Over Labor Day Clara and I visited the Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains. We hiked around the Methuselah Grove of the world's oldest trees, some over 4500 years old, and through a surprisingly large forest of mostly bristlecone pines. Then we strolled through the Patriarch Grove, where the largest and newest bristlecones live, above 11,000 feet in elevation, and where the youngest are reclaiming their old range higher and higher up the mountains. From this grove, we also hiked to the summit of a small peak, from
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Mt. Tom from Hwy 395 At over 13,000 feet in elevation, Mt. Tom towers almost 10,000 feet above the...
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Eastern Sierras from Bishop Mt. Tom is the red-topped peak, sloping up to the left in the center of the...
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The Palisades from White Mountains The Palisades rise over 14,000 feet above sea level and hold the...
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Cactus! Sierra View, White Mountains
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Clara does Yoga in the White Mountains with the Sierra Crest beyond
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Bristlecone Pine cone Bristles actually grow out of the cone! Pitch, too, oozes out. This is...
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Fern Bush There aren't many flowers growing in September in the Bristlecone Pine...
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Clara and Bristlecone Pine Methuselah Loop Trail. We took a 4 mile loop through the forest and the...
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Bristlecone Pines Notice how healthy the trees in the foreground look? I was surprised...
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Heartwood burl, Bristlecone Pine
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Bristlecones on the Ridge The range's name comes from the white dolomitic rocks.
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Bristlecone Pine Forest Clara and I were surprised by the veritable forest of bristlecone pines! We...
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Green Ephedra
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I identify Green Ephedra Bristlecone Pines and Mountain Mahogany form the forest behind me....
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Deep Springs Lake and view towards Death Valley. I think Deep Springs College is located down...
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Clokey's Fleabane
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Linanthus, I presume?
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They even grow from boulders!
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Clara in the Bristlecone Pine Forest
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Clara and a Bristlecone
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This tree is alive! This tree actually has new growth on the other side! These trees live so long...
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Root Curl! Bristlecone Pines have gnarly roots!
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A living tree! This is the same tree from the previous picture.
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Clara in Methuselah Grove The world's oldest (known) bristlecone is in this grove. It is unmarked.
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Roots and trunk
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Trail through Methuselah Grove There's no understory here! Bristlecones keep their needles for...
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Bristlecone Pine Cone
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Clara in Patriarch Grove We drove up to over 11,000 feet to the Patriarch Grove, home of the largest...
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Patriarch Grove See the little ones growing on the slopes?
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Patriarch Grove Here is a remarkable view of 11,000 year old snags from trees that...
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In the Patriarch Grove
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Bristlecones Pollen from the larger cones pollinates the little purple seed cones.
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Heading to Cottonwood Basin Overlook We hiked from the Patriarch Grove, through the bristlecone pines, to...
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Clara at the top See the little bristlecones reclaiming their former range as they...
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Palisades from Cottonwood Overlook With bristlecone pines and snags on the ridge in front.
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Bristlecone Pines
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