USA Four Corners Tour® History
The USA Four Corners is the second longest-running, long distance riding tour that SCMA offers. In 1976 Joe Usatin came up with the idea to ride to each corner of the United States. George Keller, the first “route scout”, started out in 1977 but had repair delays due to hitting a coyote and was unable to test-ride the tour in 21 consecutive days. Board members Russ Trumbull and Ron and Dorothy Watkins also worked to plan the ride, with Russ Trumbull completing it in1979. The first USA Four Corners tour was offered in 1984 and chaired by Seth Johnson.
How did the 21-days become the maximum number of days required to qualify as a USA Four Corners Finisher? Joe Usatin ventured out as the first rider in 1976 along with his nephew. When they reached their 4th corner, their elapsed time for their journey was 21 days. The SCMA has used that as the standard ever since.
Later, a board member had the idea of issuing a challenge to ride the Four Corners in a True X pattern. In 2011 Chuck Gatecliff of Brighton, MI and Barry Bullington of Neoga, IL, decided to take up the challenge. Using Lebanon, KS, geographic center of the contiguous US, they began at one corner and rode to Lebanon, KS, then to another corner and back to Lebanon KS, then to a third corner and back to Lebanon, and finally to the 4th corner to complete a True X pattern across the continental USA. Although the distance almost doubles, it was decided to only allow an extra 5 days to complete the event. You have 26 days to complete the True X average distance of 11,000 miles.
Even though GPS now has “extreme corners” down to a finite science, the original destinations corners of Blaine, WA, Madawaska, ME, Key West, FL, and San Ysidro, CA are still used because they have travel accommodations such as gas stations, restaurants, and lodging.
The freedom of the ride is that you can begin at any corner and there is no fixed route to follow. You can do your own route at your own pace as long as you do all four corners in 21 days or less. You can take time at the beginning or the end of the ride to visit friends, relatives or see more of the United States.
USA Four Corners has proven to be a popular choice for riders from all over the North American continent and has drawn riders from Europe and Africa.
It is a challenging ride that will leave you with lasting memories!
USA Four Corners Tour Finishers & Statistics
1983 – 2013 FINISHER STATISTICS SCMA USA FOUR CORNERS TOUR®
TOTAL RIDERS
Women 132
Men 1,676
WOMEN FINISHED
Kathy Lamarche. 6 Times 10, twice in 11, 12, 13, True “X” in 13 as well.
Betty McCloskey 5 Times 90, 92, 93, 95, & 08
Eleanor Stevens 4 Times 88, 98, 09 & 10
Virginia Norton 3 Times 94, 99, & 00
Cynthia Stalker 2 Times 85 & 93
Janell Fair 2 Times 86 & 87
Esta Bonenberger 2 Times 88 & 91
Melody Clark 2 Times 88 & 91
Linda Mc Dannel 2 Times 97 & 08
Heidi Weldon 2 Times 00 & 03
Diane LaChance 2 Times 00 & 08
Antoinette Sharp 2 Times 06 & 07
Monica Short 2 Times 11 & 18
Cynthia K Black 2 Times 09 & 15
YOUNGEST WOMAN FINISHER
Ester K. Weis 25 2009
OLDEST PERSON TO FINISH
William Smith 78 2005
MEN FINISHED
Ray Davis 13 Times 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 92, 96, 97, 02, 04, & 08
Dana Dabney 3 x 1 Year Dana Completed Three Tours in 1987
Robert Jacobs 3 x 1 YearRobert Completed Three Tours in 1995
Joseph Mandeville 9 Times 84, 87, 88, 89, 05, 08, 09 & back-to-back in 2012
Don Strum 9 Times 87, 89, 89, 90, 91, 92, 92, 07, & 08
Wayne Wall 8 Times 92, 93, 09, twice in 10, twice in 11, then once in 13.
Gene Baird 8 Times 94, 97, 00, 04, 05, 06, 07, & 13
Dana Dabney 7 Times 84, 85, 86, 86, 87, 87 & 87
Charles Lamb 7 Times 08, 09, 09, 11, 12, 13, 13.
Robert Carter 6 Times 94, 96, 98, 00, 01, & 06
Jack Shoalmire 6 Times 05, 06, 07, 08, 08 & 11
Larry Lamarche 6 Times 10, twice in 11, 12, 13, True “X” in 13 as well.
Jack Fair 5 Times 84, 85, 86, 87, & 88
Daryl Welsh 5 Times 84, 87, 88, 90, & 92
Phil Stallard 5 Times 93, 94, 95, 96 & 97
Clarence Huff 5 Times 94, 97, 99, 00, & 01
Charles Hile 5 Times 94, 96, 04, 07, & 13
Dannie Fox 5 Times 98, 09, twice in 2010 then again in 13
Clint Johnson 4 Times 88, 90, 94, & 05
James Helms 4 Times 89, 90, 91, & 93
Thomas Loegering Sr. 4 Times 89, 91, 93, & 03
Robert Jacobs 4 Times 90, 95, 95, & 95
Harland Thillen 4 Times 96, 98, 00, & 01
Martin Hildreth 4 Times 97, 02, 04, & 08
Timothy Barlow 4 Times 03 05, 11 & 12
Harold Plaethe 3 Times 84, 94, & 04
Ron McGaha 3 Times 86, 93, & 01
James Goodrich 3 Times 87, 90, & 91
William Jackson 3 Times 87, 92, & 98
Fulton Martin 3 Times 87, 07 & 10
Thomas Loegering Jr.3 Times 89, 91, & 93
Robert Thomson 3 Times 89, 90, & 92
Bob Still 3 Times 90, 01, & 03
Rodalph Ribet 3 Times 92, 95, & 01
Robert Norton 3 Times 94, 99, & 02
John Pursley 3 Times 94, 96, & 02
Tony Clelland 3 Times 96, 99, & 06
Charles Hile 3 Times 96, 04, & 07
Roger Brooking 3 Times98, 04, & 05
David Johnson 3 Times06, 07, & 08
Daniel T. Graham 3 Times07, 10 & 11
Charles A. Gatecliff 3 Times10, 12, & the True “X” in 2011
Brent C. Gatecliff 3 Times 10, 12, & the True “X” in 2011
Rodnet Chew 3 Times 11, & the True “X” in 2012, 13
Ron Major 2 Times 84 & 87
William Adams 2 Times 84 & 90
Ross Copas 2 Times 84 & 95
Tom Churchill 2 Times 84 & 04
Dan Hale 2 Times 85 & 86
Dave McQueeney 2 Times 85 & 88
Gene Berrier 2 Times 85 & 90
Kenneth Nace 2 Times 85 & 90
Harold Aberegg 2 Times 85 & 05
Ardy Prendez 2 Times 86 & 87
Charles Ruffino 2 Times 86 & 87
Milton Schroeder 2 Times 86 & 87
Perry Laffoon 2 Times 86 & 89
Tom Day 2 Times 86 & 91
John Smallwood 2 Times 87 & 93
Virgil Fey 2 Times 87 & 94
Tom Spears 2 Times 87 & 97
Eric Berner 2 Times 88 & 91
David Corey 2 Times 88 & 91
Jimmy Martin 2 Times 88 & 91
Ron Edgley 2 Times 88 & 92
Michael Kneebone 2 Times 88 & 93
Joe Wolfe 2 Times 88 & 03
Ron Hansen 2 Times 90 & 91
Donald Stowe 2 Times 90 & 91
Robert Higdon 2 Times 90 & 93J
David Long 2 Times 90 & 95
Carl Fisher 2 Times 90 & 99
John Beck 2 Times 90 & 07
Jay Slavin 2 Times 91 & 92
Madison Porter 2 Times 91 & 01
Richard D. Hoffman 2 Times 91 & 01
Don Branin 2 Times 93 & 01
Robert Smith 2 Times 93 & 09
David G. Heusser 2 Times 93 & 13
Wally Jordon 2 Times 94 & 94
Walter Lambert 2 Times 94 & 95
Robert W. Nelson 2 Times 95 & 08
James Culp 2 Times 96 & 99
Robert Beschel 2 Times 96 & 00
R R Rudy 2 Times 96 & 02
Kenneth & Sandra Downs 2 Times 96 & 08
Richard Berry 2 Times 97 & 97
David Mc Dannel 2 Times 97 & 08
Ronald Tolson 2 Times 98 & 98
Dannie Fox 2 Times 98 & 13
Richard Rohlf 2 Times 99 & 03
Les Judd 2 Times 99 & 04
Bob Brown 2 Times 99 & 04
Jerry Thorp 2 Times 99 & 06
Ron Smith 2 Times 00 & 00
Jack Wells 2 Times 00 & 00
Bill Dimmett 2 Times 00 & 03
William Flesch 2 Times 00 & 07
Joe LaChance 2 Times 00 & 08
Richard W. Workman 2 Times 00 & 08
Vernon Lucero 2 Times 01 & 11
John Olsen 2 Times 01 & 01
Charles Park 2 Times 02 & 04
Chris E. Hildreth 2 Times 02 & 08
Larry Kibler 2 Times 03 & 05
Timothy Hunt 2 Times 03 & 08
James Payton 2 Times 04 & 06
Miklos Huszar 2 Times 05 & 07
James Lindey 2 Times 06 & 08
Dave Paul 2 Times 05 & 11
James L. Marsh 2 Times 06 & 08
Michael T. Carroll 2 Times 06 & 10
Neil Noffsinger 2 Times 07 & 08
Robert E. Collins Jr. 2 Times 07 & 11
Terry Evans 2 Times 08 & the True “X” in 2011
Douglas Kenyon 2 Times 03 & 13
Tom Clements 2 Times 08 & 13
Randolph W. Shull 2 Times 09 & 11
Harold L.Ellison 2 Times 09 & 10
Oscar “Ozzie” Scofield 2 Times 09 & 11
Dale Liechty 2 Times 09 & 13
Michael A. Berens 2 Times 10 & 11
Barry Bulington2 Times 10 & the True “X” in 2011
Steve Shulman 2 Times 10 & the True “X” in 2013
Edgar Tudor 2 Times 10 & 13
Don McFarlane 2 Times 11 & 13
Ronald Gonzalez 2 Times 12 & the True “X” in 13
YOUNGEST MAN FINISHER
Fernando de Vidania 20 2007
If your name or city is spelled incorrectly or anything else, or you just want to make the tour again
email
usa4c@sc-ma.com