 |
| Roots of Raintree |
 |
| North Loop Trail |
Fifteen hikers proceeded up Trail Canyon, this morning, for a hike to Raintree, a very old bristlecone tree found in the Spring Mountains NRA. The construction in front of the new visitor center (to be) is coming along but the added wait time for the pilot car tends to drag a little. Nevertheless, we headed up the hill to the Trail Canyon / North Loop junction at our own pace.
 |
| Mt. Charleston Watches over Trail Canyon |
 |
| Views from North Loop Trail |
We waited for everyone to get to the saddle before proceeding onto the North Loop toward Raintree. (This would be in a straight direction from Trail Canyon.) The views begin right away. Mummy's Toe is straight ahead; Cockscomb Ridge and Peak are behind right; Fletcher Canyon is to the right below; and Griffith Peak is in the distance to the right. If you turn around, Mt. Charleston Peak begins showing up, too.
 |
| Hiking the North Loop toward Raintree |
 |
| A Bouquet of Bristlecone |
The trail begins easily on a lateral curve around the contour of the land below Mummy Mountain. Then, it starts climbing up to the saddle where Raintree resides. We stayed together as a group following behind Chris at a slow and steady pace. At Raintree, we sat on the plentiful seating and took our break. The wind was kicking up and several hikers got chilly.
 |
| Bristlecones near the North Loop Trail |
 |
| Fletcher Peak from the North Loop Trail |
At the end of the break, we hiked down the mountain at our own pace. It was nice to take care of our knees.
7 miles; 2300 feet elevation gain; 3.5 hours
The End
 |
| Resting at Raintree |
 |
| Starting Back Down the North Loop |
No comments:
Post a Comment