UP Mingus Mountain and DOWN to Cottonwood (18 May)

Today was a great day for climbing, and a great climb to ride. Starting from Prescott, the group rode along busy Pioneer Parkway to Highway 89A and then began the 12 mile climb to Mingus Mountain Summit at 7,023 ft. The road was rather narrow but traffic was moderate and the views were stunning. There was time for refreshments and photos at the Summit. David, Mark, Emil and Pete graciously posed for a quick snapshot before enjoying the following 5 mile descent into Jerome.

 

Jerome was once a flourishing mining town with a history of great fortune (for some) and great disasters. There were numerous destructive fires as well as landslides caused by the mining activities beneath the town. Today Jerome is an attractive goal for tourists, who frequent the many shops and bars, and perhaps are sometimes astonished by the houses clinging dangerously to the steep hillsides. David directed us to a quiet place to lunch and the guys actively relived the challenges of the day.
After a brief visit to the mining museum, there followed another steep descent into Cottonwood, where we could relax at the poolside. Oh, and yes, I was able to enjoy another short jaunt on the bicycle, down from Mingus Mountain Summit to about the foot ... and back up again. Wonderful!

Dinner was at Black Bear Diner, a restaurant chain which prides itself on nobody leaving the place hungry. Splitting meals, without extra cost, or boxing up leftovers is encouraged. I took back a lovely piece of chicken to enjoy at breakfast tomorrow.

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 19, 2018 at 3:05 PM

    I loved this part of Arizona when I was there in the 80’s. Very picturesque, and many of the roads had plenty of curves to keep your mind occupied!

    ReplyDelete

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