In 1972, Greg and June Siple began a bicycle tour from Anchorage, Alaska, to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The tour was completed in part by Dan and Lys Burden, in full by the Siples, and twenty-nine other cyclists joined in over the course of the 18,272 mile trip. The Siples were the first two people to complete this route, and February 25, 2025, marks the anniversary of the tour‘s completion. The tour was conceived to spotlight the potential of bicycling, assisted by a 1973 article in National Geographic, “Bikepacking Across Alaska and Canada.”
When the Siples returned to Missoula, Montana, their passion for bicycle touring became integral to the formation of Adventure Cycling.
Program Director Michael Marsolek sat down with Greg and June Siple to talk about their tour, known as “Hemistour,” to tease a longer documentary special that will air later this year on Montana Public Radio and to talk about a couple of highlights of their journey.
“Missoula, Montana: The Bicycle Town,” which features June‘s renovated Hemistour bicycle (which is the only bike that made the entire journey), is on display through May 31, 2025, at The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.
