Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
25 July, 2021
Us in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest .
Bristlecone Pines are highly photogenic trees that grow in desert environments at high elevation. They are uniquely adapted for their harsh environment and live for thousands of years. They are the world's oldest known living single (non-clonal) organisms, according to Jeff Sullivan's indispensable Photographing California: Vol. 2--South. Some trees along the Methuselah Walk are over 4,000 years old.
The trail affords amazing views of the White Mountains.
The trail took us along dramatically steep slopes. Photo by Eric.
The trail gave us a view down into a salt basin between the ranges. It was obvious we had traveled into the Basin and Range area.
The iconic Bristlecones stand out against the sky.
This is one of the oldest trees in the grove. Here, you can see the tree's exposed roots. The Forest Service's trail guide explains that the trees spread their roots along the surface rather than sending taproots down. The water table in the desert is low, so the trees find more water near the surface. Over time, the soil erodes, exposing the roots. Photo by Eric.
This twisted wood is characteristic of Bristlecones. My theory was that, as the earth erodes away from the roots, the tree tips in different directions, and then keeps trying to turn back toward the sun. When I asked the ranger, though, she said that this theory did not hold up, because different trees did not twist in the same directions. She says the exact reason for the twisting is unknown, but that it happens as the trees, with such limited access to water, selectively let parts of themselves die off, so that they can hydrate other parts. Scientists believe that the twisting is caused by tension between the living and dead cells, but they are not sure.
I leave this one to your imagination.
Bristlecone needles.
As always, I couldn't resist noticing a fascinating rock formation.
All told, we hiked 7,200 m (4.5 mi), on a moderate trail with 244 m (800 ft) of elevation gain, in about 3:45. Out here in the Forest Service territory, we saw only 12 other hikers in all of that time. We were quite proud of this accomplishment! We finished in time to grab some tacos from a buiding with a pass-through window and check into the Winnedumah in enough time for a relaxing anniversary celebration together, and get to sleep early enough to get up for a morning hike through the Alabama Hills before heading back over the Sierra.
On to Alabama Hills.