Up and back in Tucson, AZ

I’d planned it to be a quick side trip, up Tumamoc Hill and back, about 1.5 miles each way, 30 minutes total. The start was at the intersection of Tumamoc Hill Road and W Anklam Road, around the midpoint of that Wednesday morning’s 12-mile run. Turnaround was just below the top of the hill where Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona maintains a student observatory. See the following maps from Google and my TomTom GPS watch.

I was attending a meeting in Tucson that week. Before each such trip, especially to a new place or, in this case, a place I’ve not been to for many years, I spend some time planning for the morning runs. I quite enjoy doing that—anticipating and visualizing new routes, new sceneries, local life.

Usually, with Google Map, I’ve a pretty good idea of the routes I’ll be running. This time, though, I somehow didn’t pay enough attention to the elevation change and, as a result, underestimated the time needed for this side trip by about 30 minutes. Added to that several more minutes for a bunch of photo-stops along the way. So, by the time I got back to the meeting hotel, showered, and went down to the meeting, I was late--and missed breakfast.

But, the views from up on Tumamoc Hill were well worth it! The run began at the hotel, just west of the University of Arizona campus. It was mid-July, so I knew it was going to be hot. The high humidity (in the morning), though, was unexpected; Tucson was in the middle of their summer monsoon season. I got going around 5 am, heading west from the hotel, mainly along W Speedway Blvd.

On W Speedway Blvd, just west of I-10

On W Speedway Blvd, near Pima Community College

On W Speedway Blvd, viewing west; beyond the mountain range in the background is Saguaro National Park.

Tumamoc Hill Rd; Steward Observatory is on the peak in the background (~center of photo). I took this after the up and back side trip.

It was a bit after 6 am, when I started up Tumamoc Hill Road, already fairly crowded with mostly hikers and a few runners. It was not the quiet ascent I’d anticipated. I slowly ran up not quite half way, covering the more or less straight segment of the road (see Google map), then stopping to take the following two photos, viewing north and south, respectively.

 

The observatory at the top of the hill is not open to the public. So, the highest point on Tumamoc Hill Road reachable by most is just below the peak.

The view, though, is still peak-view.

Viewing east; downtown Tucson in the background

Viewing ESE; Sentinel Peak Park ("A" Mountain) in the mid-ground

Viewing SE; Tucson Airport in the background somewhere

It was so gorgeous up there that the thought of just hanging around for the day did briefly cross my mind (😊), before I headed down the hill, then along W Speedway Blvd, and back to the hotel.