In 2021, Annika Mang was following her climbing partner up and over bus-sized boulders that stretched for almost two miles. They had a set amount of time to make it past the boulders before the tide started rising again. They had to be quick yet steady so they didn’t slip and twist an ankle — or worse. Their remote location would make it very difficult for paramedics to reach them.
As intense as this sounds, it’s a pretty familiar scene for hikers that dare to take on Canada’s West Coast Trail — except for the fact that Annika’s climbing partner was her 8-year-old daughter. Her youngest daughter, 6, was also on the trail, climbing the boulders with her dad, Cam, Annika’s husband.
Before the perilous boulders, park rangers at the trailhead had tried to convince Annika and Cam not to attempt the dangerous hike with their kids. The 46.6-mile trail of wilderness stretches from the Gordon River to Pachena Bay in Canada’s Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It’s a treacherous trail that sees about 80 to 100 hikers evacuated each year.
“My oldest realized the gravity of what she was doing, but she looked at me and was just like, ‘thanks so much for believing that I could do this,'” says Annika, recalling how the adventure bonded them as a family.
The Mang family is a bit extreme when it comes to outdoor adventures — but there was a time when Annika wasn’t sure that would always be the case. Or even if she could continue being outdoorsy at all.
After becoming a new mom, she struggled to find information about hikes, even just nature trails, that had information pertinent to families. Most trail apps have information for single, adult hikers but families have different needs. What is considered “easy” for a single adult may be “moderate” or “hard” for families.
“I found it really hard with my daughter to find out where to go…I wanted to know if there was a bathroom. If there was a playground we can go to after. If it was accessible with an all-terrain stroller or a city stroller.”
She knew other families were discouraged, too, by the lack of information. So, she created the app TrailCollectiv to make sure adventuring doesn’t stop after kids.
The app
Annika is, unsurprisingly, the go-to source for all her nature-loving friends in Canada. In fact, after getting asked so many times for advice on family hikes, she wrote a book called Hikes for Families: A Guide to the Canadian Rockies.
However, she kept getting requests from families in other parts of the country who wanted her to write a book about their area. She quickly realized that an app would be a better solution: it could update in real-time and other families could contribute to it.
Finding information about where to go, and what an area or trail is really like — takes so much time and effort, sometimes too much effort!”
Jess Sproat, co-founder
In June 2022, she launched the TrailCollectiv app with her co-founder and friend Jess Sproat. Like Annika, Jess also struggled with getting back into the outdoors after having her first child.
“It was small to start, walks around the neighborhood, exploring “secret” spots close to home, and gradually some longer hikes together as a family on the weekends,” writes Jess.
“I connected with other people doing the same thing and learned that there is a large community of parents and people finding solace, calm, and joy in the outdoors.[But] finding information about where to go, and what an area or trail is really like — takes so much time and effort, sometimes too much effort!”
TrailCollectiv aims to make the research less of an effort for families. The app is chock-full of trail information that’s valuable for families, especially families with young kids.
“You can search for new trails by location or by park. There’s information on whether it’s all-terrain stroller accessible or city stroller accessible. We also define if it’s an uneven trail, so if you have mobility issues you can know what to expect on the trail,” says Annika.
The app grades the trails on a scale of easy, moderate, hard, and hardest.
“For example, a lot of toddlers would find the easiest ones the best. Those are under three miles and up to 56 feet of elevation.”
Families can pull up other useful information like the nearest bathroom — and even find out if it’s a pit toilet or flush — or if there’s a playground or food nearby.
The app is asking the right questions to get families the information that they need to make informed decisions.”
Liz Christensen
“When you’re going with a family with young kids, your needs are different! Your needs often include a nearby ice cream place. It’s an award!” says Liz Christensen, who is a mom of a 1.5-year-old from the Chicago area.
“TrailCollectiv gives space to add that sort of information which becomes so important. The app is asking the right questions to get families the information that they need to make informed decisions.”
Liz is an avid hiker and she regularly contributes trail information to the app, which anyone can do (but all records are approved before they’re published). The app is only available in North America right now, so all of the recorded trails are in Canada and the US. However, pretty soon anyone will be able to sign up and help populate the app with trails worldwide.
The app is in beta version and families can sign up for a $4.99 monthly or $29.99 yearly subscription.
Beyond the trail
Annika knows most families won’t dare to take on the West Coast Trail — or at least, they shouldn’t.
“I definitely don’t recommend it [with kids]. I think we’re a little crazy. My husband’s an ultra runner, so he’s super fit. I used to be a rugby player, so I must like pain or something,” laughs Annika.
But for Annika, TrailCollectiv is not about turning families into outdoor extremists. It’s about giving parents the confidence to explore with their kids, even if it’s just a nature trail around a neighborhood.
There’s an incredible power when you feel like you can actually go out and experience something together with them.”
Annika Mang, co-founder
It’s so easy to be on the sidelines, she says, whether you’re watching your kids at the playground or on the sports field.
“And you just feel like you’re inactive as a parent. There’s an incredible power when you feel like you can actually go out and experience something together with them.”
“Our ultimate goal isn’t that everybody has to use our app. It’s that everybody is inspired and knows that it’s something that they can do and it doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Those experiences will bring you closer together.”