The Beginning

Summer 2018. I see a Facebook post talking about a hiking marathon in our county. Hmm, we like hiking. Hmm, we need to start doing more things as a family, the kids are getting so big. Hmm, you get a free shirt. Sold.

And so, I signed up our family of four for this hiking marathon. We have a challenge and we LOVE a challenge. One month, thirty days, to hike 26.2 miles of specific trails in our county.

It sounded simple and easy, but as the month dragged on, we noticed that we were going to parts of our town we had never explored before. Half of these trails were completely unheard of in our minds and the other half consisted almost entirely of places we had only learned of in passing.

Now we were invested. We were competing against the calendar and our own self imposed timing. We were eventually victorious and it sparked a heightened interest. We wanted to explore and carry heavy packs and eat terrible bento boxes of snacks and lukewarm charcuterie. It became a game and a hobby and an obsession all at once.

Roughly 6 years later, hiking has developed into a passion and a family event. Once a week, we load our packs and head out into the woods. We look for painted rocks, animal friends, tiny mushrooms, and new thrills.

I have started to venture out on solo backcountry trips, Derek has devoted hours to researching packs and tents, the kids (now numbering 4) have invented stories and games to match every hike, every adventure. They have all climbed mountains and dug deep, trenching through hard miles, a skill combining strength and grit that will no doubt help embolden them in the future.

We invite you now to join us on these trails and adventures with us as we grow. We are just 12 poles, trekking through most of Tennessee, learning and developing skills that we know will one day take us to even grander challenges in the future. Thank you for your support and love. We will see you out there.

Runa, Kyra, Thorrin, and Madelynn (from left to right).