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Larry Walsh
a book bubble about
Suit to Saddle
Biographies & Memoirs
Author Insight
When Sharing Becomes Part of the Journey
I wasn't a social media person before my 2018 coast-to-coast ride. But a year earlier, I'd followed my friend Jeff's daily posts as he hiked the Appalachian Trail. I looked forward to reading his updates before starting my workday, never imagining how his adventure would influence my own. On my first night in a campground in Alpine, California, after 43 miles on the saddle, I settled into my tent and wrote my first Facebook post. What began as a simple way to share the day's experience soon became a nightly ritual. For about five minutes, I'd capture the stories, feelings, observations, and pictures that made each day unique. The encouragement from people following along gave me energy, while writing helped me reflect on the day's ride before turning in for the night. I wanted others to feel as though they were riding alongside me, just as I'd felt connected to Jeff's hike. Looking back, that experience came full circle in an unexpected way. Someone else sharing his adventure inspired me to share mine. Years later, I'm revisiting those memories and sharing them again as I approach a new chapter in life. Sometimes, we never know who might be following along, or where our own stories might inspire others.
Book Excerpt
Suit to Saddle
The first full day on the saddle was now behind us. We had ridden forty-three miles and climbed 3,500 feet. My body felt surprisingly good, and Tank had performed like a charm. The campsite was tranquil. The trees supplied much-needed shade, allowing us to escape the ninety-degree temperature and the sun that beat down all day. We ate dinner and gathered around the picnic table to discuss the next day’s ride. Pasta, bread, salad, and a pastry dessert were on the menu.
Cooking and cleaning duty rotated. It reminded me of kitchen patrol (KP) duty when I was in the military. It was not my night to cook, but I helped clean the pots and pans. I put leftover food in the park bathroom to secure it from critters. The sun still peeked through the eucalyptus trees but was going down quickly. We all used our headlamps to conduct our map meeting, which would become a nightly ritual. During map meetings, the entire group gets together for thirty minutes to review the route, available services, weather conditions, and accommodations for the following day and night.
My friend Jeff came to mind. In 2017 he had captured details of his hike on the Appalachian Trail with daily posts. I imagined other friends of mine were feeling the same way about my ride that I had felt when following Jeff’s hike the year before. I wanted to share my experience in a way that gave others a sense that they were riding with me. I settled into my Big Agnes tent and wrote my first of many daily Facebook posts. I had not been on Facebook prior to this ride, but I was persuaded to open an account by my wife and kids. I wrote from the heart and did not overthink anything. For about five minutes on most nights, tonight being the first, I shared stories, feelings, observations, and pictures. I called Kelley. “Hi, it was a fairly good day. I am tired but feeling okay. We’re staying at the Alpine campground tonight. I’m starting to get a lot of Facebook friend requests. Love you, I’m calling it a night.” With that, I closed out day one on the saddle.
September 19 – Alpine to Jacumba Hot Springs (44 miles)
I woke up rested, feeling good, ready to go, and prepared for the day ahead.
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