THE DIRECTOR From guidebooks to guiding hand, Gary MacFadden led Bikecentennial on new adventures

by Michael McCoy

’ve known Gary MacFadden for more than 40 years, having worked closely with him for much of that time. Yet when I sat down to interview him for the book America’s Bicycle Route, Gary — always full of surprises — told me some IBikecentennial-related stories I’d never heard until then. It was late fall of 1974. Gary, a recent University of Montana School of Journalism grad, saw a job notice posted for a guidebook-writing position in Missoula. He applied and received a call from Bikecentennial’s executive director, Dan Burden, in December. “I remember it clearly,” Gary said, “because that same day the sewer backed up in my apartment.” Was that reverse flushing prophetic of what lay ahead in Gary’s near future? “The notion was that all these people Dan and Lys Burden knew were going to send info to Missoula to be compiled,” Gary said. “The role I signed on for was that of editor of materials, not researcher.” That quickly changed though, which was a common theme at Bikecentennial — Dan would hire someone for one thing and then assign them to do something entirely different. Gary had no real cycling experience other than what he’d done to earn his cycling merit badge in the Boy Scouts. But as winter eased into spring, it was decided that, because he had been tapped to write the guidebook series for a major cross-country cycling route, Gary should get some road miles under his belt. A short bike adventure in June 1975 set him off on a multimodal road trip that would last the next five months. “We were still in the shakedown mode of the research,” Gary recalled. “John Briggs, Don Lovett, and I drove the Coachmen Industries motorhome to Astoria, Oregon, and parked it near the docks. There we started cycling.” John Briggs was Bikecentennial’s original media director (see “When Donna Met John,” July 2016), and Don Lovett was an artist hired to prepare the pen-and-ink plant drawings for the guidebooks. John and Don were riding the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail not only for guidebook purposes but

32 ADVENTURE CYCLIST oc tober /nov ember 2016 also to take photos for a slide show up brochures and other printed Pittsburg who owned a bike shop,” Gary and printed marketing materials. Gary materials and taking photos of historic said. “This puppy wandering around joined them on just the first few days markers and other road signs,” Gary their house suffered from an eye of their ride and in the process broke said. He would then call on those ailment that’s fairly common in collies, in more than just his research skills. materials once back in Missoula, where where the retina doesn’t attach.” THE “I didn’t own a decent bike at the he found another invaluable tool at the When the owners contacted the dog time, so Dan lent me his expensive city library — the series of state guides breeder about the dog’s condition, they Raleigh,” Gary said. “It was the right created by the WPA Federal Writers’ were told to come out and get another size for me, but it had a brand- Project during the Great Depression. puppy, and that the first one would DIRECTOR spanking new Brooks Pro leather What did happen often at the be destroyed. “They were broken up saddle. He wanted me to break it in for campgrounds was this: “Here’s this about that,” Gary said, “so we came up him, but the saddle did the breaking. I young, long-haired guy in a pretty with the story that the dog had escaped learned what perch points are the hard fancy motorhome. It usually didn’t take from the house and gotten run over.” way. five minutes for some old fellow to In fact Charlie set off on a cross- “‘People do this for fun?’ I wondered. wander over and start kicking the tires country trip with Gary, who said the “They must be crazy.” and asking something like, ‘How’d you puppy was bouncing off the walls of However, about the time the trio hit get that?’” the motor home for two or three days McKenzie Pass, Gary finally started Gary said he came up with some until they saw a vet and acquired some getting it. “This really is fun,” he said. good tall tales about how he got the medication that calmed him down. “I just need to get in the right gear. motor home, but, in fact, Dan Burden (This soft-hearted animal lover kept From there to Prineville — or was it had talked Coachmen Industries into raccoons and skunks as pets when he John Day? — it really clicked.” lending it to the Bikecentennial effort. was a kid.) From central Oregon, Gary caught In Pittsburg, Kansas, Gary picked up Gary recalled having just two bad the bus back to Astoria to reclaim a companion that would stay with him experiences with the motor home, one the motorhome while the other two for many years to come — “Charlie,” while going downhill and the other up. pedaled on. the blind collie. “Descending Vesuvius Hill in “I then slowly started working “Dan and Lys had talked to people Virginia, the brakes were failing, my way along the route,” Gary said, along the route to help with trail smoking,” he said. “It was this big truck “gathering information and images development, like these folks in careening down the mountainside, like for the guidebook text and the in a movie. I was ready to open the illustrated maps that Bruce door and jump out. But I got to the Burgess was preparing. I caught up During Gary’s 18 years as executive director, bottom okay and counted myself with John and Don near Lolo Pass, he and his staff accomplished a great deal, lucky for it.” and they accepted a ride on into including: Later, in Colorado, while

Missoula. ascending the TransAm Trail’s • Taking BikeReport from tabloid to maga- “For some reason, the powers zine format to Adventure Cyclist magazine apex of Hoosier Pass, something that be decided that the best plan • Shepherding the organization into the was apparently going wrong from there would be for me to computer age with the carburetor. “The rig drive from Missoula directly to • Raising funds and purchasing the current was just choking along,” Gary the eastern terminus of the route headquarters building said. “The engine was accessible in Yorktown, Virginia,” he said. • Changing the organization’s name from from between the driver’s seat He headed out with Don and Bikecentennial to Adventure Cycling and passenger seat. So I took the John aboard, dropping them off Association cover off and, thinking it might in Illinois so they could cycle and • Entering the world of mountain biking help, held my finger on the carb’s photograph the eastern portions of • Forging partnerships with several national butterfly choke valve. It worked! It forests the trail. just needed more air at that high • Growing the membership from around 15,000 to 35,000 elevation.” Wishing to be a “real • Establishing many new routes, including journalist,” Gary had visions the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Upon his return to Missoula in of taking notes on note cards • Launching the organization’s first “event the fall of 1975, Gary said he felt and tape recording thoughts and tour,” Cycle Montana, and its first “light bizarre, disoriented. “The research interviews as he proceeded, which tour,” the Northwest Islander trip was the first time being on he would then transcribe every my own,” he said. “Day after day, night at a campground with power “I see my greatest success as setting things up traveling by myself for weeks on service on the electric typewriter so we could quickly take advantage of oppor- end. I might be in two or three he’d packed. tunities that came along,” Gary said. “And the libraries in one day.” Moreover, thing I feel I did right was trying to get people It didn’t happen. the Bikecentennial office above who would stay. For all the assets the organi- GREG SIPLE “It was much better just picking zation has, the most important ones walk out Eddy’s Club was now a maelstrom the door each day at 5:00 pm.”

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 33 of activity full of busy bees Gary had about detail. This was good; because in paper tape. They would run the never met. Bruce was involved, it gave a real paper strips through their machine at “But I had file folders from traveling structure to the guidebook process.” Artcraft. We spent immense amounts across the country, materials thrown And it wasn’t all Gary’s show at the of time creating these, and then Frank into boxes: museum brochures, office. Other people were keyboarding. Winkler would read through them. chamber of commerce fliers, a mass Don Lovett was working on the plant There were maybe 23 rolls of punched of everything. So I carved a niche up drawings. paper tape for one chapter. Strips were front away from the hustle and bustle “Later, after the ’76 ride, Dan asked thumbtacked to the walls. You could and started organizing stuff. Into the for summaries from staffers,” Gary said. write on the tape. ‘Where’s Chapter 6?’ spring, people would say they didn’t “In mine I said the guidebooks were someone would ask. ‘Oh, over there on see me much. I just stayed in the office not a successful project because we the east wall.’” and cranked out copy.” didn’t get them all done on time. There The guidebooks came in a series The big question, Gary said, was were people out on the trail without of five, each corresponding to one how to take people across the TransAm them. It was touch and go. I remember of the map-booklet sections. Gary Trail chapter by chapter. He needed a driving down to Darby [Montana] to recalled that they finished the Coast- format so he started looking at other deliver books to one group. Cascades volume first, and then the guidebooks, like the ones the Sierra “A major reason we got backed up Appalachians. Because riders were Club was putting out. is because we were trying so much starting on the two coasts, those books “Dan had gotten Bruce Burgess stuff with production that was cutting would be the first ones needed. And working on ‘cartoon’ maps,” Gary said, edge at the time. The industry was then came, in succession, Bluegrass, “and we started working together. I moving to cold type while our guy Rocky Mountains, and Plains-Ozarks. had met Bruce in Richmond and stayed Frank at Artcraft Printers had been a “I would get a book done, Artcraft with him a couple days. He was an hot-type operator. We had to have a would take it to the bluelines stage, and architect. I knew how fastidious he was thing in the office that punched holes I would take those to San Francisco

THE PEOPLE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE By Gary MacFadden moved into the chief finance officer position, and I’ll tell anyone that her attention to detail and wealth of ideas made my job much, much easier. It is axiomatic that an organization with the Later, Marlene’s husband, Bill, joined the staff. Bill took on reorga- longevity of Bikecentennial/Adventure Cycling nizing the sales and trips departments, and eventually served as chief Association will have numerous staff mem- of staff. Sadly, Bill recently passed away. bers helping to start, nurture, and grow the There are so many, many other people who could and should be business. But it seems like the same names recognized for their contributions. The late John Williams, a national always keep popping up. bicycle safety powerhouse, introduced our first education programs. Of course, the names June and Greg Siple, who rode their bicycles Stuart Crook, along with Tim and Bonnie Leifer, created the initial Tours on Hemistour from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, South America, and Dan and the Tour Leadership programs. Dave had Robert Logan reorganize and Lys Burden, who rode until they were turned back by illness in the sales department as the organization was put back on the road in Mexico, are familiar to most. 1978–79. Dan D’Ambrosio arrived to take over the publications depart- In recent issues of Adventure Cyclist, you’ve heard from people such ment when Dave departed and I became the acting executive director. as John Briggs (July2016) — who played an important role in creating Carla Majernik rode the 1976 Bikecentennial ride, then moved on visual marketing materials to gain national attention for the fledgling to cartography to work with Greg to design and constantly improve the organization — and Dave Prouty (May 2016), who took the reins in early cycling maps we’re well known for — and she continues to do so today. 1977, when the organization faced bankruptcy, and transitioned it from Two staffers who joined the organization as receptionists — Julie Huck an event to an ongoing membership organization. and Teri Maloughney — have served the organization for many years But there were so many others, and I won’t have the space (or the as very capable directors of the memberships and sales departments, surviving memory cells) to name them all. When Bikecentennial all but respectively. disbanded in early 1977, something like 35 talented, committed people And not only staff should be recognized: many individuals have found themselves without jobs. Remaining with Dave were Carla Melvin contributed their knowledge and talents as board members. Just a few and Bill Harlan, who handled the tours program, leadership training names: Matthew Cohn, who served many terms as board president courses, and more during the 1977 tours season. Meanwhile, Ernie and remains an enthusiastic supporter (watch for an upcoming profile); Franceschi, who had served as a field team for the ’76 event, was selling Nancy Moe and Van Dye, David Marshall, and Helena McClay, who con- vehicles, typewriters, and desks just to pay the electric bill, the printers, tributed valuable legal advice; Angel Rodriguiz, Ellis Robinson, Charlie and other suppliers. Pace, and many more — they all helped the organization survive and One name you will rarely hear is Marlene Wiles, who as far as I thrive. know has never thrown a leg across a top tube. She was on the book- The bottom line is that, as the Adventure Cycling Association cele- keeping staff during the ’76 event, and Dave lured her back as the mem- brates its 40th anniversary, there are many people who deserve a nod berships director before his own departure in 1980. Over time, Marlene of the helmet and a smile of thanks.

34 ADVENTURE CYCLIST oc tober /nov ember 2016 for printing. For some reason, it was Publications Director Charlie Seastone, by the new assistant director, Dave determined that the most efficient into his office. “I thought I was going Prouty, who basically told us all that route was for me to go there, mark to be named the new editorial director, the gig was up. Everybody in the room, up the bluelines, and sign something but instead Dan said to Charlie, more with a couple of exceptions, was gone. saying they’d been checked. A guy or less, ‘You’re out!’ This was news Just the fact that it was the assistant would pick me up and take me to to both Charlie and me. But Charlie director and not one of the principals the printing plant near the airport. stomped out, thinking I knew about it was telling. I knew there were financial Then I’d get back on the plane. I did all along.” problems — but one day you’re working that twice, same day, Missoula–San It was a low moment, one in which here and the next you’re not.” Francisco–Missoula. After that, Gary lost any confidence he’d had in As Greg Siple explained in “Return I decided to take more time on Bikecentennial’s leadership. And more from the End of the World” in the subsequent trips to look around the surprises were in store. May 2016 Adventure Cyclist, he was as city. Five trips, one for each guidebook. “Everyone, myself included, now surprised as anyone to learn that the Why it was cheaper to send me to San assumed that I would be the new organization was disbanding. Francisco than to ship the bluelines, I publications director,” Gary said. After being let go, Greg went to can’t remember.” Instead, Matthew Cohn, formerly of work for an ad agency, and Gary Even amid the mad rush it took Shimano, showed up to fill the post. started freelancing. “Dave [who to create them, Gary recalled, “the But, fortunately, he and Gary hit it off became executive director after Dan’s guidebooks got out without too many immediately. departure early in 1977] would give us mistakes, although there were some “Matthew and I were sitting in contracts to do BikeReport, the next classics. I was always happy to see a room by ourselves one day,” Gary trips brochure, and so forth. These riders on down time sitting around recalled. “He looks at me and says, ‘I were lean months; I was doing any reading them.” don’t know @&$% about publications. freelance work I could find — layout, After the guidebooks were all So I want you to go to the management book covers for the local company printed and the summer of cycling team meetings with me. Whenever Dan Mountain Press Publishing … ” wore on, Gary worked on the fledgling comes up with an idea, you nod yes a “Then, late in 1977, Dave came back BikeReport and “lots of other little little bit for a good idea, no for a bad from Banff with ‘the bible’ of direct publications” the organization was idea.” mail. We never looked back after that disseminating. Confusion reigned. Different teams first campaign. We had hit our low “Then, in late 1976 or early ’77,” were unwittingly working on the same point and were on our way up.” he said, “we started the date book,” project, getting wires crossed. “Dan To read more about this dire period which was again inspired by the Sierra would say get together and hash it out,” and how a direct-mail campaign helped Club. It turned into something of an Gary recalled. “But what we needed to bring the organization back from the expensive fiasco. “We learned too late be doing was paying more attention to brink of extinction, read “A Second in the game that bookstores order dollars and cents. What were we, a trips Chance” in the May 2016 Adventure calendars for the following year in organization? A routes organization? Cyclist. June, July, August at the latest,” Gary To me we were an event organization said. “We got ours out in the fall so bike with no clear plan on moving it from Michael “Mac” McCoy is the godfather of shops turned out to be a better point of that to a memberships organization. bikepacking, the architect of the Great Divide distribution than bookstores.” “I’ll never forget that meeting in the Mountain Bike Route, and recently retired from Adventure Cycling after 40 years. He served as Gary Then, suddenly, one day Dan trips department, the biggest space we MacFadden’s assistant director from 1993 to 1995. Burden called Gary and his supervisor, had,” he said. “The meeting was called

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 35