lama Foundation is located at 8,600 feet elevation in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. To help prevent altitude sickness, some people find it very helpful to take chlorophyll tincture, beginning a week or so before arrival and continuing during the time at Lama. (Suggested dosage is 1 tablespoon in a glass of water several times per day.) Once at Lama, plan to drink lots of water as the climate is very dry. Summer sunlight is intense at the high elevation: bring good sunscreen, dark glasses and a sun hat, especially if you anticipate being outdoors. Daytime summer temperatures, moderated by the dry air, are generally warm and nights can be quite cool. There are summer rains, heavy at times.
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