A couple of weekends ago Mrs. C. and I were wanting to take advantage of this extraordinary weather we have been having this summer and get in a good ride down South before it got too hot. I will be the first to say that the ride between Phoenix and Tucson is probably the most uninteresting 120 miles in the State. Even going through Florence Junction isn't good enough to spend the extra 45 minutes to do it. For the most part it is always windy, flat and boring. Which is probably why I don't go South very often. But here is the good news. Once you get past this forgettable stretch of asphalt and find the base of the Catalina Mountains in Tucson, you will soon be riding up a 32 mile route that I call one of the hidden Jewels of Arizona, Mt. Lemmon.
 
It had been over 6 years since my last ride up Mt. Lemmon, and I have to say, I had forgotten how beautiful it is. This road has more variety in 30 miles than I have ever seen. As I was riding up I kept comparing the landscape to other routes that I have ridden across the Western United States, but it kept changing. It was almost like 3 different areas rolled into one road. 
Turning Northeast off of Tanque Verde Road you will be looking directly into the Santa Catalina mountains, the very same mountains that you will soon be dissecting on your way to the top. As you approach the base of the mountain you will see hundreds, if not thousands of giant Saguaro Cactus dotting the hillside as you start your ascent on what is known as the Sky Island Scenic Byway to over 8200 feet in elevation with your final destination being Summerhaven or Ski Valley.
 
After a couple thousand feet in elevation the Saguaro cactus will give way to boulder outcroppings and small scrub pines that seem to grow taller with every mile. A few more miles will have you riding on the side of the mountain as you weave and zig-zag your way up in elevation. The small rounded boulders will soon turn to more jagged rock formations as you ascend to your way to Windy Point Vista at over 6600 feet in elevation. This is where you will have dramatic views of the Santa Catalina Mountains and its deep canyons, the road below. You will get a feel for the ruggedness of the sky islands and their rise from the desert.
 
Another 1/2 mile will be a viewing area called Hoodoo Vista Point. This is a great stop that will give you a chance to see the hundreds of Hoodoo's as you examine the geological wonders through this stretch of the Coronado National Forest. What are Hoodoo's? (They are a tall thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos are composed of soft sedimentary rock and are topped by a piece of harder, less easily-eroded stone that protects the column from the elements.) These Hoodoo's were especially interesting to me as a lot of them seem to have an identifiable shape that you can see in them and one in particular was a perfect profile of a face complete with eyes, nose and mouth. See if you can pick it out in this picture. Click Here.
 
The next 9 miles will have you winding your way through more beautiful rock outcroppings, smooth curves. a few twisties, tall pines and aspens as you are rising in elevation another 2600 feet on your way to Summerhaven and Ski Valley at 8200 feet in elevation. If you stay on this road it will take you right into Summerhaven where there is a general store and good place to eat called the Cookie Cabin. This is log cabin transformed into a restaurant that has indoor and patio seating where you can enjoy a great pizza or their signature Giant cookies. The old Mt. Lemmon Cafe that was famous for the pies is now closed.
 
The turn to your right just before you drop into Summerhaven will take you on a 3 mile ride up to Ski Valley at Mt. Lemmon where you can take a ski lift up to 9100 feet in elevation for a panoramic view of the entire area. This is a nice ride to the ski area and is recommended. Sky ride tickets for adults are $9.00.
 
As I said in the beginning, this ride is the motorcyclists gem of the Southwest. This 30 miles of road has you in awe from the beginning with massive amounts of huge saguaros and beautiful desert, twisty roads and canyons, breathtaking vistas that will have you rubber necking to get a peek as you are riding, Hoodoo's that will entertain you followed by tall pines and Aspen as you drop into Summerhaven to try and absorb all that you have just experienced. It is truly like being in 3 different places all in a 30 mile ride. The best way that I can describe this ride is that you start out on your way to Tortilla Flat, you get a glimpse of Bryce Canyon minus the red Hoodoo's on your way to the Sierra Nevada's and Yosemite National Park in California before ending up in Colorado.
 
It is kind of hard to articulate in words, but you will definitely go through 3 distinct landscapes and geological areas that will tickle your senses all the way up and have you looking forward to the ride back down the mountain that is equally enjoyable.
 
You can choose your own route to Tucson. I prefer to just get it over with and go straight down I-10 to the Grant Rd. exit, Grant Rd. to Tanque Verde, to the Catalina Hwy. which will lead you to Mt. Lemmon. From I-10 and I-17 at the stack it is 157 miles to the top of Mt. Lemmon. You will want to allow around 3 hours for the ride up and back if you plan to do any sightseeing stops and have lunch at the top. I had forgotten how great this ride is and am upgrading the rating on this ride to 5 spokes out of 5. This is an easy Day Ride from Phoenix. Optional stop would be a ride through the Saguaro National Park East which is located just South and East of Catalina Hwy. The only bad part of this ride is getting to Tucson. Now is a particularly good time to do this ride as the Saguaros are in bloom.
 
Click Here for Map
Take a look at these 114 Beautiful Photos
 
Useful Links
Details from Wikipedia of the Catalina Highway
Sky Island Scenic Byway
Map of Just the Sky Island Byway
Ski Valley Ski Lift