The Lares Family
Nemiah Valley, British Columbia
(US Residents living in Canada 15 years)
Michael (60)
Nicole Lares (49)
Lara Lares (22)
Dylan Lares 20
The Lares family lives on 240 wild acres in Nemiah Valley, British Columbia, where they run the Flying L Ranch, a fully off-grid horse operation in one of the most remote corners of North America. There are no power lines, no cell service, and help is hours away, the nearest hospital sits more than three hours down the road. Life here is shaped by long days of physical labor, extreme weather, and isolation that never really lets up. Every season brings new threats, from brutal cold to hungry predators, and nothing comes easy; heat, food, water, and power all have to be earned, protected, and fought for by the family themselves.
After a devastating accident left Nicole with serious medical complications, the family had no choice but to leave the United States in search of a place where her health could stabilize. With two young children, no ranching experience, and no safety net to fall back on, they started over in the Canadian wilderness. What began as a fight to survive turned into the Flying L Ranch. A refuge for wild horses, built in partnership with the local Indigenous community, blending survival, stewardship, and livelihood into one demanding way of life.
Today, the ranch operates under constant pressure. As winter fades, the family immediately turns toward repairing damage and preparing for the next season, knowing there is no real downtime. Foaling season brings moments of hope, but also real risk, as weakened horses give birth and others wander into dangerous terrain that must be covered on foot or horseback. Predator threats never fully disappear. Bears and mountain lions move through the area, putting livestock and food supplies at risk, including Nicole’s greenhouse, which the family depends on to make it through winter. Spring and summer also bring new faces to the ranch, returning hands who understand the land and its dangers, alongside inexperienced cowboys hoping to learn and prove themselves. Extra help can be a lifeline or a liability. When one piece fails, whether it’s power, fuel, equipment, animals, or people, the fallout is immediate and unforgiving.
At the same time, the pressure inside the family never lets up. Living fully off-grid means work and family life are the same thing, there’s no clocking out, no space to cool off, and no privacy when things go wrong. As the kids step fully into adulthood, responsibility and authority start to clash. Dylan’s decision to sink time and money into rebuilding a junk Jeep becomes a sore spot, pulling focus from the daily work the ranch depends on and testing Michael’s patience, especially given a lifetime spent leading in high-risk environments. Isolation makes every disagreement louder, exhaustion wears down restraint, and there’s nowhere to walk away to when tensions rise. The Flying L Ranch runs on grit, trust, and endurance, but as the land pushes back, the family must decide whether this life can carry them all into the future.
POTENTIAL STORYLINES
As summer begins, the family brings in new ranch hands, a mix of returning workers who already know the land and green cowboys eager to prove themselves, turning training, trust, and safety into an ongoing test.
Coming out of a brutal winter, the family scrambles to repair damage and get the ranch back on its feet before the pace of summer work takes over.
Foaling season brings moments of hope and anxiety as weakened horses give birth after months of harsh conditions.
Breaking in new ranch hands tests everyone’s patience and systems, revealing who can actually handle the isolation, workload, and danger.
The family is planning to build more structures on the property and potentially bring out a part-time veterinarian to help with the horses and animals.