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We drove up to Mt Lemmon to escape the triple digits of Tucson weather. Granted, it's not that much cooler of a climate. But seeing as though it is more than 6000 feet above the city it definitely drops a few degrees. Instead of feeling as though you've stuck your head in an oven, you get a nice, gentle, cool breeze. The Catalina Highway (really a 2 lane road) slowly winds up the mountain for a little less than 30 miles, climbing over 6000 miles and traversing such biodiversity that it's been likened to driving from the Sonoran desert to Canadian plush forests in a super short distance. It really is a breathtaking place and by the time you've reached far above, the city is only reminiscent of speckles of rocks. We went there a couple of times this month, first just to check it out.
We decided to drive to Summerhaven which is just as it sounds. It's a tiny town, if you'd even like to call it that, full of cabins & summer home for those who want to, and are lucky enough to afford a break from the heat. There were fires a few years back that
annihilated the town but it is slowly rebuilding. Besides the homes, there isn't much there. Just a couple of small restaurants. We ventured over to the Ski Valley to ride the lift to the very top. It's pretty, quiet and peaceful, but definitely nothing compared to what I'm used to in the Swiss Alps😉 We did a little hiking around and saw a patch of the forest that was hanging on for dear life still years after the fire. It was a very somber scene, yet silencing in knowing that nature is so powerful & persevering.
The second time we went up Mt Lemmon this month was to go rock climbing. We got a local guide book, strapped on the shoes & chose a somewhat easy (to jeff) climb. After climbing around for a few hours we retreated back to the sweltering heat.
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Launie
non-member comment
Wow...
...I had no idea something like that was that close to Tuscon! And rock climbing! I may have to try that sometime (ya right...I wouldn't be able pull myself up!) lol...