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| Mount Lemmon Snowshoe, AZ | |
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| | Mount Lemmon Snowshoe, AZ | | | |
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Mount Lemmon Snowshoe, AZ
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| Snowshoeing | 5.60 Miles |
1,200 AEG |
| | Snowshoeing | 5.60 Miles | 5 Hrs | | 1.40 mph |
| 1,200 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | | Met up with Jim and drove up a surprisingly snow free Mount Lemmon highway to the ski area and quickly donned snow gear in the bitingly cold wind. Jim helped a car next to us that was spinning out on the ice get free from their parking space and then we set off down the car filled shoulder of the highway, looking for a way to descend the snowy slope to Aspen Draw Trail. Quite the wintery wonderland climbing the north slope of Radio Ridge. Using my hiking pole I estimated the snow depth near the top of the ridge at about 30 inches. Cresting the ridge, the wind was howling and whipping snow into the air. Temps hovered in the 20s but felt much colder due to the wind. Everything in sight was caked in heavy ice and pieces of it were raining down from the communication towers above us. We moved west up the ridge and on to the true summit of Mount Lemmon, which that day was a massive snow pile next to the telescope buildings, which we climbed. We then moved on to Meadow Trail. The sun was starting to set and the mountain top was bathed in pinks and oranges, contrasting beautifully with the blues and whites of snow and ice covered trees. Just incredible…and incredibly cold. The lights of Tucson came on while plodding east on Lemmon Trail at dusk. Soon it was dark and the wind was blasting over Radio Ridge again. I was thankful to drop down onto Aspen Draw Trail again and be out of the wind. I followed Jim straight down a steep drainage in the dark, stumbling in the deep snow occasionally when my snowshoes would catch a branch. Reaching the trail again, we soon popped out at the ski area. I think we were both thankful to be out of the wind in my warm vehicle and heading for home. A great and memorable adventure! |
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| "…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan |
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