Reliving New Year’s Day, with Susan

January 13, 2024

Today’s ride is a repeat of the one we started off the new year with: a new route for us, a loop out Oro Valley that included a climb across the ridge between it and Rillito Wash. At the time we were both surprised at how appealing it was, and how the exhilarating four mile drop down Campbell Avenue made the previous series of short but painful spikes well worth it. Rachael’s forgotten for sure what this ride is when I bring it up to her, but at the time we both thought it would be a good one to bring Susan on when she arrived.

Today is the day, and it starts much more promisingly than the last one when I look down again in admiration at my size twelves, warm and comfortable in my new, perfectly matched socks. Much better than New Years Day, when I was exasperated to find that one of my newly purchased pair had disappeared and I had to ride with mismatched socks until I made it back to the store for a replacement.

So that’s an improvement, but so is the weather. It’s clear today and finally warming up again, enough so that we can get an earlier start this time. At 10:30 Susan shows up at our door, we validate that she’s brought her helmet this time, and we’re off. The ride begins with us dropping down University and eventually to the Loop access at Saint Mary’s. The first ten miles down the Santa Cruz are ones Susan remembers from last year, when we rode out with her to El Rio.

Crossing the Santa Cruz on Sunset Road we get a fine view of the Catalina Range ahead.

Ten miles into the ride we come to the junction with the Oro Valley spur and turn east, crossing under the now reopened I-10 underpass. The next twenty miles are new to Susan, beginning with the ten mile run up Oro Valley to Steam Pump Ranch, a traditional break stop when Rachael and I bike out this way.

Up the Oro Valley, with the Catalinas on our right. I think this is probably the first time Susan’s gotten a look at them from this side.

The snowy heights ahead are the summit of Mount Lemmon.

At Steam Pump Ranch. I’m surprised I’ve never noticed this beautifully weathered old structure before.

Because every post should include a bird shot.

After lunch we backtrack a mile before leaving the bike path to begin the climb over the ridge, the low western extent of the Catalina Range. There’s a narrow, rough semipaved path to be negotiated at first as we skirt the golf course, but soon we’re biking on broad, smooth, quiet upscale residential streets with yards filled with dramatic designer cacti.

The next five miles are lovely cycling as we very gradually climb except for one short 10% spike that reminds us that there’s some pain ahead. At the top I announce that it’s great to have the worst behind us now, but Susan and Rocky have studied the ride profile and aren’t fooled.

Another view of the north side of the Catalina range. The more I’m out here, the more I think that this is its most interesting face.

Beautiful riding through these neighborhoods, with fine close-up views of the mountains.

I’ve got the camera out anyway, might as well take a shot of both of my riding companions.

I was stopped taking photos of this attractive ranch house when Susan came along to add some foreground interest.

We stopped also to check out this crested saguaro, something Rachael and I overlooked on our first pass through.

Halfway through the climb we come to busy Ina Road, and follow it for the next mile before Ina branches off to become a quiet residential lane while all the traffic continues on to what is now Skyline Drive. All of the serious pain comes in the next mile and a half as Ina Road climbs, gradually at first and then steepening to an unpleasant 15%. Cresting this ridge we get a nice view south across Tucson to the distant Santa Rita Mountains, and briefly enjoy the illusion that we’ve done the climb when the final and worst one comes, an agonizing 18% at the top.

Biking straight into the mountains, east on Ina Road.

Ugh. I hope that my friends appreciate this shot because I had to stop on the downhill for it, losing all my momentum.

Dropping toward the city. I think that must be Tumamoc hill straight ahead.

Approaching the final and worst climb. It’s not the road straight on though as I thought at first. At the base of this short drop we bend right and start climbing again.

So that hurt. We all stayed in the saddle and made it to the top though, and after taking a break to recover, hydrate, and congratulate each other we hop in the saddle and start dropping - fast and far, a four mile rush down Campbell Avenue that’s even better this second time. Susan yelps out a Wahoo and quickly rockets into the distance, too quickly to star in a downhill video.

At the bottom we’re back on familiar territory again, on the Loop and passing the awesome Tracks and Trails mural before heading back into town on Treat Street. At the last minute before turning onto Treat I pull off for a closer look at a raptor just ahead, hoping against hope that it might be a Harris’s Hawk, one of the few birds remaining on the short list of what I’m hoping to see before leaving town. No luck though, it’s just another red-tail, so I guess I’ll need to fit in another ride out to Sellarole Road before we leave town.

The Tracks and Trails mural, and Mica Mointain.

Great to have Susan along so we can get a Team Anderson action shot.

Video sound track: Another Day in Pardise, by Classic Dream Orchestra

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Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 1,153 miles (1,856 km)

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marilyn swettThat sounds like a nice route but a tad hilly when you get into those neighborhoods. We'd be walking up some of those grades for sure!
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3 months ago

Rachael AndersonTo marilyn swettYou’re right about that. I’m fortunate to have very low gearing but it still was a challenge!
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3 months ago

Janice BranhamBeautiful route, I'm stealing it. Kudos to y'all for the work on those hills. I think I'd scoot down Skyline around the worse part though.
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3 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Janice BranhamI considered that myself and mentioned it at the time. It really only chops off a few blocks of the descent down Campbell.
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3 months ago