About the Author Russell Mussio was born in Trail, BC where he spent his childhood years playing sports and exploring the Great Outdoors. At a time when parents simply called their kids back for dinner, Russell and friends could be found fishing local streams, hiking and biking nearby trails and even chasing grouse and deer around the hills.His family, in particular his father Sergio and brother Wesley, were instrumental in introducing him to the trials and tribulations of outdoor adventure. From camping throughout the parks and recreation sites of BC to hunting and fishing in the Kootenays it seemed every vacation had an outdoor theme. From these early beginnings, Russell grew a strong appreciation of the outdoors.Russell attended the University of British Columbia where he explored a few different career options before settling in on a degree in Leisure and Sport Administration. Before graduating he took a year off to travel the world. From this experience Russell developed a passion for outdoor travel, which he was able to develop through his final year at university. Backed by a sponsor professor, he was able to explore two different outdoor recreation business concepts. The guidebook business that he and his brother stumbled across when exploring the wilderness around Vancouver seemed to be the most logical concept. That is where the idea for the Backroad Mapbook series was born.A The seed for Backroad Mapbooks was planted in 1993. Brothers Wesley and Russell Mussio were out exploring the maze of logging roads around Harrison Lake in southern BC on a cold, wet day. They had several books and a few maps to try to find their way, yet all of their sources showed no more than the area’s main road system. Even worse, most of the maps were outdated. The Trail, BC-born brothers quickly found themselves lost.Frustrated, Wesley asked Russell, “Why doesn’t someone make one guide that shows all the roads?” With that, a lightbulb went off, and the pair got down to work. By January of 1994, the Mussio brothers had published their first map book, and it quickly sold out. Rather than simply reprinting it, the entrepreneurial duo decided to take stock of customer feedback and make a number of improvements to the book.The constant improvements to the product carried on for the next two decades, helping to establish Backroad Mapbooks as the top-selling outdoor recreation guidebook series in Canada. Today, Backroad Mapbooks has expanded to chart all ten provinces and the Yukon Territory, with industry-leading GPS maps, a smartphone app, waterproof maps and more. From its humble beginnings in a tiny Vancouver apartment with maps strewn all over the walls, to one of the most sought-after outdoor products in the country, the Backroad Mapbooks series has come a long way. Read more
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