Comments on: Dear Diary 001: Golden Streets and Lemmons

By: Dear Diary 004: Bikinis, Bicycles and Benji - The Everyday Athlete

Dear Diary 004: Bikinis, Bicycles and Benji - The Everyday Athlete — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:13:15 +0000

[...] Dear Diary 004: Bikinis, Bicycles and Benji Bikinis March is insistent on arriving. The skies are clear and blue now with temperatures in the mid-70’s. I have to leave in nine days and rest-assured that I am not looking forward to it. Lunch breaks are bikini sun-bathing sessions by the pool. The meal is frozen liquid fruit in a tall glass. The lunch-mates are dive-bombing [...] Related posts:Dear Diary 001: Golden Streets and Lemmons [...]

By: Dear Diary 003: Black Magic and Sharpee Pens - The Everyday Athlete

Dear Diary 003: Black Magic and Sharpee Pens - The Everyday Athlete — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:19:07 +0000

[...] Dear Diary 003: Black Magic and Sharpee Pens I can’t remember what my house in Portland looks like. More disturbing, that doesn’t bother me a single bit. I thought I’d miss it by now, but all signs are pointing to something I already knew: there’s a gypsy hiding inside of me. It’s not that Tucson is so mind-blowing. It’s a town like any other town with [...] Related posts:Dear Diary 001: Golden Streets and Lemmons [...]

By: snarkypants

snarkypants — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:19:16 +0000

Hi Joe,
I believe you, I believe you. Lots of snow up top right now – climbed Lemmon to Windy Point yesterday and had to deal with a ton of sledders. Deep snow all around. Fun but chilly.
The miniature men were made with my iPhone. CameraBag Helga filter + TiltShiftGen filter applied (all the edits done in the phone).

By: Mr Joe

Mr Joe — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:31:18 +0000

What sort of camera/lens configuration were you shooting with to get the miniaturization of the firemen?

And to back Eric up, I lived in The Old Pueblo (as the locals like to call it) for over 20 years and experienced snow in the city twice. The aforementioned Easter snow and a white Christmas at least a decade prior.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, there is actually a “Ski Resort” up at the top and if it opens more than once in a given winter it is considered to be a banner year. Hopefully the snow melts soon, I am on my way down on Tuesday.

By: Mwaka moja

Mwaka moja — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:54:03 +0000

Appreciate the rain, Northwesterner, we’ve been in a drought and desperately need this water. I’m from the NW too, and its been a lesson in my 2 years in Tucson: rain=grateful.

By: snarkypants

snarkypants — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:17:01 +0000

Dude.
I want my money back.
Seriously though. I’ve only been on one ride that actually got me wet. It rained for about 15 minutes while I went through a cloud on Lemmon. I’m really not complaining. Promise.

By: erikv

erikv — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:27:42 +0000

For the record, I lived there three years and never experienced anything like the weather you’ve been having.

January rain? Inconceivable!

But you do get funky weather in Tucson sometimes. Example: It snowed only once in the three years I lived there. At noon. On Easter. It just all of a sudden got cold, and started dumping snow.

By: snarkypants

snarkypants — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:43:56 +0000

Jamie!
So glad you commented. We do need to connect for a ride. Let’s make that happen soon.
I’m also glad to hear that the weather is record-setting. I don’t watch or read enough news to pick up on these things, but it’s comforting to know that when I come back next year, I might get a little more Vitamin D in the mix.
I have to say, crossing the washes is sort of delightful.
Also thank you for the link to Gordon Hirabayashi trail information.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:11:34 +0000

Nice sum up of your stay so far in the Old Pueblo, Heidi, and great pics, too.

Glad you’re having a good time here, despite the rain this month. To be fair, however, this a record-setting amount of rainfall for the month of January. Normally, it’s not this bad. We’re three times wetter than last year, and twice the normal average. Thankfully, you’re riding right through all of it with no problems.

As for the prison camps and Japanese internment centers, there’s a lot of truth to what you’ve heard. Up past mile 7 on Lemmon, you’ve seen Gordon Hirabayashi trail, that used to be called Prison Camp trail, as it led to the Prison Camp. It was renamed after Hirabayashi in 1999. He was an American citizen of Japanese descent who was interred, and later sentenced to the prison camp on Mt. Lemmon. He was an inspiring individual, and you can read more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Hirabayashi.

Enjoy the rest of your stay. Hope to meet up with y’all before you head back north.