Kitt Peak by Day

February 23, 2025

After yesterday's easy outing, Barry and I are ready for a good workout. We'll get it on a ride up to the Kitt Peak National Observatory, home to one of the largest arrays of telescopes in the world. We're going back there for the Nightly Observing Program next Friday when the moon is new and the planets will be in alignment. For today we'll just take our time enjoying the views on the way up the mountain.

The profile of the climb to the peak is is similar to our trip up Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park two years ago. The meaningful part of the ascent is 12 miles at a six percent average grade, rising 4,400 feet to the summit. This time we're on the gravel bikes, which are better climbers than our recumbents.

Our route starts from the Ace Hardware store in Three Points west of Tucson. From here we ride 16 miles west on Ajo Way to the turnoff for Kitt Peak. This part is a fun warmup. The road slopes up slightly and the shoulder is smooth and wide enough for a car. We don't see many cars on the road anyway.

The rumble strip by the white line is the first one I've seen since we got to Tucson over a month ago. It's not a bother at all, there's plenty of room to ride. We fly through the miles to the turnoff, meditating on Kitt Peak and the Quinlan Mountains.

Kitt Peak makes a great target to contemplate on the ride west. We can see three white telescopes in the notch on the right.

Not many wildflowers by the road yet, mostly the sturdy Brittlebushes

First time we've ridden through a U.S. Customs and Border Control checkpoint. There's no need to stop, just keep rolling.

Two miles from the turnoff the big telescope at the summit draws us in.

Now the fun begins, 12 miles to the summit

From the turnoff, the scene going up to the peak is spectacular, keeping us entertained for the almost three hours it takes me to reach the top. Barry could cover the distance faster but he patiently waits for me. As we get closer to the summit, telescopes peek out at us here and there above the winding road.

Barry obligingly gives us a perspective on the scale of our surroundings

At 3,000 feet above the start we're beyond the desert and I'm wondering what all the vegetation is in this climate.

Thrilled to see all the telescopes marching along the ridge.

The big guy is the 4 meter Mayall telescope

A beautiful glass tile mural on the wall of the Visitor Center depicts Mayan astronomical symbols. The Mayans' had a strong understanding of astronomy and mathematics that enabled them to predict solar and lunar eclipses.

Kitt Peak was established in 1958 under a perpetual lease agreement between the National Science Foundation and the Tohono O'Odham Nation. The McMath-Pierce telescope here was the largest solar telescope in the world for decades. Currently the observatory has more than twenty optical and two radio telescopes.

At the top a docent invites us into the Solario to view the sun through a telescope, pointing out the plasma arcing up around the sun as solar prominences.

No doubt we'll hear more science during the program Friday night. We spend an hour or so wandering the grounds and the visitor center, then start back down the mountain. I don't love fast descents and the 12-mile trip down the mountain to Ajo way takes me 40 minutes. Barry could easily cut 10 minutes off of that.

In the Solario, an illustration of the solar prominences seen with the telescope

Fortunately this sign exaggerates the grade; it's closer to six percent

Glad I brought the extra jersey, it's chilly on the descent.

Fun to see it all again on the way back down

We both really enjoyed this ride and thought it was worth the effort. At the same time it has dampened any enthusiasm I had for making a run at the 7800 foot ascent up Mount Lemmon. Kitt Peak is enough mountain for me on this trip.

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Today's ride: 57 miles (92 km)
Total: 728 miles (1,172 km)

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Scott AndersonI’ve never really considered this ride, mostly because I dislike biking Ajo Way. It looks fine once you get far enough west though. I’ll have to add it onto the list for another year.
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4 weeks ago

Patrick O'HaraBig day! Nice one!
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4 weeks ago

Janice BranhamTo Scott AndersonI think you'd love it Scott. Beauty going up and down, light traffic, no crazy hard hills and as Bill noted, a good place to look for birds.
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3 weeks ago