1973 ARTICLE HELPED LAUNCH BIKECENTENNIAL
National Geographic’s Hemistour story brought bicycle travel to the masses
STORY BY JUNE J. SIPLE
➺WHEN 8.5 MILLION National Geographic magazine devotees tore the brown paper wrapper off the May 1973 issue, they discovered 26 pages about bicycling. One article featured the bicycle boom, and the other focused on long-distance bicycle touring. Many readers probably knew about bicycling’s recreational rebirth in the U.S., but few would have been aware of international, extended bicycle touring. “Bikepacking Dan Burden’s iconic photograph of his wife Lys (center), with Greg and June Siple (right) trudging through deep mud in British Columbia became a touchstone for would-be bicycle travelers who were Across Alaska and Canada” focused on introduced to Hemistour in the May 1973 issue of National Geographic. Hemistour, an expedition that promoted bicycle touring and hosteling along a the expedition, riders Dan Burden and manuscript. A rising star at the magazine, 15-country route through the Western Greg Siple possessed photographic skills Grove cycled 145 miles with the group Hemisphere. Stretching over two years, to match National Geographic standards, from Prineville to Eugene, Oregon, as eight months, and nine days, the 18,272- and the two would share the enormous part of his research. He also coined the mile trip — with 30 participants riding thrill of seeing their photos published in term “bikepacking” with its initial use in varying distances — was the first bicycle one of America’s preeminent publications. the Hemistour article. ride from Alaska to Argentina. A potent One of the magazine’s staff writers, Only four other bicycle touring articles publicity machine for bicycle touring, Noel Grove, crafted the lead bicycle piece, had appeared in National Geographic Hemistour generated hundreds of “Bikes Are Back — and Booming.” “Peter prior to the Hemistour story, all focused column inches in the press. Numerous Benchley was assigned to write the [bike on Europe (1938, 1939, 1940, and 1955). radio and TV interviews found audiences boom] article,” Grove recalled, “but he But the May 1973 issue was the first to throughout the hemisphere from 1972 to turned it down. So I went to NG’s central feature bicycling in North America. Such 1975. files and saw that he had been offered respectable publicity, a dream come By far the most significant of these the story, but he was [too busy] writing a true for the core group of Hemistour media was National Geographic, with its book about a shark (that book was Jaws).” newlyweds Dan and Lys Burden, and dedication to fact and photo — what they Grove was also given the assignment Greg and June Siple, would be crucial published, people believed. Luckily for to work with Dan on the Hemistour for the cycling quartet’s next project —
62 ADVENTURE CYCLIST a pr il 2016 Bikecentennial. The credibility generated camera because they had more than a Three months slipped through our helped coax sponsors to lend support and dozen staff photographers who could be fingers without a response. Disheartened, inspired a generation of touring cyclists. flown anywhere in the world to shoot Greg and I assumed Hemistour would When Myrna Koffler (Rafalovich) first a story. So a well-crafted story proposal not be the subject an article in National read the Hemistour article, she recalled would be key. Second, Scherschel Geographic at all. But Dan refused to thinking “I didn’t believe it could be done revealed to us their interest in a bicycling give in, and on January 21, 1972 (with — I was just stunned — and women were story! Further, he relayed a great deal only about five months to go before our doing it! All of a sudden, a long-distance of optimism about the task at hand, departure in Alaska), he phoned Gilka, bicycling effort became feasible, and it and we departed filled with confidence who said our proposal had died for lack of was not about some crazy extremists.” that we would succeed. After all, on support. No one could pull it off, the old Myrna signed up for Bikecentennial’s the inside cover a statement for would- guard had said. Surprisingly, he suggested leadership course and would lead a group be contributors read: “Articles and that Dan call him again about a month across the TransAmerica Trail in 1976. photographs of travel, natural history, and before departure and fill him in on our How did we, the Hemistour riders, expeditions to far places are desired.” plans; he might be willing to supply film convince National Geographic to publish Back in Pittsburgh, at the peak of and processing. With just over five weeks the story after a nearly two-decade gap summer heat and humidity, we hauled to go before our departure to Alaska, in bicycling coverage? In Pittsburgh, our bikes up to our third-floor apartment Dan made the final call to Gilka on April Pennsylvania, Greg and I lived closer to high above the hustle of Murray Avenue. 28. Not long after Greg and I arrived the magazine’s Washington, DC, offices Greg quickly set to work and wrote a long in Missoula, Montana, on May 6, after than Dan and Lys, who had moved from letter to Dan about what needed to be in hitchhiking from Ohio, a glorious yellow- Ohio to Montana. So we agreed to visit the proposal. We assumed he would write orange National Geographic box with 60 National Geographic in 1971, following the month-long Atlantic Seafarer cycle touring trip that we co-led for the National American Youth Hostels (now Hostelling International USA). We carried a prized letter on the trip to DC — confirmation of our appointment with the head of photography. Our hopes rose as we came into the front entrance of the majestic gallery-like offices. Gigantic stunning photos lined every hallway and filled every spare wall space. It was a photographer’s nirvana. But we had arrived a month late! Our appointment with Robert E. Gilka had been in July — not August. We unfolded the letter and sure enough, July had been the appointed month. Crushed by disappointment, we felt tremendously foolish as well. Gilka had to GREG SIPLE attend a meeting, but Assistant Director The author patches up a scrape on National Geographic staff writer Noel Grove’s knee. Grove joined of Photography Joseph J. Scherschel the Alaska-to-Argentina Hemistour expedition for 145 miles through part of Oregon in 1972 while generously declared he would see us researching the Hemistour story for the magazine. instead. A jovial man, but professional and direct, he sat us down close to his desk. it, but the task would need to be done rolls of Kodachrome film arrived. During He sorted slides as we chatted informally quickly and be very specific and grounded that final month of endless preparations, about Hemistour, pitching them, one at with details. Dan sent us his proposal to just the sight of the box renewed our a time (after close scrutiny), into one of review two months later, but it omitted energy. two large metal wastebaskets, his “circular key details. Based on what we had learned But what made them change their file” — both nearly full to the brim with from Scherschel, we knew it would miss minds about our expedition? We knew discarded slides. It was fascinating and the mark. Greg immediately wrote his a bicycling article was in the works. sobering. But we were there to take own proposal and mailed it to National National Geographic had called Greg at notes about creating a proposal, and he Geographic on November 2, 1971, with work in Pittsburgh to consult with him generously gave us a how-to. an itinerary and maps provided by Dan about shooting the Tour of the Scioto Two comments surprised us — and Lys for the first few months of travel. River Valley (TOSRV), which he had first,National Geographic was not at all We had just seven months before our founded with his father, Charles R. concerned about our abilities with a departure for Alaska. Siple, in 1962. They asked, “Should we
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 63 send a helicopter?” Without hesitation from a construction camp where we had the sky was clear enough to see flashing Greg said, “Yes!” What we didn’t know overnighted, hauling his bike and gear green northern lights, the best I’d ever was that the magazine only wanted one along, and skipped 26 miles of riding seen. It drew all the hostelers outside to photo of TOSRV, and only one from to get to our third mail stop faster, off lay their sleeping bags on the lawn and Hemistour for a bicycle boom article route in Stewart, British Columbia. gaze skyward, sighing and cheering with they were developing. One photo out of Dan, normally a man of unwrinkled delight at the astounding neon display. the 60 rolls of film Dan and Greg would mood, was in a fret about the complete We went the movies to see A Clockwork shoot on a “first look privilege” basis for lack of feedback. By our next mail stop Orange, read books, wrote letters, National Geographic. But Dan and Greg’s 408 miles later, in Prince George, he scribbled journal entries, and waxed our photography would reflect a strong work was practically foaming at the mouth tents for better waterproofing. Always ethic and the ability to capture vivid for news. At last! We had a telegram carrying a small pair of barber shears, I cut Dan’s hair and beard, a good way to save trip funds. Greg and I launched each POOR DAN DIDN’T SLEEP MUCH IN other down a 20-foot slick, grassy hill for fun and stayed up with Dan until 2:00 am ANTICIPATION OF THE NG CALL... one night, talking in the hostel kitchen. DO THEY OR DO THEY NOT LIKE OUR PHOTOS? My journal said, “Poor Dan didn’t sleep much in anticipation of the NG call ... Do they or do they not like our photos?” images of our Hemistour story. from Scherschel buried in the sheaf of By the end of the Monday call, Dan At our first two Hemistour mail stops mail we picked up on a Saturday: “DAN was on a first-name basis with “Joe,” in Alaska and the Yukon, we churned BURDEN HEMISTOUR, PLEASE CALL who, my journal went on, “asked if we through our letters for something — NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC COLLECT.” thought we’d make it to South America anything — from the magazine. Dan Torture! Dan would have to wait until ... and that they’re going to wire $100 was getting restless about the lack of Monday. to us here plus comments from the feedback on photos already shipped We distracted ourselves until then. to DC. He hitched a ride with workers At the Prince George Hostel that night, CONTINUED ON PAGE 73
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 64 Back home and anxious for mail, Dan Undoubtedly setting the stage for SIPLE: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC dug into our pile of letters and was not promotion of Bikecentennial, while photography department,” and “we disappointed. We had another telegram. also boosting numbers of recreational celebrated with something of a victory Yelling, “Wheee!” Lys and I grabbed each riders nationwide, National Geographic’s breakfast.” The next day, we had the other and jumped for joy after hearing bicycling-rich issue lent credibility to money and comments: “GETTING that the magazine would fly Dan and Greg the Bikecentennial concept. A rather GOOD SCENIC AND INDIVIDUAL to DC. wild idea compared to more sedate BIKING PHOTOS STOP YOU NEED Meanwhile, Dan ran outside and celebrations of the bicentennial year, MORE INVOLVEMENT SHOTS OF played with the neighbor’s dog, cavorting Bikecentennial benefited greatly from the ENCOUNTERS ALONG WAY STOP in the front yard. “And what do you think tremendous publicity that both stories MONEY EN ROUTE STOP, CHARLENE about that?!” he teased. “The boys,” as the generated. And more than four decades MURPHY.” Dan had just shipped film magazine often referred to them, would later, a few Adventure Cycling Association from Prince George featuring plenty of be wined and dined like rock stars in DC visitors still tell stories of how the encounter shots. “We are really optimistic as they met various staff members and Hemistour story in National Geographic at this point,” my journal noted. reviewed the initial Hemistour article had been the genesis of their path to At mile 3,103, we rode into Missoula slide selects. The Hemistour article bicycle touring. on September 7, after pedaling 102 miles proposal had, amazingly, been approved the previous day, our record for the first unanimously, based on the photographic June J. Siple is a Bikecentennial cofounder, former stage of Hemistour. Group friction had skills of Dan Burden and his protégé, staff member, former board member, and the first worsened toward the end of the trip, and Greg Siple. Out of four issues — a total of woman to bicycle from Alaska to Argentina. June and Greg recently donated their 528-pound National we had arrived practically penniless. We about 24 articles — the piece was fourth Geographic collection to Darby High School in had about $100 left among us and figured in popularity, according to then-Editor Montana. we’d have to stop and work for the winter. Gilbert M. Grosvenor.
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