Christmas Tree Pass, looking for the famous underwear tree...

We'd heard about it from a friend and co-worker, Laurie, who first told me about the famous tree, near Laughlin, that was decorated with women's undergarments, namely panties and bras. That was news to me, and sounded so bizarre, that I had to look this thing up, find it, and photograph it. Laurie told me she'd seen it, during a visit to her brother who lives in nearby Bullhead City, Arizona a few years ago, and that the "panty tree" was located at the top of Christmas Tree Pass, a few miles west of Laughlin.

Left: As the graded dirt road approaches Christmas Tree Pass, it is easily negotiated by Jerry's Honda van. Right: Weird rock formations are seen on each side of the road.

Naturally, if I want to look at women's underwear, there are many places on the web where I can go there, and beyond, of for that matter, just pick up a copy of the daily paper. But the thought of seeing a piñon pine decorated with bras and panties sounded so weird and bizzare, that it would be an excellent candidate to post on our sister web site, in the American Graffiti section. To that end, I'm always looking out for weird things during my travels...

We asked the friendly desk clerk at the Pioneer Hotel about the famous tree, and he confirmed our suspicion that it, indeed, was alive and well, at the top of Christmas Tree Pass. He even gave us directions: Travel west on Nevada Route 63 about 10 miles, turn north on the dirt, but graded Christmas Tree Pass Road that is clearly signed, near the top of a small grade. It sounded good to Jerry and I...

Photos: Approaching Christmas Tree Pass, if you're a fan or rock formations, then you're in your element on Christmas Tree Pass.

Saturday, January 13, 2007, Jerry and I set out in his van to find the famous underwear tree at Christmas Tree Pass. We followed the directions that the desk clerk gave us, and followed the Class-1 graded road to Christmas Tree Pass. Although the road is dirt, and generally human, it was not a challenge for Jerry and I, as we tackled it in his Honda van. As soon as you leave the pavement, the road enters the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and we felt that was a bit dubious for manmade attractions, such as decorated pine trees, as the government tends to frown on such activities. However, buoyed by previous surfing of the web, talking to locals, advice from the friendly desk clerk, and blind faith, we pressed on to find the famous underwear tree of Christmas Tree Pass.

Climbing Christmas Tree Pass, we were rewarded with breathtaking desert scenery, that seemed to get more spectacular around every bend. As we climbed higher and higher, we noticed that the scenery started to change, and as we reached the pass, pinyon pine trees started to appear. However, all of them were untouched, and undecorated. Where is the underwear tree? As we approached the pass, we me a couple of guys in a Chevy Blazer, and we asked them where Christmas Tree Pass was (Jerry's van has Texas plates, so we're dumb Texans...) and the guys said that "You're here..." After crossing the pass, the pinyon pines quickly disappeared, and about a mile north of the pass, into the sagebrush, a few decorated sagebrush bushes appeared. We turned off the road, and took photos of the few, sparsely decorated bushes. What a disappointment, as they were absolutely nothing compared to the decorated bushes we enjoyed in the Oatman area yesterday! Where was the panty tree?

Photo: This is it! Pathetic! After all the hype that we'd received from many folks, after we'd crossed the pass, and had found nothing on the junipers and pinyon pines, this was the decorations that we found on fabled Christmas Tree Pass. Where was the tree decorated with bras and panties? It's a myth, as we learned later...

The dirt road joins U.S. Highway 95, just south of the town of Cal Nev Ari, also spelled as Calnevari, or CalNevAri, but pronounced as CalneVERY, due to its close location to the border of California, Nevada and Arizona. We were thirsty, so we stopped at a RV camp out the outskirts of town for a coke, and asked the friendly clerk if the underwear tree really existed. With a laugh, she replied that the tree didn't exist, and all of the scrawny, sparsely-decorated trees that we'd seen on Christmas Tree Pass was all the area had to offer, but she did let us know that we could get full RV hookups, including internet access for only $18.00 a day at her place. We declined, as we were staying at the Pioneer in Laughlin, but thanked her for her offer.

Left: Here's another pathedically-decorated bush; these guys need to learn from their cousins, near Oatman, Arizona about how to decorate a bush. Right: We stopped at the RV Park at Cal Nev Ari, and were inpressed with their tall cactus, and their friendly staff.

When I got back to work, I asked Laurie about the underwear tree, and she said that she'd really seen it, so it is, or was, a real thing. Just like I suspect, some do-gooding ranger probably was cruising around and saw it, and since it could not be considered a natural thin, must have ordered the undergarments removed. I'm sure that act made the day of many communists who belong to the Sierra Club, but for average taxpayers like Jerry, you or I, it ruined our day.

Fact of fiction the fabled underwear tree has faded from view like the Flying Dutchman, or a ghost, yet it still remains active in the minds and hearts of many. May it's legacy forever stand!

Web page design has been created by Eric's Enterprises, Etc., website design, and more...