Claremore College Student Plans Cycling Trip To Alaska

NewsOn6.com

STILLWATER, OK -- Oklahoma State University student Curtis Moss plans to ride his bicycle almost 4,000 miles to Anchorage, Alaska this summer. The geography major from Claremore says he wants to inspire others to create their own adventure.

Moss plans to leave Stillwater on May 15 and spend the summer bicycling to his destination in time to catch a return flight to Tulsa on August 17.

Moss traveled extensively with his grandparents as a child, so he wanted to do something different and challenging this summer that combined his cycling interests with a desire to see the countryside.

Moss plans to carry about 35 pounds of supplies and camping equipment while stopping along the way to purchase food, do his laundry and take a shower. His travel vest will hold a camera and a cell phone, in addition to a GPS device.

His Facebook page, "Summer 2010: Ride to the Midnight Sun" will link to his website to track his travels.

The 23-year-old also plans to use the 3,973-mile solo trip to bring attention to OSU's National Student Exchange, a domestic reciprocal exchange program, by stopping at six of the NSE partner institutions along the way. A firm believer in the benefits of travel, he will also encourage donations to scholarship programs through OSU's Outreach Offices that would help students fund study abroad opportunities

Shortly after he started attending OSU, Moss was deployed to Iraq for two years with the National Guard, which he joined while a student at Claremore High School.

He returned to OSU to continue his studies and recently developed a love for cycling. He has been training on extended bicycle trips for the last year. 

After completing his bachelor degree in geography, Moss hopes to travel more and learn new languages. He is considering OSU's Master's International Program that combines a Master's degree in International Studies with two years of service abroad in the U.S. Peace Corps.