Yesterday Sandy and I drove the Equinox up to the top of Mount Lemmon. Mount Lemmon is 9171 ft in elevation. Although it is only a 50 mile drive, it takes 1 1/2 hours to get to the top as the speed limit varies from 25 - 35 MPH.
At the top is Ironwood Restaurant where we purchased their famous Ironwood Chili with corn bread and topped it off with pie alamode for desert. Actually Sandy and I split one entire meal because the portions were big enough for both of us. The restaurant sits directly across the road from the ski lifts. Believe it or not there is Snow Skiing in Arizona. It was 70 degrees at the bottom of the mountain and snow/ice at the top.
Well as we exited the restaurant we noticed another road going further up the mountain, the gate was open, but the sign read “Road not maintained by County”.
Hmmm, should we try it?? Sure lets give it a shot.
OOPS. Should not have tried it. Our Front Wheel Drive Equinox with good tires was no match for the ice/snow we came across 1/2 way up. The Equinox stopped dead in its tracks. I gave it a little more gas and we started sliding sideways. No guard rails. Sandy has a hold of the passenger door ready to bail. I put the car in neutral and let us slowly roll back 20’. Stopped and then slowly pushed down on the gas to see if we had anymore traction. NOPE! After a couple more failed attempts it was obvious to me that I now had to back 300 yards down hill down an ice, snow covered road. What happen to my “All Weather” tires. They failed me!! Any how in reverse slowly we creep down the windy road until we cleared the Snow/Ice. Then 3 point turn. Well another lesson learned. “Do Not get tempted by an open gate that references “Road not maintained by County”.
Geez. Don’t the Arizonian’s realize that an open gate with such a warning my turn back a southerner, but us snow/ice drivers from the North view such a warning as a challenge. “BRING IT ON”. That is, until we get in trouble :-0
Hmmm I wonder if I had a 4WD Jeep, would we have made it or just got ourselves into more trouble??
Here are the pictures of Mount Lemmon.
First I must say that the pictures are beautiful, what a beautiful blue sky! Your dinner sounds really good too!
ReplyDeleteYou are two wild and crazy kids! I'm never disappointed when I read your posts! What are those two up to now? When I read about you going up the hill I was right there with you! How scary!! Your so right about us Northerners, we can handle any kind of snow and ice (after all we've been thru it before) So glad you both made it out alive!! Now I'm thinking.... What if the 4 of us were in our truck? Could we have made it? Take care!! Your RV buds