Comments for The Bacon Strip http://www.teambaconstrip.com Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:27:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Is Santa a Pagan? by japhyrider http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2006/12/21/is-santa-a-pagan/comment-page-1/#comment-1894 japhyrider Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:27:09 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=53#comment-1894 i believe we all live on this rock, the 3rd planet from the Sun, and are comprised of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and lots of fun stuff like trace metals and touchie feelie things like warm fuzzy feelings that we have no way of coming to grips with so we call them god and malarkey sauce and stuff. for goodness sakes, have you ever tended a compost pile, turned the very grit of a tea bag or coffee grinds into the dirt and watched with total pleaure and satisfaction that the trash from your kitchen was the very "manna from heaven" that a chili or tomato plant or rose or milk weed or yarrow or dodecatheon jeffrei must've been needing for it's very survival??? i have some suggested reading, if i remember correctly, it's something called "biogeochemistry" by Schlesinger. that nice little book was published in the late 1900's. it's full of cutting edge stuff, all about the carbon cycle, and it even covers some of the same far out theory of what will happen to the planet when humans volatilize all the accessible carbon in the Earth's crust. wow. i'll way it again backwards, wow. tell you what, let's level here. betcha that within our, mine at least, life times, all this climate change stuff will play itself out one way or the other. i expect that extreme weather events will be of greater amplitude and frequency, (last winter in the Sierras was one of the wettest on records, this winter is, so far one of the driest [68F in Reno in January!]), and that the average of those events will creeps towards the extreme and ultimately results in less favorable conditions for humans to live in. after my lifetime, i bet that all the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and fun stuff like metals bound up in this bag of dirt i call myself will still be on the earth. if i'm lucky, anything worth while that i accomplished along the way will have improved humans' interaction with the world and my family and friends will remember me for it. that's the best i can hope for and honestly, all i need to sleep at night. the imaginary construct of my soul will be best be tended by my friends and family and the landscape that cultivated it. what more could i hope for? what could be more responsible than that? i believe we all live on this rock, the 3rd planet from the Sun, and are comprised of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and lots of fun stuff like trace metals and touchie feelie things like warm fuzzy feelings that we have no way of coming to grips with so we call them god and malarkey sauce and stuff.

for goodness sakes, have you ever tended a compost pile, turned the very grit of a tea bag or coffee grinds into the dirt and watched with total pleaure and satisfaction that the trash from your kitchen was the very “manna from heaven” that a chili or tomato plant or rose or milk weed or yarrow or dodecatheon jeffrei must’ve been needing for it’s very survival???

i have some suggested reading, if i remember correctly, it’s something called “biogeochemistry” by Schlesinger. that nice little book was published in the late 1900′s. it’s full of cutting edge stuff, all about the carbon cycle, and it even covers some of the same far out theory of what will happen to the planet when humans volatilize all the accessible carbon in the Earth’s crust. wow. i’ll way it again backwards, wow.

tell you what, let’s level here. betcha that within our, mine at least, life times, all this climate change stuff will play itself out one way or the other. i expect that extreme weather events will be of greater amplitude and frequency, (last winter in the Sierras was one of the wettest on records, this winter is, so far one of the driest [68F in Reno in January!]), and that the average of those events will creeps towards the extreme and ultimately results in less favorable conditions for humans to live in. after my lifetime, i bet that all the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and fun stuff like metals bound up in this bag of dirt i call myself will still be on the earth. if i’m lucky, anything worth while that i accomplished along the way will have improved humans’ interaction with the world and my family and friends will remember me for it. that’s the best i can hope for and honestly, all i need to sleep at night. the imaginary construct of my soul will be best be tended by my friends and family and the landscape that cultivated it. what more could i hope for? what could be more responsible than that?

]]> Comment on Is Santa a Pagan? by bustigator http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2006/12/21/is-santa-a-pagan/comment-page-1/#comment-1889 bustigator Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:37:12 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=53#comment-1889 Wow.....thanks......Bob.........zzzzzzzz Wow…..thanks……Bob………zzzzzzzz

]]> Comment on Is Santa a Pagan? by bob http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2006/12/21/is-santa-a-pagan/comment-page-1/#comment-1876 bob Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:01:26 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=53#comment-1876 If it is believed that god resides in us all, then why should we not deliver unto eachother gifts of respect and joy, as we are giving onto the king that lives within...it is not what others believe, but what is in your heart and mind when you portray your actions, whether you represent Christ or misleading idols of your mind. If it is believed that god resides in us all, then why should we not deliver unto eachother gifts of respect and joy, as we are giving onto the king that lives within…it is not what others believe, but what is in your heart and mind when you portray your actions, whether you represent Christ or misleading idols of your mind.

]]> Comment on hands sweating profusely by Wolfy http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2011/12/16/hands-sweating-profusely/comment-page-1/#comment-1871 Wolfy Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:21:20 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=2247#comment-1871 Who's up for a Moab trip this spring? Climbing, Riding, and importing beer for Nevada. -M Who’s up for a Moab trip this spring? Climbing, Riding, and importing beer for Nevada.

-M

]]> Comment on R.I.P. Mike Colpo by habitualbipedalist http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2011/12/11/r-i-p-mike-colpo/comment-page-1/#comment-1865 habitualbipedalist Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:41:32 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=2229#comment-1865 Thanks Mark for the gallery. I find it healing to hear so many funny stories. We are lucky to know folks like Mike and have so many fun experiences. See you in Reno tomorrow. Wallin Thanks Mark for the gallery. I find it healing to hear so many funny stories. We are lucky to know folks like Mike and have so many fun experiences. See you in Reno tomorrow.

Wallin

]]> Comment on R.I.P. Mike Colpo by japhyrider http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2011/12/11/r-i-p-mike-colpo/comment-page-1/#comment-1864 japhyrider Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:57:57 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=2229#comment-1864 Mojo has jogged my memory and I've enjoyed the gallery again, causing me to dig deeper and unravel the memories of the ski trip into the Schell that weekend in February. there were at least 14 people and 6 dogs in the small cabin. Colpo and Mojo were the late latest arrivals, and the skiing and comraderie were even better than I'd remembered. I am grateful to have shared the weekend with Colpo and all the folks that were part of the trip. to COLPO! http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1221831_jSGpQm#57199234_9uPNZ-L-LB Mojo has jogged my memory and I’ve enjoyed the gallery again, causing me to dig deeper and unravel the memories of the ski trip into the Schell that weekend in February. there were at least 14 people and 6 dogs in the small cabin. Colpo and Mojo were the late latest arrivals, and the skiing and comraderie were even better than I’d remembered. I am grateful to have shared the weekend with Colpo and all the folks that were part of the trip.

to COLPO!

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1221831_jSGpQm#57199234_9uPNZ-L-LB

]]> Comment on R.I.P. Mike Colpo by Faerthen Felix http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2011/12/11/r-i-p-mike-colpo/comment-page-1/#comment-1863 Faerthen Felix Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:03:50 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=2229#comment-1863 This is awful. Mike was a really good guy. I met him through the Gooch, of course. A few years back, a group of us who are used to ski-alpinism in the challenging, fickle Alps started doing Stupid Ski Tours around Tahoe. SSTs are contrived winter mountaineering outings done in high-pressure periods when backcountry skiing gets really bad. Usually they involve some gawd-awful, exhausting peak traverse through miserable snow conditions just to see if it's possible. Major fun! Most normal people we know won't even consider going with us. Probably because often we even skip good snow to complete the tour. We sometimes climb chutes we don't ski back down. There also tends to be a fair bit of manzanita thrashing and my short-ish friend Beth is generally required to climb a tree. One day, I was e-mailing back and forth with Mike about some work stuff and for some reason we got to discussing some ideas I had for several obscure, possibly painful, and definitely pointless ski traverses. To my everlasting surprise, Mike had actually skied a bunch of them. He even had suggestions for a number of others that he hadn't done yet, including some that would require truly Olympian efforts. A man after my own heart! Unfortunately, we never got the chance to do one of those tours together. I guess I figured we had plenty of time to get around to it. That's just sad. This is awful. Mike was a really good guy. I met him through the Gooch, of course.

A few years back, a group of us who are used to ski-alpinism in the challenging, fickle Alps started doing Stupid Ski Tours around Tahoe.

SSTs are contrived winter mountaineering outings done in high-pressure periods when backcountry skiing gets really bad. Usually they involve some gawd-awful, exhausting peak traverse through miserable snow conditions just to see if it’s possible. Major fun!

Most normal people we know won’t even consider going with us. Probably because often we even skip good snow to complete the tour. We sometimes climb chutes we don’t ski back down. There also tends to be a fair bit of manzanita thrashing and my short-ish friend Beth is generally required to climb a tree.

One day, I was e-mailing back and forth with Mike about some work stuff and for some reason we got to discussing some ideas I had for several obscure, possibly painful, and definitely pointless ski traverses. To my everlasting surprise, Mike had actually skied a bunch of them. He even had suggestions for a number of others that he hadn’t done yet, including some that would require truly Olympian efforts. A man after my own heart!

Unfortunately, we never got the chance to do one of those tours together. I guess I figured we had plenty of time to get around to it. That’s just sad.

]]> Comment on R.I.P. Mike Colpo by Mojo http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2011/12/11/r-i-p-mike-colpo/comment-page-1/#comment-1862 Mojo Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:42:37 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=2229#comment-1862 This is so very sad! Mark, I remember that trip so well. Thanks for posting the link. I remember pulling up to the trailhead late. I couldn't get there until much later and everyone had skied and catted in hours before. It was dark, snowing, and windy. I was alone, sans two dogs. I was determined to get into the cabin that night, but feeling apprehensive heading off into unknown territory, alone, in the dark with a blizzard bearing down. Up pulls a truck and out steps Colpo. I distinctly remember the feeling of my fear and apprehension subside. Hell, it was Colpo and nothing could possibly go wrong now. Mike and I and the dogs made the trek in arriving to the cabin around 2 am. We had to stop and check maps on occassion, reset our bearings, et. (yup, we even used headlamps at times). But that is Mike. He had an air of calm, even in the worst of conditions. Mike made you feel welcome all the time, never a burden. Even when he had to wait on you while riding, skiing, whatnot, his emphasis was about the company you kept on the adventure. I had lost touch with him over the past couple of years but would run into him from time to time on the trail, and it was always the same: A friendly smile, it was about you, and when you said good-bye he always left you with this sense of calm and peace. Thank you Mike, for bringing that peace to my life and to so many people. You will be missed! This is so very sad! Mark, I remember that trip so well. Thanks for posting the link. I remember pulling up to the trailhead late. I couldn’t get there until much later and everyone had skied and catted in hours before. It was dark, snowing, and windy. I was alone, sans two dogs. I was determined to get into the cabin that night, but feeling apprehensive heading off into unknown territory, alone, in the dark with a blizzard bearing down. Up pulls a truck and out steps Colpo. I distinctly remember the feeling of my fear and apprehension subside. Hell, it was Colpo and nothing could possibly go wrong now. Mike and I and the dogs made the trek in arriving to the cabin around 2 am. We had to stop and check maps on occassion, reset our bearings, et. (yup, we even used headlamps at times). But that is Mike. He had an air of calm, even in the worst of conditions. Mike made you feel welcome all the time, never a burden. Even when he had to wait on you while riding, skiing, whatnot, his emphasis was about the company you kept on the adventure. I had lost touch with him over the past couple of years but would run into him from time to time on the trail, and it was always the same: A friendly smile, it was about you, and when you said good-bye he always left you with this sense of calm and peace.

Thank you Mike, for bringing that peace to my life and to so many people. You will be missed!

]]> Comment on R.I.P. Mike Colpo by japhyrider http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2011/12/11/r-i-p-mike-colpo/comment-page-1/#comment-1859 japhyrider Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:20:14 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=2229#comment-1859 my fondest memories containing Mike Colpo reside in the Schell Ck range when a bunch of us skied into the "deer slayer cabin" and stayed and skied over a long weekend in February, probably in 2007 or so. it was a 6 mile approach and our party of 12 people arrived in 3 or 4 groups and skied in separately. about half of the group started skiing the 6+ miles before dark and had the benefit of a snowcat assist to get some of the food and beverages closer (within 2 miles) to the cabin. Mike arrived in the next party, just in time to find the snowcat unloading supplies and Cameron figuring out how to haul it on to the cabin. several loads were ferried well into the night, in blizzard conditions, to deliver everything to the cabin. i'm pretty sure Colpo was out hauling part of every one of those loads. the remainder of our party arrived much later in the night, skiing miles into unfamiliar terrain in a total blizzard to get there. more than once the cabin door would swing open and someone would shuffle in with a blast of wind and snow. cheers would erupt and you could see the relief in everyone's faces as our entire party was eventually accounted for. the next morning we woke up to a bunch of new snow and terrain worth skiing in all directions. we were all pretty much blown away. Colpo and Jason had already set off for some advanced scouting, just like serious enthusiasts and competent guides that they were. i definitely got the feeling Mike was in his element. as a seasoned backcountry traveler, he had the savy to bring along things like a collapsible water bucket. that was handy for fetching water from the nearby creek for dishes and cleaning up, especially with 12 people and 4 dogs in a cabin that had "beds" for 10 or so. i was so impressed with the simple utility of such a tool i've had one in my camp kitchen. thanks Colpo! oh, and the point of the ramble here... as part of organizing for this trip, we split into teams for dinner planning and cooking each night of the trip. if my memory serves me correctly, Mike Colpo and David Walker were the master minds behind the lentil burritos we had on night 2 or 3. nutritious and delicious as they were, the consequences were all too real. 12 folks, small cabin, bean farts, one out house... it was epic. please have a look at the photo gallery from the trip here http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1221831_jSGpQm and especially this one of Colpo, in his element http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1221831_jSGpQm#57303924_9b8Vf-L-LB in the few times i got to visit and rally with Mike i could see he was a man of genuine enthusiasm and natural talent. his passion for the mountains and being in them was contagious. we will all miss you, Colpo. see you in the mountains. Mark McDaniel my fondest memories containing Mike Colpo reside in the Schell Ck range when a bunch of us skied into the “deer slayer cabin” and stayed and skied over a long weekend in February, probably in 2007 or so. it was a 6 mile approach and our party of 12 people arrived in 3 or 4 groups and skied in separately. about half of the group started skiing the 6+ miles before dark and had the benefit of a snowcat assist to get some of the food and beverages closer (within 2 miles) to the cabin. Mike arrived in the next party, just in time to find the snowcat unloading supplies and Cameron figuring out how to haul it on to the cabin. several loads were ferried well into the night, in blizzard conditions, to deliver everything to the cabin. i’m pretty sure Colpo was out hauling part of every one of those loads.

the remainder of our party arrived much later in the night, skiing miles into unfamiliar terrain in a total blizzard to get there. more than once the cabin door would swing open and someone would shuffle in with a blast of wind and snow. cheers would erupt and you could see the relief in everyone’s faces as our entire party was eventually accounted for.

the next morning we woke up to a bunch of new snow and terrain worth skiing in all directions. we were all pretty much blown away. Colpo and Jason had already set off for some advanced scouting, just like serious enthusiasts and competent guides that they were. i definitely got the feeling Mike was in his element. as a seasoned backcountry traveler, he had the savy to bring along things like a collapsible water bucket. that was handy for fetching water from the nearby creek for dishes and cleaning up, especially with 12 people and 4 dogs in a cabin that had “beds” for 10 or so. i was so impressed with the simple utility of such a tool i’ve had one in my camp kitchen. thanks Colpo!

oh, and the point of the ramble here… as part of organizing for this trip, we split into teams for dinner planning and cooking each night of the trip. if my memory serves me correctly, Mike Colpo and David Walker were the master minds behind the lentil burritos we had on night 2 or 3. nutritious and delicious as they were, the consequences were all too real. 12 folks, small cabin, bean farts, one out house… it was epic.

please have a look at the photo gallery from the trip here

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1221831_jSGpQm

and especially this one of Colpo, in his element

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1221831_jSGpQm#57303924_9b8Vf-L-LB

in the few times i got to visit and rally with Mike i could see he was a man of genuine enthusiasm and natural talent. his passion for the mountains and being in them was contagious. we will all miss you, Colpo. see you in the mountains.

Mark McDaniel

]]> Comment on R.I.P. Mike Colpo by Emily http://www.teambaconstrip.com/2011/12/11/r-i-p-mike-colpo/comment-page-1/#comment-1857 Emily Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:14:43 +0000 http://www.teambaconstrip.com/?p=2229#comment-1857 I knew Mike mostly through emails back and forth about blogging, salmon and dam-busting. Just a few months ago, I finally got to meet him in person. He was welcoming, kind, passionate about his life and driven. He was an incredible man and a wonderful editor to work with. I think you're right. People like Mike just don't disappear. His work and spirit will live on in the adventures we all take and the places we all fight to protect. Rest in peace, Mike. I knew Mike mostly through emails back and forth about blogging, salmon and dam-busting. Just a few months ago, I finally got to meet him in person. He was welcoming, kind, passionate about his life and driven. He was an incredible man and a wonderful editor to work with. I think you’re right. People like Mike just don’t disappear. His work and spirit will live on in the adventures we all take and the places we all fight to protect. Rest in peace, Mike.

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