Mt Lemmon, Arizona

March 19, 2009 Tucson, Arizona

This morning the AFB announced that the electricity would be off in the campground. Since it is in the mid-80's today, we decided that we had better find something to do away from the trailer until the electricity was on again.

We decided to make a short trip to Mt. Lemmon. Tucson is desert surrounded by mountains. Just to the north and east of us is a popular ski resort, Mt. Lemmon, which is over 9000 ft in elevation. This, we thought, would make an interesting day trip.

There were few cars on the road to Mt. Lemmon this morning. Mostly, there were lots and lots of cyclists. Fortunately, the winding roads had a bike lane so we did not have to worry too much about making way for bikes.

The first part of the journey was through beautiful desert scenery, complete with large saguaro cactus. There is a picture ( above left) of the large saguaros. At about 4000 ft, the scenery changed from desert cacti and ocotillo to tall pine trees and warnings of black bears and mountain lions.
The temperature when we started out was in the mid 70's. When we got to the top of the mountain the temperature was 56 degrees and there was snow on the north side of the slopes.

As you can see in this picture, there is still a significant amount of snow on the mountain. We got to the top of the mountain where the ski lift is and determined not to take the unpaved road down the side of the mountain, and instead, drove back down the way we came.

It was a pleasant, and cool, way to spend an otherwise hot day. And, I am always amazed at the different climates and vegetation all within just 30 miles of the desert.

The people who live here are enthusiastic about Tucson. There is a lot to do here and a lot to see. I share their enthusiasm for such a lovely oasis in the desert.