Board of Directors & Officers
Tim James
Board President & Creative Director
A lifelong on/off-road motorcyclist, Tim has ridden in some amazing spots around the world and continues to do so whenever possible. Living in the congested Northeast just a few miles outside of NYC, he fully appreciates the importance of fighting for off-highway riding opportunities.
After riding the UTBDR in 2013, he quickly realized the significance of the work that BDR was doing for the ADV community. He started his involvement with BDR as a volunteer, and then Ambassador, joined the Board of Directors in 2017, served as Vice President for 3 years – and now President of the Board. In 2019 Tim assembled the NEBDR Development Team and lead the design of the 1,400-mile North East BDR.
Tim’s agency, James Howard Creative Group, took BDR on as a pro bono account in 2016, and continues to work closely with the organization on its branding, marketing and promotional initiatives.
Paul Guillien
Board Director & Treasurer, Founding President (2011-2021)
Paul’s first time camping off a motorcycle was in 2009 while riding the Oregon Back Country Discovery Route with Tom Myers, Helge Pedersen and Sterling Noren. Paul fell in love with riding motorcycles in the backcountry, sharing his experience in a story for Road Runner Magazine that featured Helge’s photos. Sterling created a video about the adventure that went on Touratech-USA’s YouTube channel in August 2009. The next year Paul and Tom had lunch with Bryce Stevens and Andrew Cull who had taken inspiration from this YouTube video and wanted to create a Washington route. That year, the Washington BDR was created with a full-length documentary, a Butler Map and eventually a website.
Paul lead an effort to create the Backcountry Discovery Route non-profit organization with a firm belief that this concept should be “by the community, for the community.” He is one of the founding board members and currently serves as the President of the 501c(3). Paul is humbled by the efforts of the board members, ambassadors, contributors, volunteers, supporters, donors and industry supporters who have made the BDR reach its potential over the last several years. When not on a motorcycle, Paul is always looking for an excuse to get outside with his family on skis, bicycles, paddle boards or sailboats.
Inna Thorn
Board Director & Vice President
Raised in Moscow, Russia, Inna has always been a spirited soul. Wanting the best for her daughter, Inna’s mother diverted her path from the bustling nightlife of Moscow, to studying fashion and business communications in the USA. Helping others has always been her passion, and she’s dedicated most of her career to the non-profit sector. When it comes to transportation, Inna has always preferred two wheels, spending much of her adult life buzzing around town by scooter.
In 2006, she met a guy who dreamed of riding motorcycles from Seattle to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. This quickly became a shared vision which they turned into a reality by riding a pair of KLR 650 motorcycles some 17,000 miles through 13 countries. By the end of the trip they decided to make permanent their adventure together with an engagement to marry.
Once back in Seattle, Inna started a freelance creative agency and began consulting for motorcycle industry clients including Ural Motorcycles and Touratech. As the BDR organization began to outgrow it’s volunteer workforce, Inna was recruited to become the Director of Operations. Since 2012, Inna has taken the operation to new levels with her energy, organization and passion for inspiring others to explore the world on two wheels. When not hard at work, Inna and her husband like to share the wonders of nature with their two young children camping in the mountains.
Bill Whitacre
Board Director
Bill Whitacre lives in Idaho which he used to claim had the best off-road riding in the US. What he discovered over the years is that a whole lot of great off-road riding exists all throughout the West. Backcountry Discovery Routes has made a major impact on his exploration of many western states. He recently went back East and completed the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discover Route, which he now believes is one of the best in the BDR series!
His passion for ADV motorcycling began after decades of riding dirt bikes and cruisers. The Long Way Around film inspired him to buy his first ADV bike in 2004. Bill has now ridden BMW GS’s in a dozen countries on four continents.
Bill’s career has involved executive roles in a range of agriculture businesses, industry associations and non-profit organizations including: President and CEO of Simplot Company, Chairman of The American Seed Trade Association, and Chairman of the Board of St. Luke’s Hospital System.
Retirement is now giving him time to share his experience to help the Backcountry Discovery Routes organization do more to preserve adventure riding opportunities and advocate for the sport. Bill and his wife, Joan live in McCall, Idaho where they and their border collies enjoy the many backcountry sports that Idaho has to offer.
Bryce Stevens
Route Development Director & Co-Founder
Bryce Stevens co-founded Backcountry Discovery Routes after the successful introduction of the WABDR. He created the route across Washington in 2010 after being inspired by a route created by others for the state of Oregon. Since then he has lead the development of the UTBDR, IDBDR, WYBDR and ORBDR. He continues to draft and scout future BDRs all across North America.
Bryce has been in the outdoor industry since 1999 when he co-founded Trails.com. Since then he has authored a popular guidebook called 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Seattle. Mountaineering, canyoneering, mountain biking, traveling, and all forms of motorcycling are his passions.
Bryce spearheads the route creation efforts of the organization, with many routes currently in various stages of development.
Ron West
Board Director
Since becoming a member of the Backcountry Discovery Routes, Ron has been singularly focused on assisting in the creation of both the recently released CABDR-South and the upcoming CABDR-North.
From a very young age, Ron accompanied his parents on excursions to explore the mountains and deserts of California-exploration that continues to this day. Instilled with a rich appreciation for the history of the state and for its diverse and vast backcountry opportunities; and seeing these opportunities threatened, led Ron to volunteer for the BDR to further its goals. Ron was a member of the CABDR-South Filming Expedition.
Jocelin Snow
Board Director & Secretary
Known as the “pint sized powerhouse” Jocelin Snow has been riding for over 35 years and has traveled by motorcycle all over the world.
Kirk Lakeman
Board Director
Kirk lives in North Georgia but started riding dirt bikes on his family farm in North Alabama at age 12. He competed in regional and national enduros and hare scrambles over several decades, and with the introduction of the KTM 950 Adventure in 2004, Kirk joined the Adventure bike movement propelled by the documentary “Long Way Round”.
Kirk’s ADV riding resume includes the TAT, Arctic Circle crossings in Canada and Alaska, a Patagonia trip to Tierra del Fuego and several BDRs. After a 36 year career in International Banking, Kirk retired and became a BDR Ambassador and MSF Dirt Coach with a desire to give back to the motorcycle community. Since 2020, Kirk has devoted himself to the creation of the 1300 mile Southeast BDR slated for launch in early 2025. When not riding, Kirk spends time as a personal financial coach, mountain biking and whitewater kayaking.
Tom Myers
Board Director & Co-Founder
Tom Myers grew up on motorcycles, was a regular fast guy on the local Enduro circuit. When he wasn’t on single track, he was doing multi-day dual-sport trips in the mountains. One such trip was on the original “Oregon Back Country Discovery Route” with Zander Nosler in 1999. Tom was the first guy to put an Oregon adv trip report story on the internet and saw it become the go-to source for information on this mysterious Oregon route.
Fast-forward 10 years and Tom was getting out his checkbook to bankroll the creation of the Washington BDR, its documentary film, and the fledgling BDR organization for the first few years. Tom has been a part of several of the filming trips, but has given up his spot in recent years to make room for the new folks who are doing much of the heavy lifting for the BDR. Tom is a founding board member and enjoys seeing the BDR story continue to evolve.
