The Changing Moods of the Mountain
Drive the General Hitchcock Highway out of the Tanque Verde Valley, 25 miles north into the Catalinas, and experience a space and time warp taking you through 4 life zones from Northern Mexico to Canada. Go from valley cactus to grasslands, woodlands, and finally forest. At 7,000 to 9,000 feet Mount Lemmon has 4 distinct seasons, from muggy summer rain from June to September to fall with leaves turning red and yellow to snow (with skiing), from December to March, followed by spring, with melting snow and running streams and new growth.