Hill and Dale: Cycling up Mt. Lemmon

I wasn't intending on riding up Mount Lemmon on this trip to Arizona, but my brother Jon Damon came to town and said it was on his bucket list so, like any good host, I strove to accommodate his vacation wishes, despite hiking up Wasson Peak the previous day. I hardly had the best bike for a 26-mile climb up nearly 7,000 feet—a 20-year old Klein mountain bike—but I was game as long as I could keep Jon off anything remotely light weight. He settled on a Giant hybrid from Roadrunner Bicycles on Broadway and Wilmot.

We were accompanied by my hiking pals Misty Atkins and Jack Simard. Jack also had Mount Lemmon on his bucket list so was pretty stoked to be doing this ride. Misty is just a flat-out strong hiker and biker—owing no small part to her Colorado upbringing—so she was game as well. Jack had the great idea of parking at and starting from Agua Caliente Park, a beautiful spring-fed Pima County green space about 2.5 miles from the ascent—making a total ride of about 56 miles (90 kilometers).

This proved to be a challenging day, but the 26-mile descent made the arduous assent worth the struggle. Temps around 70 degrees at the base, high 40s at the top; we doffed and donned a lot of layers throughout the day. I averaged around 6 mph on the way up, closer to 26 on the way down. Exhilarating, and a wee bit frightening due to the late afternoon sun blinding riders and drivers alike.

Jack's pre-ride narrative.

Mt. Lemmon. Photo by Jack.

Pre-assent photo of Misty Atkins, with three French Canadians who would accompany us, off and on, to the top. Photo by Jon Damon.

Our little group of riders, strong cyclists all: Me, Jack Simard (from Quebec, now living in Ontario and Arizona), Misty Atkins (formerly of Colorado, now living in Oro Valley, Arizona), and my brother, Jon Damon of Plano, Texas.

I was given a head start because of my clunky mountain bike. This shot is unusual in that I'm in the lead.

This is a more usual shot, with me trailing the others. One problem was that my old Klein didn't have a lockout on the shocks, so I could never stand and pedal when needed.

Misty and Jon. Photo by Jack.

Me. Photo by Jack.

Jack. Photo by Jon.

Me. Photo by Jon.

Still with a reason to smile. Actually, the entire day was a reason to smile. Photo by Jon.

Perhaps the half-way point.

Jack. Photo by Jon.

Jon selfie.

Misty. Photo by Jon.

Me with my old Klein Attitude Comp and my altitude attitude pomp. Photo by Jon.

Jon posing with his Giant hybrid rental. He rocked the mountain with that bike, considering he was about 8,000 feet above his usual riding elevation. I think he kind of fell in love with the bike and its upright ride. Welcome to old-manhood, Jon.