February 22, 2025
Summerhaven
One of the good things about blogging your life is that you can validate your memory and keep yourself honest. I knew that it had been awhile since I climbed anything more challenging than a freeway overpass, but I was surprised to see that it was over three months ago, on November 19th on a day ride from Calella right before we flew home from Spain. So it’s nice that I can bike my age in miles on a perfectly flat ride, but the climbing muscles need wakening up before I can do anything more interesting than that.
So that knocks two of the rides I had in mind for the car off the list. As much as I love that ride there’s no way I’m in shape to drop from Oracle down Webb Road to the San Pedro River and then climb 1,500’ in six miles to get back up again. And the plan I had for today to ride the top half of Mount Lemmon from Windy Point to Summerhaven isn’t realistic either.
Instead I lower my sights and will just ride from the San Pedro viewpoint to Summerhaven and back. This is really a pretty easy part of the climb, because San Pedro viewpoint is almost up at 8’000’ so there are just a few modest rollers between there and Summerhaven. We’ll set aside for now the question of whether this is a wise plan for a 78 year old guy on blood thinners who had ablation surgery just over a year ago. It will be an experiment and a good test of how completely the surgery mastered the debilitating arrhythmia episodes that tormented me for most of my adult life.
So that’s the plan. In a last minute change though we decide to drive all the way to Summerhaven and start from there so that Rachael can take her hike as an out and back from a spot with facilities where we can meet up at the end.
So how did it go?
Well, for one thing it’s not really an ‘easy roller’ sort of ride. It’s just easier than the sustained fifteen mile, 5-8% climb that the ascent of Mount Lemmon starts out with. On the outbound half of the ride there are two climbs, one of which starts right from the parking lot. It’s not bad - 400 feet in a mile - but it’s definitely more of a challenge than climbing fifty feet over a freeway overpass.
After that there’s a fast drop for the next mile, and then another climb - this one 600’ in two miles. And then a beautiful, exhilarating three mile drop to the low point of the ride at my turn back point, San Pedro Vista.
Not bad! I’m feeling good about being able to manage three climbing miles. All that’s needed now is to get back. Two climbs one way, two climbs the other. It’s not a symmetrical ride though because I’m at the low end, around 500’ lower than where we left the car. The first climb is the stiffest - 700’ in three miles - but it helps that there are several spots with enormous views down to the San Pedro River and east to Mount Graham, the highest peak around at over 10,000’; and it’s so clear today that I think the farthest mountains visible might be across the state line into New Mexico. After that conquest, the final mile-long climb doesn’t seem much like an t all.
So overall it’s a complete success. I’ve gotten in some reasonable climbing in for a first time out, and it’s especially encouraging that I’m not much bothered by the elevation and there’s no hint of an arrhythmia episode. My ablation surgery the winter before last was really a life-changing event. It makes me think maybe I really could see the top of Galibier again if we’re ever close enough to give it a try - and I really could see it because I really can still see. I’m a very lucky man.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 3 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 8 | Comment | 7 | Link |
2 weeks ago
2 weeks ago
2 weeks ago
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 1 | Link |
As soon as I’m back at the car I call Rocky to see where she is. She’s still about a mile away, so I go inside the restaurant where we’ve agreed to meet and grab a cold beverage while I wait.
Rachael looks radient when she arrives. She’s had an excellent hike, but she’s especially pleased to show off her new layer she picked up before starting her walk. She somehow missed the memo and didn’t realize that it might be cold up at 8,000’ and didn’t bring enough layers. It was quickly obvious that she’d just be sitting indoors waiting for me to return if she didn’t pick something up, and she’s delighted with what she came out with.
| Heart | 4 | Comment | 2 | Link |
2 weeks ago
2 weeks ago
Today's ride: 15 miles (24 km)
Total: 1,083 miles (1,743 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 10 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 3 |
1 week ago