Trip South - Tucson Week 12 - Mt. Lemmon

 Start with a Bike Ride

Looks like rain

 

 

The sun comes back our so I can make lasagna

and Carrot Cake in the Sun Oven

and a whole chicken

With the rain we had earlier in the week, I want to take Tucson up to the top of Mt. Lemmon while there is still snow.

Going up!

We leave the city behind

The views are breathtaking

Uh Oh, don't have snow tires on

It's a winding road

 Up to 6000 feet

then 7000 feet

 Hope there is still snow up top

 

At 8000 feet we see  snow

 

 We stop at the Palisades Visitors Center so Tucson can play in the snow

 

 

 

Tucson has a ball

 We continue on up to the end at the Ski Center

 

 

 
I picked today to come up because the ski slope is closed on Wednesdays so less traffic and people

The views are incredible

 We go to the Cookie Cabin to try one of their plate size cookies

 

We split a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie ala mode.  Their signature cookie is the Rachel, so I picked one up to send to my sister Rachel.

 

Time to head back down the mountain.  We stop at a couple of the overlooks on our way.

The Windy Point Vista is a great stop.

 

 

The road continues on below

It is a stark beauty

Good thing I am a Capricorn, I can navigate the rocks pretty well.

To get the best view

 

 Gary is waiting back in the truck - you can just see it to the far left

View looking back at parking lot to where we came from

The Seven Cataracts Vista,  During rains there are 7 waterfalls here.  There is an unofficial trail with about a 1000-1300 feet descent straight down with a 60% grade on dirt, gravel & rocks used by Canyoneers. 

Back home what a great week