The Raintree: the fabled bristlecone pine that is one of the largest and oldest (some 3,000 years) trees in the Spring Mountains. This tree is a marvel that puts human lifetines in some kind of perspective. It is worth hiking up here just to be in it's presence, so spend time communing with the tree and enjoying a picnic lunch.

This old tree has stood proudly for some 3,000 years. However, with so many visitors these days, it is starting to show signs of human use. Please do not climb on the tree, don't camp beneath the tree, and don't even spend too much time standing beneath the tree. Each of us who stands close to the tree compacts the soil, reducing infiltration and water-holding capacity, and thereby denies the tree life-giving water. Each of us who sits or stands on the roots damages the bark covering the roots. Our footsteps also cause dirt around the roots to erode away, exposing more roots to damage. Each of us who climbs the tree damages the bark. While each little insult is imperceptible to us, they add up over time. If we hope the Raintree lives another 1,000 or 2,000 years, we need to stop loving it to death.

Also, don't pile up log windbreaks around the Raintree. If the logs ever catch fire, they will guarantee that the Raintree burns too.

So, while here, eat your picnic lunch on the hillside across from the Raintree where you can get a good view of the Raintree, Mummy's Toes, and Kyle Canyon. When camping in the area, be sure to practice Leave No Trace techniques by pitching tents and camping in open areas away from all of the trees, but especially away from the Raintree.

If visiting the Raintree isn't enough for one hike, a short (0.3 miles) side trail to the north leads to Mummy Spring, a beautiful mountain spring that is full of wildflowers in the spring and summer.