A trip to Mount Lemmon to avoid the heat

Temperatures are very high this week so all outings have to take this into consideration. This is the place where locals go for a change from the desert landscape and heat. It is a weel-paved road so not a difficult drive and there is as much as a 30 degree difference in temperatures. It was 64 degrees F when we reached the top and 94 when we got back down again!

Some big houses nestling in the desert on thge early stages of the climb.

This is a very scenic drive with amazing views round every bend. There are lots of opportunities to get out and enjoy the vistas - but to retreat quickly to the air-conditioning!

At this pullout we could see Frog Mountain.

I love when they give information about early people and when they give the derivation of words.

                                                              This is ocotillo below

It is fascinating how the vegetation changes as you go farther up. It goes from saguaro to huge boulders, pine trees and aspens.

There are lots of hoodoos, some very strangely shaped, in this area.

This hoodoo looks like a bearded man with a hat - i wonder did Jim pose?

                            This hoodoo is called Goosehead and is very popular with climbers.

This is the ski area on Mount Lemmon. The mountain is 9,159 feet above sea level and does get enough snow for skiing. The ski lifts are used in the summer to bring tourists to the top. However, everything was closed today, Tuesday.

We made our way to the next village, Summerhaven, in search of food and had a light lunch in the Sawmill despite having to wait over 10 minutes to be seated when there were lots of tables available. Jim overheard the server, who obviously believed himself to be most professional but who was rather offputting (to put it politely) in his approach, tell some other customers that the whole village had been wiped out by a wildfire in 2003.

More hoodoos on the way down to the high temperatures again - hoo hum!