New details about the closure of the Coronado National Forest confirm that cyclists hoping to escape the heat by riding up Catalina Highway will have a challenge finding water along the way.
Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy, Ryan Roher, said at yesterday’s Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting that the department will be enforcing a “zero tolerance enforcement policy” for motorists and cyclists, which includes stopping for bathroom and water use.
A second press release issued by the Forest Service states that the entire Coronado Forest is closed to the public starting today at noon except, “Persons using the Catalina Highway for between the hours of dawn and dusk for non-stop access through the restricted area to the Ski Valley complex, the Palisades Visitor Center, and private lands at Summerhaven.”
Roher said the Forest Service wanted to close the highway to all traffic because if a fire were started the mountain would burn in “eight hours.”
“The Forest is faced with an unprecedented fire season this year, with extreme fire danger and over 200,000 acres burned across the Forest. Our national resources to fight fire are being strained to the limit. Fuels (grass, shrubs, trees, ground debris) on the Coronado are at record levels for dryness,” the report stated.
Roher said the Forest Service will be bringing in additional enforcement resources and that they are concerned about getting people off the mountain if a fire is started.
Forest Service officials are urging cyclists consider alternate rides.
On the bright side, according to the release, the paved areas of Sabino Canyon remain open to cyclists and pedestrians.
Saguaro National Park east will also be open to cycling on the road.
Not to get overly optimistic, but I saw clouds earlier this week. As in, clouds that were sneaking above the Rincon Mountains. But, alas, a late afternoon northwest wind scared them away.
Those clouds looked a lot like what we see a week or two before the monsoons start kicking up the humidity.
This is eerily familiar to 2002. I remember seeing the fire line at night from the front door of my apartment.
Motorists will be trusted not to throw a cigarette butt out the window and bicyclists will be trusted not to stop and take a piss.
Well played, Forest Service! Just close the goddam highway and save some face.
Ah yes, 2002. Not to be confused with 2003! 🙂
seriously, i rode up lemmon today in 2 hours 15 minutes…all the way to the general store…sparks were flying off my ass i was going so fast! i can see why motorist are not encouraged to stop even for a piss, piss breaks usually equal smoke breaks, but i dont see cyclist smoking cigs while climbing up (kinda defeats the purpose), or bombing 60 mph down the mt. as long as the general store is open, i will continue to ride up lemmon. i always refill there and buy a half pound of fudge to support the local community.