Mt. Lemmon Day

January 24th, 2014 - Climbing Mt. Lemmon

This was one ride we had planned months ago, the scaling of the highest peak in the Tucson region, which covers an elevation gain of nearly 6000' over 25 miles.  It's a popular route for Tucson locals, with the traditional starting point being at Le Buzz coffee shop near the base of the mountain. Jerry and Barb, also spending some of the winter away from their home in Seattle, volunteered to lead a group and provide a support vehicle for the day.  What a nice thing!
So the mountain road has lots of switchbacks, beautiful views, and decent pavement.

The grade rarely exceeds its steady 5% rate, but it's relentless for 25 miles.  So we were happy to both enjoy the climb, and also to get to our destination at the town of Summerhaven near the top.  After a lunch break we headed back down the mountain, of course not taking nearly as long to descend as it had to get up in the first place.

Mission accomplished!