8/5/2009 7:32:00 AM Coast-to-coast walk on Al Slusser's 'bucket list' Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Courtesy photo
On top of Mingus Mountain, Al Slusser of Cottonwood posed for a promotional photograph to help publicize his planned coast-to-coast walk. He is dedicating the walk to senior citizens and disabled Americans.
Al Slusser of Cottonwood will turn 71 Feb. 7. If things go as planned, he will be on foot that day, about halfway between San Diego and Washington D.C., walking coast to coast.
This idea took root July 13, 2001 at 2 a.m. during a sleepless night. Al got out of bed and began channel surfing. He stopped on the Opra Winfrey show, which he'd never before seen. She was interviewing two men who had made a list of "things to do before they die."
Al had always been big on making lists of things to do daily, but he'd never thought about things to do in a lifetime. He went straight to his computer and started his own bucket list. That, he says, was the first time he had actually defined his dream of walking coast to coast.
So far, he has crossed off a couple of items on that list, riding in a hot-air balloon and rafting the Colorado River.
But this dream got started long before Al saw Opra for the first time. "I always wanted to be an athlete," Al said. But a back injury prevented him from participating in organized sports. So he focused his dream on another goal.
"I was inspired by the song America the Beautiful, he said. And it became his personal desire to walk from "sea to shining sea."
Add to all of this Al's career as an employment specialist for people 55 and older and also for disabled workers, and you have the inspiration to take a walk. A 2,750-mile walk.
Al is dedicating the walk to senior citizens and disabled Americans. "I want to encourage seniors and the disabled to fulfill their dreams," Al said.
He estimates that he will average about 10 miles per day for 10 to 12 months. "I'm on the road until I complete the walk," he said. "I'll be walking by myself, with no support team."
Al and a friend are busy building a lightweight "walking trailer" on bicycle wheels that Al can pull behind him with his supplies, food and water. He will have a tent and sleeping bag and two pairs of walking shoes. "I'm going to wear out more than two pair," he said, "but I can't have more than two pair at a time."
He said he will be camping a lot and cooking his own meals. "I'm an ordained chaplain, and will be contacting churches along the way for possible lodging and meals."
By using a global positioning system through his cell phone, Al will be in constant contact with a website. "It will show all the time where I am," he said. "I'll be communicating daily with my family by cell phone."
Al intends to follow the southern route across country. That will take him from San Diego - where he will begin his walk by stepping out of the Pacific Ocean - through Tucson toward Houston. Then he will head toward Atlanta and on to Washington D.C. - where he will end his walk by stepping into the Atlantic Ocean.
In preparation for the walk, Al underwent a physical with the Veterans Administration. "Physically, I'm in good health," he said. "I'm working with a nutritionist. She has me on a specialized diet." Al intends to carry fresh fruits and vegetables with him to eat while he is walking.
He's also been walking 10 to 12 miles a day and working out regularly at the Valley Athletic Club in Old Town Cottonwood.
To help make this trip a reality, Al is seeking sponsorships. For 1 cent per mile, or about $25, a person can sponsor Al and also make a donation to those people that Al is dedicating his walk to. He said that 25 percent of all donations and sponsorships will go to some of the organizations that work with seniors and disabled Americans. A business can advertise on Al's website for a minimum donation of $100.
To follow Al's daily progress or to make a donation, go to www.c2cw.com.
To contact Al by email go to alslusser27@hotmail.com.
Al expects that he will draw some attention from news media while on his walk. He said he looks forward to giving talks about his trip along the way at churches and civic organizations.
"I'll be making a lot of new friends," he said.
Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, June 11, 2010
Article comment by:
gayle martinsen
You have come a long way, my spouse and I saw you walking along hwy 64 in Cross county Arkansas. At a later date I read in the newspaper an article written by Skip Davis about you. He met you in Augusta Arkansas. Good luck to you. My spouse runs 4 50 5 miles 5 days a week. He is 73 years old. May God be with you and keep you safe.
Posted: Saturday, October 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Roy A. Wisenbaugh
Hi Al, My name is Roy Wisenbaugh. Former classmate of yours at Beecher High. Saw you article in the Flint Journal. We4 all have our Bucket list.
