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Art of Survival Century 2023
May 27, 2023 - May 28, 2023
The 10th Annual Art of Survival Century Bicycle Ride isn’t just about pedaling a road or mountain bike through beautiful stretches of county side. It’s also an opportunity to learn about a region that includes Southern Oregon’s Klamath Basin and Northern California’s Tulelake Basin and Butte Valley area.
What is unique about this event—which is a ride, not a race—is that at each rest stop offers educational components and/or ranger or historian led talks highlighting the cultural history, geography, environmental issues and geology of the area. Along with providing fluids and nutritious snacks at the rest stops, riders will have opportunities to learn about the areas they’re passing through.
150 years ago, along the banks of Lost River, sharp cracks of rifles broke the restful silence of the Klamath Basin igniting a tragic war between the Modoc Indians and U.S. Army. This Memorial Day Weekend, we invite you to join us in “Remembering the Modoc War.” Cycle along the uncrowded backroads of our beautiful Basin in the shadow of majestic Mount Shasta. Witness first-hand where the war started and where many of the battles took place.
Explore Captain Jack’s Stronghold, a natural fortress where 55 Modoc warriors held off a U.S. Army force of several hundred troops for six months. Ride along roads where Army soldiers were marched into battle. Talk to local historians about the land and cattle barons and their relentless efforts to remove the Modoc from the Basin, the Modoc’s desire to stay in their homeland since time immemorial and the plight of the soldiers and settlers friendly to the Modoc caught in the middle.
Day 1, Saturday, May 27: Choose from four routes that begin and end at the Malin Community Park in Malin, OR – 100-mile Century, 59-mile Metric Century, 38-mile and family friendly 13-mile road routes plus a 22-mile mountain gravel grinder route in the Medicine Lake Highlands.
Day 2, Sunday, May 28, is a Gravel Grinder Mix covering distances of 74 and 54 miles and a family friendly 13-mile route. All gravel routes begin and end at the Butte Valley Community Center in Dorris, CA. Participants will ride along the flatlands of Butte Valley, including the Butte Valley Wildlife Area, farms, ranches and for the long rides to Juanita Lake. Views of snow-capped Mount Shasta and Goosenest Mountain are plentiful.
A pre-ride reception will be held Friday, May 26 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Broadway Theater in Merrill, OR., for cyclists to pick up their ride packets, enjoy refreshments, view videos about the Modoc War, and discover new area activities. The committee welcomes anyone interested to attend this reception.
Post-ride meals will be offered both days and are included in the registration fees. The cost for non-riders is $15 both days.
For more information and to register visit the website at www.survivalcentury.com.
