Friday we decided on a short hike to try to acclimate to the higher altitude. We took "a journey through the oldest known living forest..." a four mile trail through the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. I had read about this before, and thought it was just one ancient tree... big deal. Well... it is a
whole forest of trees that are well over 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000+ years old. In fact, the oldest living tree was discovered here in 1957.... 4,600 years old! (I felt very young here!!) I could go on and on because the hike included a brochure with lots and lots of information (I've included a few tidbits in some of the captions), but I will stop and just post some pictures.
 |
| These trees, many of which are thousands of years old, have been sculpted by wind, ice and extreme exposure to the elements. Their contorted shapes seem to defy nature. |
 |
| Sorry for the sun flare, but I was looking straight into the sun for this picture. |
 |
| A one inch thickness of growth on a Bristlecone may take a century to
accomplish. |
 |
| Because bristlecones keep their needles for so long (30-40 years), very few are dropped to the ground each year. |
 |
| The trail only had an 800 foot elevation gain, but since it started at an elevation of 9,600 feet, it seemed a lot harder. (For me anyway!) |
 |
| Bristlecone grow lateral roots, but no deep tap root. They are shallow, usually found within the first foot or two of soil. |
 |
| Yes... I actually let Dave use my camera to take a picture of me! |
