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| Hiking | 6.13 Miles |
1,835 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.13 Miles | 4 Hrs 15 Mns | | 1.61 mph |
| 1,835 ft AEG | 26 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | On our second day of hiking near Las Vegas we headed to the Humboldt – Toiyabe National Forest, Spring Mountain North Loop Trail to hike to the Rain Tree. This is Nevada’s oldest living tree at 3000 years old. I was also told that this tree is the largest Bristlecone pine in the world. From the road to Mount Charleston at the North loop trail head it is about 3 miles to the tree. The trail is a steady 1700 foot climb with fantastic views to the east over Las Vegas. The trail passes through a forest of Ponderosa, Fir and Bristlecone pine. We spent a lot of time photographing the bristlecone pine, the pines even when half the tree is barkless and dead are interesting and picturesque. The Rain Tree is at a saddle at about 10,000 feet just below a jutting limestone cliff that looms above at about 10800 feet on Mummy Mountain Ridge. The Trail even though a steady climb all the way is in good shape. We saw a few groups of people on the trail and some of the groups had very young children hiking, they needed prodding and encouragement on the route up but once at the tree they loved it. I love to see young children hiking, they have so much energy but just don’t know it, they think they will never make it and are about to collapse but once at their destination are running around climbing everything that can be climbed while us older variety of kids just find a rock and sit and enjoy the view. I remember hiking with my father when I was a kid and thought I couldn’t go any further he would say we could be at home washing dishes, that always put things in perspective.
This is a fun hike but I would like to return to this area to hike more of the trails in this range, Beautiful scenery and mountain. I’m not sure what the rest of the trails in this range are like but this section was well maintained. The North Loop Trail continues on from the Rain Tree to Mount Charleston, 11900 feet. |
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