This week on Arizona Illustrated…we explore many of the wonders of Mount Lemmon including Rose Canyon Lake, the Old Mount Lemmon Highway and more; plus, a ride through Nogales with painter, sculptor and mountain biker Karla Osete and Steve Kozachik’s days of running for reelection are over but that hasn’t stopped him from hitting the pavement every morning.
Favorite Places: Mount Lemmon
Our series featuring southern Arizonan architects speaking thoughtfully and personally about a special building, place, or space in southern Arizona returns! Michael Nervik, member of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, describes Mount Lemmon.
Rose Canyon Lake
The six-acre Rose Canyon Lake on Mt Lemmon provides an oasis surrounded by trees, and it is a favorite place for human and animal visitors. The man-made body of water is in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, which is responsible for managing the location which provides fishing and camping opportunities. The Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks the lake with trout but the lake is also home to other animals including non-native bullfrogs and crayfish.
The Other Way
Catalina Highway, also called Mt Lemmon Highway or General Hitchcock Highway, was constructed from 1933 to 1950 and has allowed millions of people from the Tucson area to use this paved road to visit to the Mt Lemmon / Summerhaven area. Before that, however, residents would have to travel to the small town of Oracle north of Tucson and take “Control Road” or “Old Mt Lemmon Highway”–a rough,unpaved pathto the top of the mountain. It was called “Control Road” because officials had to control the traffic on a stretch of the route where drivers would have to take turns using it, since it was not wide enough to allow travel in both directions. If you plan to drive the whole length of the road, Coronado National Forest officials recommend a high clearance vehicle. Four-wheel drive may also be necessary when parts of the road wash out from rainfall. The upper part of the road closes on Dec. 15th due to the likelihood of snow and reopens March 1st, weathering permitting.
Karla Osete
Painter, sculptor and mountain biker Karla Osete rides through Nogales, describing the creative placemaking process and economic potential that the local art scene and culture are bringing to downtown Nogales through the Morley Arts District. As a CFO of a produce company, it’s her art–mixed media, sculptures, murals and paintings–that awaken her inner child each day. From her large-scale bike sculpture to the murals she’s painted in downtown Nogales, you can see the region’s big influences of color, landscapes, social, political and faith on her work. She even sees the border as a work of art. Karla says that it’s artists who create the global language of art which will tell the history of Nogales to future generations.
Steve Kozachik – The Daily Run
Running is a daily "must" for former Tucson city councilmember and UA employee Steve Kozachik. He takes on 10 to 15 miles per day, seven days a week! The passion began decades ago when his wife- also a runner- dared him to pound the pavement as a joke because "my butt was getting fat," Kozachik says. Since then, Kozachik has more than two dozen marathons and other races although he's given up on competitions and just enjoys the peaceful, meditative early morning runs now.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.