“Trash to Triumph” Book One Step Closer to Publishing

Published November 11, 2022

`Hot damn! This week, I received the manuscript of my new book “Trash to Triumph”. It’s about riding my mules Brick and Cracker from North Carolina to Idaho. This is a huge milestone as I’ve been working on this book for over 2 years.

The “Trash to Triumph manuscript”: eleven pounds, 1,054 pages. It’s fair to say that I have just written the biggest manuscript ever about a saddle journey on two mules. The manuscript is double-spaced.

Cracker and Brick drinking out of a puddle. We did not have a chase vehicle accompany us on our voyage. That meant we had to find all our own feed and water along the way. That could be a challenge in the desert. Then again, Brick and Cracker often preferred puddle water over creek water. Some dogs prefer drinking out of the toilet. (outside South Pass City, Wyoming)

Spencer of Lenoir Printing who did the printing. Thanks, Spencer. It looks great.

I wrote “Trash to Triumph” to give readers a sense of what it’s like to ride two mules 2,300 miles through America. I’m thrilled how the book captured the experience, from what it’s like for a semi to roar by you on the side of a mountain road, to what it’s like to sleep for months under the stars and eat food that looks like snot but tastes delicious. The book will have plenty of photos, maps and sketches from the road.

Nebraska ranch rodeo (Hyannis, Nebraska)

My wife Julia visiting me in the Sandhills of Nebraska

“head like a catfish, body like a boxer”
“Brick almost side swiped by car while I’m in tater tunnel”
One of the three pocket notebooks I filled on my journey.

Working on the first draft. A lot of it was written out long hand.

What Happens Next

The manuscript was sent off to one of the two first readers that will read through it and make suggestions and edits. From there, it will go thorugh another round of edits and then it’ll be ready for publishing.