WHO AM I
My name is Matt. I’m a husband and father of four working in IT. I would take my two oldest boys camping across the country every summer. We would travel all over the Southeast and out West to mountain bike and see the National Parks & Forests. We really made a lot of amazing memories in those times, so in 2020, our family moved to Western North Carolina with a goal of having our kids grow up with as much outside and active time as possible. Now Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest are in our backyard. While everyone may not be able or want to just pack up and move, I know that many folks out there love the outdoors too and all of the ways to enjoy being outside.
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So, you may ask, how does this guy who works in IT know how to do all of these things? Not your stereotypical IT manager that would rather be at a computer than outside. At an early age, I developed a love for Jeeps. Some of my fondest memories were as a child riding in my grandfather’s old red Willy's Jeep from WWII. My seat was a milk crate between the two front seats, and we rode the sand dunes all around the beach. It was a different time, but I draw on those early memories often. I really loved my grandfather. He passed away when I was in college, but, he could build or fix just anything. He had a shop with every tool imaginable, and he never gave up.
In high school and post college, my interests were primarily off-roading and building Jeeps. I learned a lot from trial and error, and went through several build phases that ranged from a lifted mall crawler to a full on rock buggy on 39" sticky tires. These days, my interests have pivoted to Land Cruisers and mountain bikes. Once we had our fourth child, but Jeep JK ran out of seats so I started looking for other options. Toyota has such a great reputation in making reliable off-road vehicles all over the world. A Toyota will last forever with the appropriate maintenance and upkeep, so I started looking at Land Crusiers.
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In 2017, I bought my first Land Cruiser, a 1998 Lexus LX470 (100 Series). I spent some time researching what exactly I wanted it to look like and the capabilities that I wanted it to have and then spent way more time turning my vision into a reality. I am really happy with my 1998 100 Series (AKA "Cream Puff"). I had this experience and knowledge gained from building Jeeps and pivoted to learning about all things Land Cruiser. This has led to a stable of Crusiers in our household, and as our kids continue to grow I imagine the Cruser count will also. Besides the Cream Puff, we own another 100 Series (2003 Land Cruiser known as White Lightening) and my wife drives a 2009 LX570 (AKA "Silver Fox").
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About the same time I discovered Land Cruisers, I also was convinced by a friend to try mountain biking. I bought the cheapest new bike I could find (Trek Marlin 5) and hit the trails. I was hooked right away and within 3 months I had already upgraded to a Specialized Camber FSA. This gave me a modern full-suspension bike to improve my riding and allowed me to upgrade over time. Maintaining and upgrading bikes is similar to off-road vehicles in many ways, but it is also very much it's own animal. On average I ride over 2,000 miles per year in the forests of Western NC. I have had many bikes since that first Trek Marlin 5, but I still have the same passion for riding single track. I currently ride a Specialized Epic Evo 8, and for a rowdier trails a Santa Cruz Megatower V2.
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I am by no means an expert in Land Crusiers or Mountain Bikes, I am always learning. In addition to these passions, my family enjoys hiking, fishing, camping, overlanding, and just being outside as much as possible. Maybe you and I share some of the same interests. I created this space to help folks who like Land Cruisers and mountain biking, or one or the other, and for people who just appreciate being outdoors. I hope you enjoy the content and learn something as well!
