Gates Pass

February 23, 2025

With just over a week before we return to Portland, we want to make every day count. We have the car available but after the long drive to Summerhaven and back yesterday neither of us is keen on another two hours in the car today. Instead we pick outings from home: Rachael is walking toward the Tucson mountains again, thinking at first that she’ll take the bus until remembering it’s Sunday and the busses only run hourly or even less often so she opts for Sentinel Peak again.

The guy with the crap knees is biking of course, and picks a route he’s wanted to take as soon as he was ready for some hill work: over Gates Pass, then north past the west unit of the National park and down to. The Santa Cruz. It ends up being an outstanding ride and better than expected, except for those last 13 miles.

Down the east side of Gates Pass, a much steeper ride I only like doing this direction when I can watch for a gap in traffic and take the road.

The view southwest from McCain Loop Road to the Baboquivari Peak Wilderness, with Kitt Peak on the right.

At the visitor center of Saguaro National Park’s western unit.

North of the visitor center, descending Kinney Road.

Sandario Road is the reason I’ve avoided this loop in the past. There’s an eight mile descent to the Santa Cruz with a rough asphalt surface with zero shoulder and heavy, scary traffic - pickups hauling horse trailers, for example. Since the last time I was here though it’s been resurfaced and an 18” shoulder added. Game changing.

The view east to Mount Lemmon on Avra Valley Road.

Gordon's Bladderpod (Physaria gordonii). Thanks, Bill!

Southwestern mock vervain (Verbena gooddingii)

Up to this point the ride has been excellent. I’m feeling strong, and having a healthy tailwind most of the way hasn’t hurt either. Thirteen miles from home though I’m biking up the Santa Cruz thinking I’ll stop and take a quick glance across into Sweetwater when I realize my ride is getting rough. I stop, check my suspicions, and find them confirmed: the rear tire is badly low, with an apparent slow leak. Crap.

Thoughts of seeing a green heron at Springwater get scrapped, replaced by hoping the leak is slow enough that I can make it by pumping the tire up a time or ten. I’ve got repair equipment, but I’d really rather not pull the tube on the road.

And I make it, barely. The first pump gets me half way there - to Sweetwater actually, so after a quick, unproductive look across the fence I pull out the pump and fill ‘er up again. That one gets me three miles, and another fill sees me home, barely. Lucky!

And really lucky, because I’m sure not smart. I’ve got a tube, but it’s for the Rodríguez - the bike I’ve always had in the past. We carry two spare tubes - one for Rachael’s 20” wheels, and one for the Rodriguez’ larger ones. Oops.

In the morning it will be completely flattened, so it’s not that slow after all. My theory is that it was self-inflicted when I left the pavement to look at the wildflowers. I must have rolled across something in the sand before laying the bike down. Rookie mistake.

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Patrick O'HaraMan. Another big day, Scott. Great work.
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2 weeks ago

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Today's ride: 51 miles (82 km)
Total: 1,134 miles (1,825 km)

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Bill ShaneyfeltNice to see at least a few wildflowers. Sure do need rain down there!
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2 weeks ago