Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

About an hours drive from Convict Lake, and 1/2 hour from Bishop along HWY 168 lies one of California's hidden treasures: Bristlecone Pines that are over 4600 years old! These are the oldest trees in the entire world and are only found above 10,000ft in the Basin & Range area of the United States. Westgard Pass takes one on a paved road up to 10,300ft and the Methusela and Discovery Trail. If you know who to ask and where to look you can actually find the Methusela tree which is the oldest living tree in the world. Drive 13 miles on up the bumpy but car-safe dirt road (~ 1hr) to get to the Patriarch grove where the worlds largest Bristlecone lives at just over 11,000ft. It's truly gigantic! Altitude can be a big factor in how well you can move around up here, so take it easy and enjoy the views, and marvel at the trees that have been alive since before the Pyramids in Egypt!
  • 7267993 This was our awesome camp at Convict Lake. We stayed here before goign up to teh Ancient Bristle Cone Pines.
  • 7267995 The nice morning view from our campsite before we made the hour or so drive to the Ancient Bristle Cone Forest.
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  • 7278003 The road to the visitor center is windy, steep and paved. Once you get to teh center you need to pay a small day use fee, which helps preserve these magnificent trees.
  • 7278004 The white dolomite hills looked stunning when highlighted with a backdrop of clouds.
  • 7278005 Some of the oldest bristlecones still alive were born several hundred years before the first pyramids of egypt were built!
  • 7278006 We walked along the "Discovery Trail", an easy 1.2 mile jaunt through some of the best groves of bristlecones. I took a photo of every sign on the trail so you can enjoy it just like we did.
  • 7278007 As the sign says "This tree was 3200 years old when it died in 1676." It is quite an amazing feeling to touch something so old, and that has been dead for so long.
  • 7278008 The same tree, but closer. The wood is very, very, very dense.
  • 7278009 The same tree, but closer. The wood is very, very, very dense.
  • 7278010 Explains why life can be hard on the trees.
  • 7278012 A very young bristle cone pine.
  • 7278014 Laura loved touching the "baby" trees that were probably 50 to 60 years old. The needles were very soft.
  • 7278015 Explains why older trees are actually smaller than younger ones.
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  • 7278018 This tree was still clinging to life (see the green on the left side of it?). Look how big it is in comparison to my mom, dad and wife.
  • 7278019 3000+ years of weathering makes for neat wood.
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  • 7278024 This is view looking west across the Owens Valley to the Eastern Sierra Nevadas. The ABCF is in the White Mountains.
  • 7278026 Explains Dr. Schulman's discovery of the very old tree-rings and their contribution to dendrochronology.
  • 7278029 Totally twisted.
  • 7278030 The rain falls mainly in mountains of the sierra's, not in the plains of the ABCF
  • 7278031 Every tree had its own unique character.
  • 7278032 The trail continues on into some dramatic lighting.
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  • 7278034 Dolomite + old trees + cloudy sky = awesome scenery.
  • 7278036 This tree appears to be sitting in a "rock"ing chair.
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  • 7278039 This view reminded me of a prehistoric mastadon or elephant.
  • 7278040 Mrs H gets in touch with history.
  • 7278043 At 10,120 ft above sea-level, my mom needed a break after a half-hour of walking and gawking.
  • 7278044 Laura and my mom.
  • 7278045 Explains the origin of red Quartzite rocks and the absence of bristle cones at this location.
  • 7278046 Notice there aren't many trees growing here?
  • 7278048 Hey! That's me!
  • 7278051 How old does this guy look? He had a great view at any rate.
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  • 7278053 Same tree from the front.
  • 7278055 Explains the evolution & distribution of bristlecones.
  • 7278056 This is White Mtn Road... the way into the preserve. We came in from the top of the photo and went up to the Patriarch grove taking the road out of the bottom of the photo.
  • 7278057 Quartzite rock on the left, dolomite on the right.... which is easiest for the BCP to grow in? Geobotany is an actual field of study that looks at the relationships between rocks and plants.
  • 7278058 Explains why dolomite is so good to the trees.
  • 7278059 Dr. Shulman's memorial. Poor guy died at 49!
  • 7278060 We left the Schulman grove and headed up to the Patriarch grove, home of the worlds largest bristlecone pine named "The Patriarch". This was 13 miles on washboard dirt road, but regular cars can make it when dry and if driving slowly.
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  • 7278062 The sign say 15mph speed limit... It struck us as funny because I could only muster 8mph in this rough section.
  • 7278063 Evidence of rain showers.
  • 7278064 Patriarch parking lot... 11, 346 feet above sea-level!!
  • 7278066 Just being at this altitude takes your breath away, not to mention the tremendous beauty.
  • 7278067 Sign explaining these trees grow at the timberline.
  • 7278068 The Patriarch... the world's largest bristlecone pine.
  • 7278069 A better view... my wife and dad are in the photo on the bottom left side for scale.
  • 7278070 The White Mountains.
  • 7278072 Dramatic light that I'm sure this tree has seen thousands of times before.
  • 7278074 Wow... the peaks in this picture are over 12,000 ft high.
  • 7278075 Bristlcone "blossoms"
  • 7278078 Cool wood.
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  • 7278083 Laura was amazed by the view.
  • 7278084 The wood is so dense that it can hold water like a trough after a rainstorm.
  • 7278085 Sign explains the advancing and receding tree lines based on past climates.
  • 7278086 The tree line (the point above which no trees grow) is obvious in this photo.
  • 7278088 Bad exposure group shot in front of a neat tree.
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  • 7278094 Great light hits Cottonwood Canyon below.
  • 7278095 With a bit of touch-up this photo could be awesome.
  • 7278098 Totally gnarly, dude.
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  • 7278101 I always said mom and dad liked to talk down on us.
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  • 7278108 I like this shot of Laura looking like a triumphant explorer.
  • 7278109 A better group shot. I always try to be the tallest in photos.
  • 7278111 Rain streaks from the sky.
  • 7278112 COntact between granite and layers of what are presumably quartzite.
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  • 7278117 Can you tell we got rained upon while driving home?
  • 7278124 The road snakes up this razorback.
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  • 7278128 The Tindel Effect blazing in all its glory over Bishop.
  • 7278129 The low evening light near Silver Canyon.
  • 7278130 And back to Westgard Pass and its narrowing.
  • 7278131 Nice one-lane section of road. Thirty minutes later we were back in Bishop enjoying some gringo-style Mexican food. The End.