Climbing Mt. Lemmon in Tucson, Arizona: A Photo Album

Triathlon Forum
1

We’re celebrating TriFest this weekend here in Tucson, Arizona at TriSports.com. This morning we hosted an organized ride up Mt. Lemmon, one of the most famous climbs in the U.S.

Here’s a look at the fun:

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We left the store early with over 100 riders from our sponsored teams and athletes as well as a strong industry contingent.

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Jarreau Jones (left) is a USAF pilot and flies the sophisticated EC-130E Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft out of Davis-Monthan AFB right next to TriSports.com. Jones is also an accomplished cyclist and athlete in addition to being an elite USAF officer.

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Seton Claggett, the founder of TriSports.com and multi sub-10 hour Ironman, rides at the front on the way up toward Mt. Lemmon.

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Motorists in Tucson are generally tolerant of the many group rides.

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TriSports.com’s Craig Bellman looks forward to another ascent of Mt. Lemmon.

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The long stretch on the approach to Mt. Lemmon.

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Every few weeks the guys from here at TriSports.com go out and clean up the highway leading to Mt. Lemmon so they gave us a sign with our name on it.

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Jose’ from SRAM Neutral Support changes a wheel for Karsten Hagan of Garmin, one of their sales rep team.

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Jarreau Jones and Briana Nute get warmed up on the first section of Mt. Lemmon.

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Steve Acuna (left) just finished a tough off season training and racing regimen and his fitness was apparent climbing the mountain.

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Victor Riquelme of Wonderful Pistachios Cycling Team turned professional this year after an excellent amateur season riding for TriSports.com.

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I love Victor’s new uniform. Riquelme makes easy work of Mt. Lemmon.

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It’s starting to get difficult as the climb gets longer. This is still on the early section but the groups really begin to shatter.

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Garmin Rep Karsten Hagan seemed to walk up the climb with little effort as Scott blanchard seemed a little more “mortal”.

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The attacks among the lead group begin.

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Cherisa Wernick (right) loves going up Mt. Lemmon and does so with apparent ease.

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Rance Irvin on the climb up Mt. Lemmon.

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Our Director of Marketing, Sarah Lieneke (right) is a strong climber and at home on this climb.

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Groups start to reassemble after strong early efforts.

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Kristin Hetzel of TriSports.com Cycling is a climbing specialist who prefers standing on low gears and long climbs, she climbs like the late Marco Pantani.

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Our camera vehicle with driver Tyler Leveque of TriSports.com. For many of you who have phoned TriSports.com you likely recognize Tyler’s name as one of our customer service crew on the phones. He’s also a motorsport enthusiast and drives a mean camera car.

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Since the riders top 40 M.P.H. and faster coming off Mt. Lemmon it is tough for us to stay in front of them in the little Smart Car.

2

Great pictures Tom. Thanks for sharing. Great weather as well.

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It was a blast shooting out of the Smart Car but I am beat since I had to get up at 4 and we’re doing another event tomorrow. Big weekend. Thanks for checking out the photos.

4

tease! :wink:

THIS is a photo album of a climb of lemmon :slight_smile: http://viewfrom2wheels.blogspot.com/2011/02/ascending-mt-lemmon.html

too bad it was cloudy that day. I’ll be able to get a 1k-8k of onyx climb here in socal next week.

3000- sonoran

4000- upper sonoran/lower oak grassland

5000- scrub oak grassland

6000- grassland into pine forest

7000- ponderosa and lodgepole forest

8000- fir/spruce/pine mixed forest

9000- hello alpine! fir/spruce/aspens!

5

That is cool. It is amazing to see the ecology change as the elevation changes.

When we stopped at about the mid way point in the camera car to take a pee and turn around a bunch of wild turkeys ran across the road. They were huge- like the size of a pig!

It’s a fascinating place. There were odd patches of snow up there too in the shadows.

6

Please tell me those aren’t real tattoos all over that guys face.
Looks like a great climb.
Marty

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They are, and you know, I see the guy so often I don’t really notice it. He had 'em when I met him. It’s part of him. I can’t picture him without them. He wouldn’t look “right”.

8

So…Who Won?

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Dragging my pale Iowa butt down there next week! Can’t wait to ride OUTSIDE! I think we are doing Mt. Lemmon on Thursday…

10

Hmmm. Not sure. I got tired riding in the car and came down. :0

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You gotta be kidding …too many egos at work to keep a vedette from emerging.
Geez…who would ride a TT bike up Lemmon…only a dedicated Tri freak.

12

Hello Tom,
Was that Jose Alcala, formerly from Detroit. It looked like it could’ve been him, but not he best shot and probably a decade since I’ve seen him.

Styrrell

13

That is Jose from Detroit, of Wolverine Sports Club fame.

14

I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks!

15

Also going down there in a few weeks from Minnesota. It will be my first outdoor ride of the year. OUCH!

16

Tom, this is just another great photo album of training in Tucson that you have been sharing with us, but do you ever get to ride too?

17

Nope.

18

There were 6 or so of us that hit Ski Valley pretty close to the same time, I know at least 1 or 2 guys were under 2 hrs. I think the guy that “won” hopped the gate and took the service road to the tippy top, so I never saw him.

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He held up the group for 45 mins putting on all that makeup. Gotta look good for the Cameras!

Seriously though, he looks like a tard, but im sure hes pretty effin fast.

20

Tom,

I was out in Tucson for three weeks training with Cliff English’s group…what a great guy.

Anyways, I checked out Trisports.com to get some nutrition and ended up using a groupon on a 2010 TYR Sayonara. Ashley helped me out big time after another employee told me I couldn’t use the coupon. I was pissed at first because I work at a shop back home and didn’t need anything but that suit but, Ashley was very enthusiastic and friendly, which made my whole experience much better and left very happy!

Anyways, nice place and def. missing Mt. Lemon already although my first ride up it was a TT with Cliff’s crew! It was a long 2 hours.

Justin Harris