The Skier Trying to Set a Guinness World Record by Collecting 1,000 Trail Maps Before They Disappear

A simple hobby of collecting ski resorts’ trail maps has turned into a quest to set the Guinness World Record for owning the most. Ben Bedard has been skiing since he was five years old, growing up in Utah, hitting local mountains like Powder Mountain and Snowbasin. He started collecting trail maps during the 2004-05 season while still living in Utah, but has since moved to the greater Philadelphia area, where Bedard has continued the mission of grabbing every trail map he can find.

For most skiers, a trail map is something to glance at on the chairlift before stuffing into a jacket pocket — or tossing in the recycling bin at the end of the day. For Bedard, however, every paper trail map represents another piece of skiing history worth preserving. For more than 20 years, Bedard has been on a mission to collect trail maps from ski resorts around the world. What started as a simple hobby has evolved into an ambitious quest to set a Guinness World Record. But there’s another reason his mission has taken on new significance: as more ski resorts replace printed trail maps with digital versions, every season makes his goal a little more difficult, and every map in his collection a little more valuable.

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During the 2004-05 season, Bedard decided to save a trail map instead of throwing it away. Before long, one map became dozens, then hundreds. He currently owns 776 different ski resort trail maps from around the world. His goal is to reach 1,000, the number Guinness World Records determined would qualify for a new world record category. After amassing several hundred maps, Bedard contacted Guinness World Records to see whether a record already existed for the world’s largest ski trail map collection. It didn’t. After researching the category, Guinness concluded that anyone seeking the title would need to own at least 1,000 different ski trail maps, estimating there are roughly 2,200 operating ski areas worldwide. That gave Bedard a tangible goal and transformed a hobby into a worldwide treasure hunt.

His collection continued to grow after he relocated to the greater Philadelphia area, but the biggest turning point came during the COVID-19 pandemic. With travel at a standstill, Bedard shifted his search online, emailing ski resorts around the world asking whether they would mail him their trail maps. The response surprised him.

Many ski resorts enthusiastically embraced the project. European resorts proved especially generous, often including stickers, neck gaiters, and other memorabilia along with their trail maps. Resorts in Australia also mailed maps free of charge. Ironically, Bedard says the only resorts that consistently asked him to cover postage or mailing costs were located in the United States. That doesn’t bother him. “I understand that a person at a ski resort has to take the time to mail them to me, and having the stickers shipped costs money,” Bedard told SnowBrains. He says he appreciates every resort willing to help grow his collection.

Collecting nearly 800 different trail maps has required persistence as much as patience. One of the biggest challenges isn’t finding ski resorts, it’s finding the right person to contact. Bedard tries not to overwhelm resorts, limiting himself to one email each year. If he doesn’t receive a response after three years, he’ll try reaching out through social media instead. Ironically, the small independent ski areas that can be the hardest to locate have often been the most willing to help.

When Bedard explains that he’s trying to set a Guinness World Record, many independently owned resorts gladly mail him a trail map and wish him luck. Finding those smaller ski areas, however, has become increasingly difficult as he gets closer to 1,000 maps. Some have permanently closed, while others operate in remote parts of the world where information can be difficult to find. To locate them, Bedard often turns to Ski Resort info, one of the world’s largest ski resort databases.

But perhaps the biggest obstacle isn’t geography, it’s technology. As smartphones have become the primary navigation tool for skiers, many resorts have stopped printing paper trail maps altogether, instead directing visitors to mobile apps or digital PDFs. For Bedard, that has created a sense of urgency. Every resort that discontinues printed maps removes another potential addition to his collection. What began as a Guinness World Record attempt has gradually become something else entirely: a race to preserve a disappearing part of ski culture. His collection now serves as an informal archive of skiing history.

Some maps document resorts that no longer exist, while others preserve trail layouts that have since been redesigned or absorbed into larger ski areas. One example is California’s Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. Today, they’re collectively known as Palisades Tahoe, but Bedard owns original trail maps from Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, and the modern Palisades Tahoe, preserving each chapter of the resort’s evolution.

Among his personal favorites is Heavenly, whose unique location allows skiers to cross from California into Nevada during a single run. “Heavenly is special because you start in one state and you can end up in another,” Bedard said. He also treasures trail maps from Badger Pass in Yosemite National Park and Dartmouth Skiway in Vermont, two historic ski areas that represent very different chapters of North American skiing.

Managing a collection this large requires organization. Rather than keeping maps stacked in boxes, Bedard stores them in a steel filing cabinet, carefully sorted into labeled folders by U.S. state and by country for international resorts. He also maintains a detailed database to ensure every trail map is cataloged and that no duplicates are counted toward his Guinness goal.

With 776 trail maps already collected, Bedard is now actively searching for the remaining 224 needed to reach the magic number. He’s even willing to trade duplicate maps with fellow collectors if it helps fill gaps in the collection. “It is getting more difficult to find smaller ski resort trail maps in countries outside the United States,” he admitted.

Even after reaching 1,000 maps and potentially earning a Guinness World Record Bedard doesn’t expect the search to end. “The hunt and excitement of getting more trail maps will keep me going,” he said. And perhaps that’s fitting. As more ski resorts transition to digital maps, each folded piece of paper becomes more than just a souvenir from a day on the slopes. It becomes a snapshot of a ski area’s history — and one more piece of skiing’s past preserved before it disappears forever.