Northeast of Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains, up a very winding road for some 30 miles is the summit of Mount Lemmon, 9,157 feet above sea level. We had heard it was a pretty drive, so we decided to see for ourselves.
We went from 85 degrees in Tucson on the desert floor, to 40 degrees at 9,000 feet. As we started the drive, at about 2,500 feet among the mountain Saguaro cactus, we had a nice view of the City of Tucson spread out in the valley below.
When we got above 3,000 feet, the Saguaro cactus landscape gradually gave way a mostly barren desert mountain landscape as we drove up the winding mountain road.
We saw a lot of barren rock areas . . .
. . . and then many interesting rock formations along the way . . .
Including numerous hoodoos (tall spires of rock) . . .
Gradually, as we passed 5,000 feet, the landscape transformed into a mountain scape of tall Pines . . .
And then when we reached about 9,000 feet, we ran into snow and one of the ski lifts. We didn't see anyone skiing, but the lodge was open and the lift was running. However, the temperature had dropped to 40 degrees.
Not far from the ski slopes, is a small mountain ski community called Summerhaven, with extravagant, but very nice looking homes built on the mountainside.
Some were crammed in very close together even though there was a whole mountain next door . . .
Some of the homes looked like they were barely hanging on to the mountainside, but I guess the owners wanted to be on top . . . Must be a nice view from up there.
Mount Lemmon is a beautiful location with lots of nature and nice scenery, but I can't imagine living up there and commuting to Tucson everyday down a winding mountain road for 30 miles. But then, from the way the homes look, maybe the people who build up there don't have to work.
Must be nice . . . but it's cold up here. I'm going back down where it's 85 degrees!
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