The Reverse Oregon Trail
The Reverse Oregon Trail

 
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EST

2021

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THE MISSION

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Achieve cool uncle status. Not fame, not fortune. Just cool uncle.

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The pandemic made one thing very clear, I miss my family and need to be closer to them. Especially this little guy. It’s already obvious that he’s going to be an inventor and, currently, there’s no one around with that specific skillset to mentor him. So my job is to be around, teach him how to design and build, and be the cool uncle I’ve been waiting my whole life to be.

 
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THE ROUTE

For all you Oregon Trail Completionists (they’re real, I’ve met them) this is more symbolic than literal. I’m not going anywhere near Missouri. Just going back east where I’m from.

Which highways? Not sure, I’m going to let my curiosity guide me. It will be a grand adventure!

Follow the journey here, I’ll be posting travel updates as well as a build-journal on the blog.

I will not be posting anything on social media, here’s why.

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OR ❯ PA

 
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Dodge Sprinter - Cab/chassis

2008

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THE VEHICLE

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Sprinters abound, but one with a flatbed? A little harder to come by.

I lucked out, the dealer that had this truck couldn’t sell it because no one knew what to do with it. But I knew. I didn’t know what, I just knew.

Something. Cool. Would. Happen.

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SUPPORT THE JOURNEY

 

Inspired? Impressed? Nostalgic? Buy me a tank of gas! Or a meal. Or whatever you feel called to contribute. Direct support can be made through Venmo - @Matthew-Corson-Finnerty

  • Brizz supplied a tank of gas and a meal

  • Nate supplied a tank of gas and a meal

  • Susan supplied a wool blanket, a tank of gas, and 10 meals

  • Melody supplied a tank of gas

  • Anne supplied a tank of gas and two meals

  • Amy supplied three meals and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s

  • Neil supplied two meals

  • Gregory supplied one meal

  • Steve supplied a night of air conditioned rest and cable tv

  • Colin supplied a ‘bake and blast’ repair for the Sprinter

  • Reuben supplied a very fibrous meal

Or order some TROT swag, lol.

P.S. all apparel and drinkware orders are placed and completed through Teespring, which is a third-party supplier. I’m just too busy to make shirts and mugs and fulfill orders, sorry. This is a good solution for my situation, but it does mean that if anything goes wrong you’ll need to contact them directly, I literally have nothing to do with any of the production, shipping, etc.

SPECIAL THANKS

Just want to give a shout out, first and foremost, to my awesome housemates and neighbors (and Todd and Pamela and Todd and Pamela’s neighbors) who generously put up with an 10-week whirlwind front yard creation zone and all the noise and debris that entails. Thank you, seriously, ty.

Also a big thanks to the ToolBox Project for lending me critical tools that I’m glad I didn’t have to purchase to use just once. As well as all the friends who lent their tools, time, and engineering advice. Couldn’t have done this without you.

Thanks to Bring Recycling for providing amazing used building supplies (happy 50th btw). And for all of the new materials, thanks to Jerry’s, especially with your patience as I returned a million things (sometimes w/out receipts 😬)

Big big biggggg thanks to DevNW for the IDA grant used to buy the Sprinter. This was only possible with your amazing program. Like, none of this would have happened w/out you guys.

Thanks to OnPoint for the easy-peezy financing and Sprinter tips.

Thanks to Stadium Automotive for the super-fast turnaround on my rig.

Thanks to the guberment for getting the stimulus checks out to the masses (all mine went towards this). Hashtag stimulus success story. Hashtag hashtag.

Thanks to all my friends and co-workers at WFM, really appreciate your patience and grace as I sleeplessly fumbled my way through our last few weeks together. Gonna miss y’all.

 

Bye Oregon,

Lots of Love 💚

 
 
 
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