We are the Fleming family. I met Will in 2000 on my way to visit my sister in Texas. Shortly after he introduced me to his sons, Nate and Josh. Almost 2.5 years later we were married.
I’ve always loved camping and the outdoors and as a family we did a lot of car camping trips before we had the twins. Will didn’t enjoy hiking much, unless there was a destination (and still then it was like pulling teeth.)
After the twins were born in 2008, I was sure I wanted them to be outside kids. We have always admired nature and its natural wonders. So by the time the kids could walk we took them on their first camping trip. That was one tough trip for me. A tent was their playpen. I think that was somewhere near age 1.5. I can’t remember exactly, because life was a bit of a blur back then.
My dream of the kids loving the outdoors as much as I do came true in 2011, when we went on a 10 day roadtrip down to the Redwoods and Crater Lake. For the trip we bought a pop-up camper and pulled it to California and back. While we were there, the kids would ask to go hiking. They loved it. That trip Isabel at 3.5 logged 5+ miles in a day while at Crater Lake. That’s where the idea of backpacking was really shaped. Will was the one to bring it up, “what do you think of the idea of backpacking with the kids?” After the trip, if you asked the kids what was their favorite part of our trip they enthusiastically said, “hiking”.
The next year we sold the camper, went to a few REI classes on backpacking, and bought all the equipment needed. Our first backpacking trip was the Salmonberry River Trail which went off without a hitch!
2018 Update: We are a bit older now and no less enthusiastic about the outdoors. Our goal is to reach every National Park before Noah and Isabel grow up.