Mt. Lemmon Ascent

2750-9100 ft.  18.6 mi.  Advanced. Start at Sabino Canyon Visitor’s Center.  Up Sabino Canyon to the Basin, Sabino West Fork to Romero Pass, then Lemmon Trail to the top.  You may have to run 1.75 mi down the road to Ski Valley.

This is one tough run.  For the distance, it’s probably the toughest run we do.  I’ve seen people literally collapse at the end of this run.  I’ve seen a 2:24 marathon runner stretched out on a rock a half mile above Romero Pass.  With the trail damage and overgrowth in Sabino West Fork and up to Romero Pass, the run has also gotten significantly more difficult.  Now that I’ve said all that, this is also a very beautiful and satisfying run.  To ascend from the desert of Tucson to the forested top of the Santa Catalinas, with great scenery along the way, is a pretty special experience.

Here’s the annotated map.  Remember to click on it to see the entire map: