RIDE REPORT: Mt Lemmon, Chiricahaus National Monument et al!!

[Michael K (Az.)]

Ron and I decided a tour of S.E. Arizona should be attempted, so the attempt was made!

https://picasaweb.google.com/108913941249965138010/ChiricahausMtLemmon



Hit f11 for full screen.

[barbarianthemadserb]

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the ride vicariously.

[salty1]

Michael You got some great photos of the beautiful landscape.

Mt. Lemmon, a high point in the Catalina Mountain range, is always a great ride!  We also rode there and back last Friday. The Mt. Lemmon highway has recently been added as part of the National Sceinic Byway System.  Going up the mountain, one climbs from approximately from 2000 feet to over 8000 feet in about 22 miles of twisties. The temperature on the "hill" will typically drop 10 to 15 degrees F from that in the Tucson valley floor.

The photo of our bikes was taken at Windy Point, about half way up the mountain. The other photo is looking down towards easterly Tucson  at about 5000'.

[Gary]

Very cool! 

Definitely them Chiricahaus are an add to the list of spots to visit, spot.

Thanks!

So when you gonna be up for a meet-up-at-Pie Town-for-lunch run?

Maybe I can corral MrArn, F6Banger, Scain and any other willing NM riders to participate. I'd really like to hit the Gila National Monument/Forrest area due south of there, this being the scenic area north of the Silver City general vicinity.

[Thunderbolt]

Good job Micheal.  I remember goin through one of those Book um Dano thingies S. of Truth or Consequences NM.

[Hook#3287]

Great report, thanks

[Big Rig]

Thanks for the post...been a few years but rented a harley and rode up to Mt Lemmon...Novemeber around 4am...rode in a light jacket, shorty gloves and jeans....who knew there was a ski resort up there??? Well I didn't, but I do now.

Also apparently they use brine on the roads up there too. 

[cookiedough]

I remember Mt. Lemmon when I went to visit my wife's uncle in Tucson some 20 years ago in March to beat the WI winters.  We were the only one in shorts and sandals in 60 degree weather.  Pretty cool to see snow in AZ and the ride to Mt. Lemmon was pretty cool.  If I remember right from that long ago, don't they have ski runs on Mt. Lemmon?
Like to go visit them again still in Tucson if we could get our kids to fly in an airplane without being afraid.

[alph]

nice pictures.  of all the times i've visited arizona, i've never been to that area, but i've past by several times.  saddly i don't have any reason to visit the area anymore.....

thanks for the photo's!! 

[MrArn]

Thanks for the report, it looks like a great ride. How much trouble would it be to include Tombstone and how long before it gets too hot to ride that area?

PS--I'm all for getting together in Pie Town or anywhere in that area.

[Michael K (Az.)]

Thanks for the report, it looks like a great ride. How much trouble would it be to include Tombstone and how long before it gets too hot to ride that area?

PS--I'm all for getting together in Pie Town or anywhere in that area.

We normally include Tombstone on this ride but decided to forgo it this time due to the Easter weekend tourist wave as it's pretty much an "old west" motif. Usually it's about 10-15 degrees cooler than Phoenix but don't hold me to that as the temps can for sure wiggle-waggle about at any given time. I'd like to do a Pie Town ride sometime but my next overnighter will be SoCal's Utah ride in May. I posted a "Moom Pitchure" ride report on this one but it seems since no one's posted on it, it's quickly sliding down the board pages. I'm gonna try to edit and post part 2 sometime today if I have the time.