Mike Colpo riding peavine at Sunrise

I knew something was wrong when I saw a short, mysterious post about him on Facebook Friday. But J.R. called with the news. Mike Colpo passed away last week, quite unexpectedly, on a run along the Truckee River on December 7th 2011.

I regret that I new Mike far less well than I would have liked. We went on a few rides, had a few beers, he made us pancakes up on the mountain once or twice. We talked about writing, and used each other for sources in articles once or twice. He was genuine, thoughtful, caring, tough, smart, funny, happy and adventurous.

Mike had the idea one year for Bike To Work Day to ride up peavine with a stove and cookware and make everyone pancakes. It was a wako idea, but also an awesome one. We road way up to the shoulder below the radio towers and he had cakes and syrup hot and waiting for us. It was awesome. And impressive. Mike hauled the stove, pans and food up on his Xtracycle bike. Which is a big load and a big ride!

Mike and TBS crew eating Peavine Pancakes.

Many close to The Bacon Strip are close to either the Nevada Wilderness Project, which Mike was quite envolved in, or Patagonia Reno, where he worked, so he had a big impact on the TBS Family and we are sad to see him go. Chances are that those who weren’t as close to him have some good memory of him. Like the pancakes. He seems to have had a way to leave a bold impression, with out much time.

Guys like Mike never just disappear though. He’ll pull away and maintain a pace you can’t quite match. You see him cresting the hill way ahead and dig deep to catch him. He’ll drop in on the pow stash and you’ll just see him, a speck on the horizon until you’re not sure he’s still there at all. But like all adventure hounds, he’s there somewhere, among the trees and tall grass, his nose to the ground, thinking and looking for something fun.

Please tell us your favorite Mike Colpo story in the comments below.

-M

Obituary: Michael Vincent Colpo

(Reno Gazette-Journal, Dec 11, 2011) Mike Colpo, 36, passed unexpectedly on December 7, 2011. Mike was born on February 1, 1975 in Wilmington, Delaware to John and Sheila Colpo. He graduated from the University of Delaware and then headed West to earn a Master’s Degree in English Literature from the University of Nevada, Reno. Mike embraced mountain living immediately, and made Nevada his home.

Mike worked for Patagonia for 11 years. He was a beautiful writer and editor. Mike also taught for the National Outdoor Leadership School and treasured his time teaching others to appreciate the mountains he loved so passionately. He learned to cook on a camp stove in the wilderness and is known for, among so many other things, his amazing culinary talent.

Mike married Elizabeth Mosco on August 20, 2011. He was a more patient and loving husband than anyone could ask for. He is also survived by his parents, John and Sheila Colpo of Maryland; sisters MaryEllen Hearn (Bob) and Patricia Anderson (Dave) of Delaware; and brother John (Kara) of Delaware. He also leaves behind 10 nieces and nephews and countless other family and friends who love and miss him dearly.

Services will be held at Mountain View Mortuary at 425 Stoker Avenue, Reno, on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 2pm. Mike’s kindness and love touched everyone he met. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Nevada Wilderness Project (www.wildnevada.org) or The Nevada Land Conservancy (www.nvlc.org).

TBS was out in force at the 8 & 24 hours of Cool. Only Nooner and Huck Tater actually stepped up for the 24 hour event, the rest of us wimps went for the 8 hour. WTF? Ok, so I shot very little video on account of the fact that I rode some too. Here’s what I got:

Overall, fun day. Lots of mud, but nothing like last year. I do recall thinking that the taste of the mud made me think that they must run cattle there sometimes. Mmmmm.

Ok, everyone jump in!

well, that happened a little later in the afternoon.  prior to that, a snow shower (hurray!) trail ride was in order.

quiet afternoon on Peavine

conditions were soupy at the put-in, but coverage improved and underlying mud quickly turned to frozen earth at higher elevations.

huck tater

needless to say, we didn’t run into many other trail users.  later in the afternoon we caught up with lots of friends happy to celebrate Shawn and Tennile’s new adventure in parenting.

Congrats Shawn and Tennile!

backpacking, enduro mtb rides, and 24 hour bike races are great cross training for becoming brand new parents!

Some of you know about the Website Twitter and that is is what they call a “microblog.” Since The Bacon Strip is a blog i have been trying to find a way to incorporate microblogging into what we do here. And until now i haven’t figured out how to add this content to what i post on Twitter.

That’s where identi.ca comes in. identi.ca is identi.cal to twitter is most ways, but it has better functionality and is more stable because fewer people are using it. I don’t know anyone on it in Reno for example.

Twitter is for techgeeks, identi.ca is for dirtbags

So here’s the way I see this working. You post a message through the web or text message, and the whole team gets it. We can then coordinate Dawn Patrols, set up rides, and line up beer sessions. I’d use this exclusively for TBS related communications. Otherwise I have no use for it at all. Also if you remember the spate of txt messages from the 24 hours in old pueblo last year, this will be far easier and more fun.

Any questions? You can post by text message, IM or web, and you can turn it on and off from your phone by sending a text message. You can send private messages and replies. Sign up, then go to my profile and subscribe to my updates and the rest of the team. Badda Bing Badda Boom…

What do you think?

-M

Current bacon related events:

Bacon Stripper and all around amusing shred-Tard,The Bustigator, did the unthinkable Saturday. He got married! Hopefully you can keep your stones, but barring that, hopefully you can keep your prized collection of TBS stickers…

It was a fine Ceremony at the Tannenbaum on Mt. Rose Highway. Followed by beer drinking, dancing (holycrap can Gris move that scrawney tush!) lewd behavior (my GOD T-Money!) and falling down (T-Money’s mom and Bustigator’s Groomsman). Smella and I made it out ok, though Icandy (that’s the handle I’m giving to RI) seemed a tad on the sheets-to-the-wind side.

Here we have Dale checking out the new singletrack that went in on Peavine yesterday. It’ll be done by the end of the week and then on the 6th of October it’ll all be polished up. Read more at Poedunk.com. Final details are still fuzzy, but I predict a pancake (and bacon) breakfast delivered by bike for the brave and hearty volunteers…

Also: Going to try to ride after work tomorrow. Hopefully be on the dirt by 5:30. Maybe Galena. Anyone in?

That’s about it. Stay Tuned for the conclusion of JR and Flux Burner’s adventure @ the Vapor Trail 125…

-M

Why are these people so happy?

It’s because the hand crafted tradition of TBS Champagne, bottled in the basement of a genuine Craftsman Bungalow in historic down town Reno Nevada, with it’s pristine clarity, effervescent complexity and nascent cache, delivered by a fixed gear bike messenger, brings warmth to ones heart and salutes (with more than one finger) the relaxing urban professional within each and every one of us.

-M