To help celebrate 20 years as Canada’s leading outdoor recreation publisher, Backroad Mapbooks have gone back to their roots.
Founders Russell and Wesley Mussio grew up in the Kootenays where they learned their love for the Great Outdoors. The new waterproof West Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Map is tear resistant and extra rigid for those variable mountain weather conditions while showcasing a fresh look with more recreational opportunities than any other map for the area.
“We will always have a soft spot for the West Kootenay area. After all, this is where we learned to fish and hunt, went on countless hikes and spent many days camping and paddling,” said company co-founder Russell Mussio.
Whether you’re exploring Valhalla Provincial Park’s sheer cliffs or testing your luck in the big waters of Arrow or Kootenay Lakes, the all new waterproof West Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Map is a must-have.
The map essentially updates the old, out of date forest service recreation map for the Arrow and Kootenay Districts. It features detailed topographic information with up-to-date industry and logging roads, extensive trail systems and a ton 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 the outdoors. Russell recalls. “We’d literally have a different map or book for hiking, for hunting and for fishing, along with a few outdated Topo maps with us; it was almost comical. It felt like we had to carry around a box full of stuff in the bush with us. We looked at one another and said, ‘This is ridiculous.”
Twenty years later, the printing press which shared the apartment living room with Russ has been replaced, the rudimentary maps have evolved and over 1.5 million copies have now found homes with fans of the outdoors across the country.
The in-depth reference and map information requires a team of local researchers and writers to ensure regional information is accurate and noteworthy.
Relationships with fishing and outdoor clubs, park superintendents, hiking enthusiasts, Government Ministries, and of course, feedback directly from readers also contribute to maintaining the most up-to-date maps available.
“We can’t thank our partners and local help enough”, said marketing manager Matthew Cosar. “Groups like the Castlegar Friends of Parks and Trails, Quad Riders ATV Association of BC, BC Parks, and Recreation Sites and Trails BC were instrumental in providing insider details for users. Also we would like to mention Ross Elliott, Tom Lymbery Owner of The Gray Creek Store and Bob Dupee for taking the time to help create this map.”
The universal appeal for taking off into the backcountry has seen the Backroad Mapbooks series expand dramatically over 20 years.
Not only have the mapbooks gone national, but the company also publishes Outdoor Recreation Maps, Topo maps, GPS Maps, Digital Editions and Fishing Mapbooks.
