Mt Lemmon

[djalbin]

I finally got the patience to stop along the ride and take some pictures. Mt. Lemmon (in the Santa Catalina Mountains) is my every Sunday ride (Catalina Highway is only about 10 miles from my house). The first picture in the Mt Lemmon photo album is a view of the mountains from my backyard. The other pictures are along the lower half of Catalina Highway. They are doing construction on the upper half so I'll have to take pictures of the upper half another time. I could only take pictures of the lower half where there was enough room to pull over and stop. The best sections (tightest, twisty curves) don't have any run-off areas so I don't have any pictures of those areas. But at least you will get some idea of what it's like. The lower half is below the tree zone so it's mostly rocks and cactus. The upper half is in the tree zone so it looks a lot different than the lower half. Catalina Highway goes from the desert floor to Mt Lemmon. Because of the changes in elevation the ride up and the ride down are two completely different rides; even though they are the same road.<br>Well enough chatter ... here are the pictures.<br><br>Mt Lemmon (Catalina Highway) Map<br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.cyclerides.com/rides/dayride ... oadmap.htm" target="top">www.cyclerides.com/rides/dayrides/mtlem ... <!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>Mt Lemmon pictures<br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djalbin@p ... /my_photos" target="top">pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djalbin@prodigy.net/album?.dir=e01b&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djalbin@prodigy.net/my_photos</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>Mt Lemmon speedster (aka my 1994 FZR1000)<br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djalbin@p ... /my_photos" target="top">pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djalbin@prodigy.net/album?.dir=e204&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djalbin@prodigy.net/my_photos</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>Download the files to view them full size. <br><br>Don <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p072.ezboard.com/bexupbrotherhoo ... djalbin</A> at: 12/15/04 5:57 pm<br></i>

[fzheavenearth]

That must be some ride. <p></p><i></i>

[FZRDude]

What kind of temps do you see this time of year? <p>Tim<br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/ ... <!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:times new roman;font-size:small;">Insert Joke Here</span><!--EZCODE FONT END--></em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:white;font-family:times new roman;font-size:small;">Dir. of Entertainment<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://eddieandthecruisersmc.com" target="top"> Eddie & the Cruisers</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--></span><!--EZCODE FONT END--></em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:times new roman;font-size:small;">'94 FZR 1000</span><!--EZCODE FONT END--></em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>

[djalbin]

Frank,<br>I just love the Mt Lemmon ride. It was made for sportbikes. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :riding --><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/ ... iker_3.gif ALT=":riding"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> I don't know how many turns/curves there are but you can see from the map there are a lot (the only purpose for the straights is to connect the curves <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :p --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":p"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> ). The upper half has more gradual sweeping curves. The bottom half has more tight and decreasing radius turns. I like to time my ride on Sunday morning when there are few cars and no police. Then it's like sportbike heaven. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :banana --><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/ ... ananna.gif ALT=":banana"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> There's also other types of bikes (cruisers, Harleys, etc ...) but they don't handle well enough to go fast on this road; so they ride for the scenery. The scenery is nice, and worth the ride, but at speed I'm watching my braking and turning markers. I watch the scenery when I'm stuck behind a slower moving vehicle while waiting for the passing zone. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :riding --><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/ ... iker_3.gif ALT=":riding"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>Don <p></p><i></i>

[djalbin]

Tim,<br><br>Here's a link to the annual Tucson temperatures<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://newweb.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/climate/tus.php" target="top">newweb.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/climate/tus.php</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>November Avg Daily Temp: High = 72.3, Low = 45.1<br><br>It gets colder as you go up to Mt Lemmon (nice during the summer). Mt Lemmon has a ski lodge and gets snow during the winter. Sometimes the snow level can reach as low as 4000 - 6000 ft. So in the winter I just ride half way up (which is all I'm able to do now because of road construction). Also, in winter, the north facing side of the mountain does not get any direct sun and black-ice on the road gets to be a hazard. This starts about half way up.<br>Don <p></p><i></i>

[Ton up]

Now that's a great looking road! I've been hoping to see some pics ever since you first mentioned it. Looks like sports bike heaven- drooool <p></p><i></i>

[fzheavenearth]

Don, I am definitely jealous. <p></p><i></i>

[jjs777]

you and I both frank<br><br>nice pics don<br><br> <p>-John<br>95 FZR1000<br>90 FZR1000</p><i></i>