I love reading about everyone's ride adventures, especially when you describe the scenery, roads etc, because it's so different around the country.

My DH and met up with our group at park about 5 miles into their planned route, because I had to get back early for a haircut appt. and couldn't do those extra miles at the end.

Our destination was Molino Basin, about 5 miles above the base of Mt. Lemmon. The route is very heavily traveled by recreational cyclists heading up Mt. Lemmon or to several other popular rides. From the park, we rode east along a 4 lane road that crosses a big wash with some very nice old mesquite trees, passes by a horse ranch and through one last big commercial shopping center at the turn-off to Mt. Lemmon highway (2 lane). It's a gentle climb for 4 miles through a mostly residential area. Houses are spread out and there is a lot of native desert vegetation. Once the climb up the mountain starts, it is all forest service land so no more houses. Plenty of saguaro cacti, ocotillos and palo verdes. Three miles up there is a scenic lookout called Babad Du'ag (Frog Mountain in the Tohono O'odham language)- but some people like to call it Bad Dog. 2 miles more to Molino Basin campground. The base is about 2700 feet above sea level, and Molino is at about 4300 feet, with a pretty even grade around 6%. Then the fun- riding back down!

25 miles altogether for me, but my DH took advantage of the opportunity to ride intervals because I'm so slow, and he had 32 miles for the day because he kept riding ahead and going downhill and then passing me again. No way I can keep up with him when he decides to go all out.