Trail of Tears bike ride

A group of young Cherokees prepares to hit the road on a route of remembrance

By Clifton AdcockEight young Cherokee bicyclists will tackle a nearly 1,000-mile Remember the Removal Ride, which follows one of the Trail of Tears routes, in the searing summer heat. But it's a chance for them to see the same countryside their ancestors saw when they were forced at gunpoint to abandon everything.

The riders, ranging in age from 15 to 24, will begin Saturday in Rome, Ga., near the old Cherokee capital of New Echota, following the northern Trail of Tears route through parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma before ending in Tahlequah.

Along the way, the cyclists will camp at night, visit and learn about historical sites intertwined with the forced march, and visit the known graves of those who could not complete the journey.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride.

Below:  "Gary Walker, 24, (from left), Johnny Christie, 16, and Dallas Smith, 16, prepare their bikes for a practice ride. The three plan to take part in a nearly 1,000-mile journey that begins Saturday and will take them along a Trail of Tears route." (Mike Brown/For the Tulsa World)