12/18/2014 – Golf, Sabino Canyon and Mount Lemmon – The week started our really great with golf at Sewailo Golf Club at Casino Del Sol Resort which also happens to be the home course of the University of Arizona, and of course to took the challenge of playing the U of A tees and happily shot an 89 which could have easily been 4 – 5 strokes better with a bit of better luck.  It really is tough to hit out from behind these giant cacti.  Later in the week we hiked Sabino Canyon which is in the Coronado National Forest, and it was absolutely beautiful with flowing stream, waterfalls, desert vegetation and the cliffs of the Santa Catalina Mountains.   We also enjoyed the 23 mile ride up the Sky Island Scenic Byway of the General Hitchcock Highway to Mount Lemmon.  The trip up can be compared to driving from Mexico to Canada, with vegetation ranging from the giant saguaro cactus in the lowland deserts (elev 2500) to pine, fir, and spruce at the highest elevations (8500+), with a change of temperature of 30 degrees from bottom to top.  We also found a dusting of snow at the Sun Valley ski resort  on top of Mount Lemmon, which could be in full swing by Christmas since we have been getting some rain this week in the valley, which means snow up top.  Hope you enjoy these pictures which really don’t do justice to the natural beauty of the area….

Sewailo Golf Course

 

Sabino Canyon

 

 

 

Mount Lemmon