Oxygen Tank, Please

Last week I was back in Santa Fe.  I've never bothered to rent a bike there because at 7,000 feet the altitude usually just makes me sleepy. But, still feeling my oats from my climbs up Mt. Lemmon, I decided to give it a shot.

The ride du jour was from our house up to the base of the Santa Fe Ski Basin, which rests at 10,000 feet. I rented a bike that fit well enough, the only real detriment being the extra 3-4 pounds it weighed (compared to mine) that I'd need to lug up the hill. But a 'heavy' bike would make a great excuse later  for whatever ailed me during the ride. (Leg cramps? Heavy bike!) Every cloud has a silver lining.

The ride was 32 miles round-trip, with 4,664 feet of climbing, most of which was on the way up to the ski area. On the return there were only a couple of hills that I had to drag myself over. It was not the most difficult ride I have ever done (that honor remains with Col du Sabot in France), but it definitely falls in the "difficult" category. Because, you know, I had such a heavy bike.

I didn't take a camera. Some rides are too much of a slog to bother with pictures. This was one of them. So here's the only proof I have that I did it:

The Rental, aka Miss Piggy. 

Lungs don't fail me now

Otherwise, it was the usual Santa Fe stuff:

Cactus in bloom

Lunch at El Farol

Lunch at a Chicago-style hot dog stand

A "Chicago Dog"

Then, it was back home to Portland, where cries of IT'S JUNE IT'S JUNE JUNE STRAWBERRIES THE STRAWBERRIES ARE HERE could be heard all over the land.

In June, Oregon strawberries appear, and people go nuts. I admit they taste pretty damn good.

Oregon strawberries

Where Else but the Damp Side?

An annual Spring ritual. Shoveling and washing moss and algae off the driveway (and the sidewalk; and the roof; and the side of the garage; and the...(fill in the blank). It wouldn't be so bad if the cement was nice and smooth, but it's mixed with rock and there are zillions of divots in it. Next step: power washer.

Sonoran Desert Send-off

Time to close down our home in Tucson. Yesterday and today we squeezed in a few final rides. Chris wrapped up early at work yesterday and spent the afternoon on a final climb to the top of Mt. Lemmon. I had an easier evening, riding the fun loop-de-loop of the eastside Saguaro National Monument. I saw lots of flower buds on the prickly pear cacti, it looks like in a few weeks the desert will be in full bloom. Maybe next year we can be here for that. Today Chris rode the 'Lemon Drop' mountain bike trail down Mt. Lemmon, while I road up the main road. It's a wrap.

Parting shots....

morning view from our bedroom window

saguaro flower buds

ocotillo cactus in bloom

sunset ride

adios, Tucson

Chris Goes for a Ride

Chris has had to work while we've been in Tucson (after all, someone's got to continue the role of cubicle monkey) so back in December he vowed to make the most of every weekend. Most Saturdays and Sundays he's taken off for places unknown or, at least, unknown to me until after the fact. Sometimes, a "don't ask, don't tell" policy is best. 

Arizona Trail
The Arizona Trail is an 800+ mile recreation trail from Mexico to Utah that connects mountain ranges, canyons, deserts, forests, wilderness areas, historic sites, trails systems, and points of interest. It serves day hikers, back packers, equestrians, mountain bikers, trail runners, nature enthusiasts, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and mule and llama packers. On two occasions it also served Chris. 


Arizona Trail, Passage #16, Gila River Canyons

Passage #5 - Santa Rita Mountains

Mt. Hopkins
The Mt. Hopkins Road twists and climbs its way to the second highest peak in the Santa Rita Range. The narrow, winding mountain road provides access to the Smithsonian Institution's Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. Six miles of the road --- a steep section somewhere in the middle of the climb, I'm told --- remain unpaved, so normal people use mountain bikes rather than road bikes to ride up to the observatory. Chris feels that a mountain bike should never be ridden on a road so he takes his road bike on gravel and dirt roads if at all possible. This was no exception.

dirt section; observatory is the white dot on the peak to the left

the long and winding road

the road behind; the road ahead

last push to the top; apparently, if the climb up didn't kill you this last section might

reward at the top; anyone got a dollar?

Mt. Lemmon
This is the premier riding mountain for road cyclists in Tucson. There are always hoards of them going up and down the mountain. Most cyclists consider the town of Summerhaven, 28-30 miles up, to be the top but, always a purist, Chris declares the official "top" to be the end of a road that goes another 1,000 feet above the town to a ski hill. I've been riding Mt. Lemmon in sections rather than in one big push. Generally I ride 12-14 miles, around 3,200 - 3,600 feet of climbing, before calling it quits and turning around. In cooler weather I start at the bottom, and as it's gotten warmer I've started further up. For every five miles up the mountain the temperature drops about 5 degrees. There have been days when it's been a toasty 85 degrees in the valley and by driving 15 miles further on I begin my ride at 70 degrees. 

Riding up the main face of the mountain on his road bike was never going to be enough for Chris. There are two other possibilities. The first is a 25 mile dirt road, called the Control Road, that goes up the back of the mountain. It's a rough, winding road that was the first major access route built to the upper reaches of the Santa Catalina Mountains. It's generally recommended that one not attempt the Control Road except in 4 wheel drive.... or on a road bike.


Mt. Lemmon, Control Road

the fun begins

still a ways to go

traffic jam

at the top; somebody was tired

Mt. Lemmon, "Lemon Drop"
What goes up, must come down. There are many mountain bike trails on Mt. Lemmon and it is possible to piece some of them together to create one very long "drop" down the mountain. However, it still requires quite a bit of climbing as the trail peaks and valleys around natural obstacles. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that the snow high up on the mountain melted enough to consider this ride. I shuttled Chris and a friend to the top of Mt. Lemmon and seven hours later they popped out near the bottom. 

the journey begins; so brave at the top

cactus start appearing near the bottom of Mt. Lemmon...

...as do rattlesnakes

Last Visitor Gone

Top Ten

Top 10 Clues That It's Nearly Time to Leave Tucson

1. You stop buying groceries because you don't want to throw food away when you leave in two weeks. You subsist mainly on refrigerator leftovers: butter, jelly, Bisquick pancake mix, a box of cane sugar, mustard, cheese.

2. You discover two dozen eggs in the refrigerator and determine that you must use them immediately. After eating 24 eggs worth of egg salad in a matter of days, you buy brownie mix. Which requires eggs.

3. You give up your search for good pizza.

4. The temperature passes 90 degrees. Again.

5. There's heavy cloud cover over the city, a rare event. It offers a cool respite from the day in, day out, sunniness which you have suffered with for months. The local weatherman refers to it as a "plague of clouds." You no longer understand such hostility toward clouds.

6. Your fellow Snowbirds have already migrated back to their hometowns. You are now the oldest person in the JCC gym.

7. You finally get in the pool.

8. It's a beautiful, sunny day but you are whining that it's "too hot" to ride your bike.

9. Paying a state sales tax no longer seems quaint.

10. When you arrived in December, locals told you that rattlesnakes don't come out until April. It's April. You see your first snake.

Sabino Canyon

Sabino Canyon is located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and Coronado National Forest just a few miles from our temporary home in Tucson. It's always off limits to cars, and off limit to bikes except during certain hours. Prior to 9am, and after 5pm, bikes are allows to troll along the few miles of paved roads in the canyon. Otherwise, primary users are walkers, hikers, runners, and tourists riding trams up and down the main road through the canyon.

At 5pm the trams stop, the entrance fee station closes, and cyclists flock to ride the 3.8 mile road up the canyon. There are also lots of people who are just there to enjoy a nice sunset.