Twin Peaks

January 31, 2025

Today we're going back to the Loop for that 40 miler we had to scrap Monday with all the faffing around. After this morning's bendy yoga session I am ready for a longer ride. We packed a lunch and are on the path by 12:30, should have plenty of time.

Starting up the path along the Santa Cruz

Just before Crossroads Park on Silverbell in Marana I bag my first roadrunner of the year. I take this as a sign that we should check out this park. There's a nice shady picnic table in the gazebo where we can sit and eat our lunch. Nearby Barry studies a large round stone structure surrounded by a fence. There's no indication of its history or purpose - a mystery.

There you are, you rattlesnake-hunting, coyote-foiling speed demon

Just as we're leaving, Barry discovers he is missing a hearing aid, setting off a search of the park. We both retrace his path, studying the ground from the picnic shelter to the restroom and around the big stone thing. This would be an expensive item to replace, and probably couldn't be done until we get home. Fortunately he finds it back on the picnic table where we ate our lunch. Weird that it fell out but he is relieved.

Continuing on through the town of Marana we turn on Twin Peaks Road and ride it northeast. After crossing over I-10, I look around to see where the twin peaks might be. The closest big peak is the tall one behind us to the west. Some shorter wanna-be peaks rise to the north of that one.

Later I'll read in the Arizona Daily Star that only one of the Twin Peaks still stands. A cement company mined the other one for decades until it disappeared from the skyline.

I'm guessing the tall peak back there is one of the original twins.

This is the starting point for a 10 mile climb that continues on Moore Road to the high point of the ride in Oro Valley. Moore is a beautiful road with not much traffic today. There's no bike path yet, but the shoulder is comfortable.

Past the high point, the bike infrastructure on Moore is as good as you'll find anywhere. There are generous bike lanes on the shoulders and a paved bike path to the side. We prefer the road, but whatever you choose to ride here, you'll have a terrific view of the Santa Catalina mountains.

Good choices here - take the road or the path

That 10 mile climb earned us an equally long descent through Oro Valley and down the Cañada del Oro. On our way back to the car we cross over one handsome bridge after another.

It feels good to notch our first 40 mile ride of the year. Getting to this point puts some longer rides in range, like a circuit around the Loop. We still have almost five weeks left here. Maybe I can summon the nerve to take on Mount Lemmon.

Bridge ornaments on First Avenue in Oro Valley echo the mountains ahead

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Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 230 miles (370 km)

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