Take the West Kootenay’s top wilderness attractions, add a little good weather and a professional photographer’s eye — then take away with the sore muscles and bug bites — and you have Kootenay Escapes: Spectacular Destinations of the West Kootenays, a wilderness tour you can take from the comfort of your living room.
Lucas Jmieff and Ginia Hayward are no strangers to lugging around more than 15 kilograms of camera gear and dodging mosquitos and horseflies in the far corners of the Kootenay backcountry. The publishing team got their start four years ago when they founded Kootenay Goodlife Publishing and began photographing, designing and publishing outdoor adventure calendars featuring Kootenay landscapes.
Their calendar offerings included “Boots from the Koots 2010” and “Off the Beaten Path 2011 and 2012.” With backgrounds in photography and marketing, and four years of hiking, biking, paddling and trekking the local area, Jmieff and Hayward had enough images — and imagination — to set their sights on a book.
Kootenay Escapes hit the shelves just before Christmas and was an instant hit. Coles Books Manager Kari Hnatiuk says, “The local response has been excellent, and we have had numerous customers come back for seconds and thirds. This book offers something for everyone”
If you haven’t yet experienced the backcountry attractions of the West Kootenay, after reading Kootenay Escapes, you may find yourself planning a summer trip. Visit kgpublishing.ca to find out more.
Lucas and Ginia will be doing a book signing at Coles Books in Nelson at the Chahko Mika Mall on Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.