Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
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Methuselah Loop Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest |
June 12, 2018
Over in the high-Sierra above Bishop, it still is too early in the year to tackle most of the marvelous trails there; so my local friend Gary suggested this walk on the warmer side of the Owens Valley as an alternative. Although I have visited this park previously, I never have hiked the longest available trail.
The Schulman Grove Visitor Center isn't open yet
It's a very nice morning here at 10,000+ feet. I am ready.
Starting out
Shortly into the walk, a signpost points us to the right; so we go that way.
Many bristlecones look dead; yet most are not.
Each tree has the unique ability to die off as much as is necessary to allow the remaining portion to subsist on available resources. That's the secret of their longevity.
My guide forges ahead
At an interim high-point is a view southward
Is it waving to us, or crying out?
Another high-point
Amazing growth on the rock
Setting up a group shot...
...and there we are.
Three hikers have caught up with us. Gary offers to photograph them together. Nobody ever declines such an invitation.
The view eastward into Nevada
That's Death Valley in the distance
The Sierra Nevada are obscured by smog
Each tree is remarkably different from every other one
The road up here is barely visible in the distance
The Desert Paintbrush are nice and red up here
Gary says that there were a lot more flowers at this time last year. Maybe I'll come back then.
Two views of the same tree
We have entered Methuselah Grove, home of the Methuselah Tree, which has
been dated at 4,847 years. Long considered the oldest non-clonal
living organism, in 2012 another tree in the same general area was dated at
5,065 years. To protect these specimens from the assholes of our society,
their identities are kept secret. (Note: other web pages list a
variety of ages for these trees; my numbers are those published by the National
Park Service.)
In Methuselah Grove
The threesome passes us by
Mat Rock Spiraea There's that growth again. I must learn what it is.
⇔
We're two-thirds finished
It's a climb all the way back from here
The other three, who had stopped for a snack, will catch up eventually
Hamming it up
The westward view is better from here
The Southern California trio does indeed overtake us, and returns Gary's favor by taking a very nice photograph of the intrepid trekkers.
My 'patriotic' Bristlecone T-Shirt is on display
I purchased that shirt here six years ago, after my first ascent of White Mountain Peak (Hike #184). It seemed only fitting to wear it today.
Bishop is 6,000 feet below
The remainder of the walk is a straightforward gentle grade back to the trailhead, during which we pass half a dozen hikers going the 'wrong' way. One woman in particular says, "I like to hike alone".
Upon our return, the Visitor Center still is closed. Today's scheduled
employee(s) must have called in sick.
§: What a nice outing! I lost some good photographs due to a
smudge on my camera lens; but the rest seem satisfactory. Even though
hiking is noticeably more difficult at such exalted elevations, it invariably
is worth it to be 'way up here'.
A personal cycle of sorts is complete. Within a year's time I have visited earth's tallest living things, the largest living things, and now the oldest living things. And it's no secret that all of them are trees in California!
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