February 17, 2007
February 17, 2007
Our apartment is on the southern edge of the Catalina Mountains. Every other week we have seen snow on the tallest peaks. It has been very warm the last few days so Aimee and I decided it was safe enough to drive up without a four-wheel. Mt. Lemmon (altitude 9200 ft) is probably only 5-10 miles away as the crow flies, but to get there we first have to drive south and then east before we can begin the 25-mile drive up to the top. The drive up is very pretty going up a rocky canyon. Along the way we stop and get some good vistas of Tucson. Some of the rock pinnacles up here are vaguely similar to the balancing rocks at Chiricahua.
Eventually we drive up far enough to get into pine tree country and we see snow piled up on the roadside. At the summit we head towards the ski area. Since this is the southernmost ski area in the US, I was expecting just a bunny hill. I was pleasantly surprised to see a real-live ski resort, albeit tiny, covered with snow. The ski area has a couple dozen runs of varying skill levels. Some of them look very steep from the road.
Aimee and I decide to have lunch outside at the restaurant overlooking the main ski lift. The temperature is 53o and sunny. We are sorry we didn’t bring our ski equipment. It would be nice skiing in just a sweater.
Just off the summit there is also the small town of Summerhaven nestled in the trees that provides locals with relief from the summer heat of Tucson. Unfortunately they also had a severe forest fire a few years ago that is forcing them to rebuild most of the houses.
Our apartment is on the southern edge of the Catalina Mountains. Every other week we have seen snow on the tallest peaks. It has been very warm the last few days so Aimee and I decided it was safe enough to drive up without a four-wheel. Mt. Lemmon (altitude 9200 ft) is probably only 5-10 miles away as the crow flies, but to get there we first have to drive south and then east before we can begin the 25-mile drive up to the top. The drive up is very pretty going up a rocky canyon. Along the way we stop and get some good vistas of Tucson. Some of the rock pinnacles up here are vaguely similar to the balancing rocks at Chiricahua.
Eventually we drive up far enough to get into pine tree country and we see snow piled up on the roadside. At the summit we head towards the ski area. Since this is the southernmost ski area in the US, I was expecting just a bunny hill. I was pleasantly surprised to see a real-live ski resort, albeit tiny, covered with snow. The ski area has a couple dozen runs of varying skill levels. Some of them look very steep from the road.
Aimee and I decide to have lunch outside at the restaurant overlooking the main ski lift. The temperature is 53o and sunny. We are sorry we didn’t bring our ski equipment. It would be nice skiing in just a sweater.
Just off the summit there is also the small town of Summerhaven nestled in the trees that provides locals with relief from the summer heat of Tucson. Unfortunately they also had a severe forest fire a few years ago that is forcing them to rebuild most of the houses.
After lunch we head home. The nicest part of the Mt Lemmon ski area is that we can return downhill to our apartment and enjoy 82o sunshine by our pool.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 11:03 AM
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