Mount Lemmon

People can tell you about great climbs, but it is impossible to appreciate them unless you try them for yourself. I did just that today. Erik took me up Mount Lemmon. He'd warned me that it was a long one and that it would be cold at the top. He was right. The road ascends approximately 5700 vertical feet over a winding 26 miles. Gradually, the landscape changes from arid desert to snowy alpine and the temperature drops enough to maintain a good cover of snow all around. At the top there is a ski hill, but I wasn't particularly interested in that. My attention was focused on the lodge, which served Erik and I some wonderful warm chili and homemade pie. 

The novelty of snow in the desert was certainly not missed by travelers here. Parked along the side of the road at every opportunity were cars full of families playing in the snow. A popular activity appeared to be to fill truck beds with snow (that's got to be good for the mileage!) and to build snowmen on the back of cars (not so good for visibility).