Local guidebook celebrates 15 years of mapping the Kootenays with new version
By Nelson Daily Editor
What started out as a living room enterprise by two brothers from Trail has grown into a cross-country venture that embraces Canada’s great outdoor spaces.
The widely popular Backroad Mapbook series tackles BC`s Kootenay Rockies region with a comprehensive new 144-page guide.
“Fishermen, families who enjoy camping, hikers and hunters, people who like canoeing or cruising backroads — we appeal to all of them,” said company co-founder Russell Mussio.
This broad appeal is the reason the Kootenay Rockies BC Backroad Mapbook has been the local guidebook of choice for over 15 years and a national best seller.
It combines reference information with highly detailed maps which feature up-to-date forest service and logging roads, extensive trail systems and a wide range of recreational features that are not found on other maps.
The series was born out of the Mussio brothers` frustration with what was available for exploring BC`s backcountry.
“We’d literally have a different map or guidebook for hiking, for canoeing and for fishing, along with a few outdated topo maps with us; it was almost comical,” said Russell. “It felt like we had to carry around a box full of stuff in the bush with us.”
Nearly 20 years later, the rudimentary maps have evolved, the printing press has been replaced and the small apartment has been upgraded to a working office and warehouse where Russell no longer needs to sleep.
The in-depth reference and map information requires a team of local researchers and writers to ensure regional information is accurate and noteworthy.
Also, relationships with fishing and outdoor clubs, park superintendents, hiking enthusiasts, Government Ministries, and of course, feedback directly from readers, contribute to maintaining the most up-to-date maps available.
Partners like ATV BC, BC Parks, Golden Hikes, Camping & RV in BC, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, Trails BC and Recreation Sites and Trails BC were instrumental in providing insider details for readers.
The universal appeal for taking off into the backcountry has seen the Backroad Mapbooks series expand to include GPS maps, digital editions and 28 books for BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario as well as the Maritimes, with over 1.5 million books in circulation.
