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The Oldest Living Things On Earth – Ancient Bristlecone Forest, CA

October 14, 2012 by libertatemamo 34 Comments

Sculptures in the snow!

They are the oldest single living organism on earth. Older than the birth of Christ, almost as old as the beginning of Egyptian Civilization. Many exceed centuries in age, the oldest a mind-boggling ~4,600 years old…still growing, still living, still biding her time. These are not just trees, they are living testaments of history, each decade etched into their ring structure, each climatic event curled into their gnarled branches. We are in the Ancient Bristlecone Forest, high above the valley floor and standing here in their presence is

…simply

…extraordinary!

Bristlecones only grow in very, very isolated areas, typically right below the tree-line in dry, arid, cold locations. They are incredibly resilient and incredibly slow-growing. Roots can extend over 50 feet, pine needles can stay on the tree for 40 years and pieces of dead wood have been dated back 11,000+ years! The very oldest living pines are the ones that have been exposed to the most difficult conditions (as they say “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”) and they sit right here in the mountains of Eastern California (the Great Basin Bristlecones = Pineas Longaeva). Methuselah, named after the longest-lived person in the bible, is the very oldest of the lot. She’s over 4,600 years young and no-one will tell you her exact location, but you can take a break right by her grove and meditate on the hugeness of life in her most awesome presence.

Paul relaxes on the trail
Sweeping Bristlecone views into the valley

I was turned on to visit this place by blog reader Maryanne. Hidden away in the White Mountains on an ancient sea floor (now at ~10,000 feet), these trees are truly a unique experience. We waited for the perfect moment to see them, letting the weekend snow-storms pass so we could appreciate them in a serene blanket of white and blue. When conditions opened up all four of us raced over to take the 4-mile Methuselah hike so we could see the oldest of the lot.

And what a fabulous outing it was! Steep slopes of snow dotted with Bristlecone sculptures (they really are more art than tree), and sweeping valley views. Walking through this historic place is meditative and very almost spiritual. The hike was slippery and icy in spots, Lu (poor girl) was dizzy, and one of us (I won’t say whom) managed to fall on our ass, but we were ALL completely awed and overwhelmed by these amazing trees. The oldest living things on earth, right here in our presence, alive and thriving only ~1 hour from our campsite. It was an honor and a priviledge….and I thank Maryanne for the tip!

Lu and Terry take in the view on the hike
Now, this is serious snow hiking!
Details of a Bristlecone sculpture

The low sun reflects trees & snow in a natual basin
Another beauty of a tree

More gorgeous details
Another back-lit view

And another twisted beauty in the light

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Related

« New Bed, New Digs & New Fabulous View – Bishop, CA
Land Of A Thousand Alpine Lakes – John Muir Wilderness, CA »

We LOooVE Comments, So Please Do

  1. Marsha says

    October 14, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    I actually get chills looking at these beauties. The details are just exquisite!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:33 am

      I got chills being there! Nina

      Reply
  2. sandi says

    October 14, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    They really are a awesome site. We visited about 15 years ago.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:34 am

      The beautiful thing is they are so never-changing. It’s great this place is preserved.
      Nina

      Reply
  3. Rob says

    October 14, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    4000 year old trees…
    4000 years ago Mastodons were going extinct, they were building the Great Pyramid & one of those trees was already old. That was before the peak of the Roman Empire…

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:33 am

      Thanks….my history is not as good as it should be 🙂 Those details really put the age into perspective.
      Nina

      Reply
  4. Rowanova says

    October 14, 2012 at 6:02 pm

    The Bristlecones are on my bucket list. A true must-see in nature. A real treat to have you share this experience with us, Thank you. The pictures are just awesome.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:32 am

      They’re definitely something special. Glad you enjoyed the shots.
      Nina

      Reply
  5. Russ Krecklow says

    October 14, 2012 at 6:39 pm

    Nina, your photos are just wonderful. We’ve only seen these trees in pictures, and yours are great! Thanks for sharing the experience. We’ll probably never make that hike, but sure happy to see how wonderful it looks through your eyes!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:32 am

      Glad I could give ya a glimpse! Wish I could go back and photograph these things at sunrise or sunset.
      Nina

      Reply
  6. Ward Wessels says

    October 14, 2012 at 7:29 pm

    I’m in awe of Bristlecone pines too! Pineas Longeava not only occur in the mountains of Eastern California, but also in Eastern Nevada in the high country of Great Basin National Park, a place of unexpected beauty and surprises, but located far from just about everything (few visitors). Check it out someday for a unique adventure! Bye the way – I think your blog site is terrific! Thank you and Paul too!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:31 am

      We went to Great Basin YEARS ago (on a car-camping trip). I remember it being very scenic, but totally didn’t know about the Bristlecones in the area at that time. Gotta go back!
      Nina

      Reply
  7. The Lowe's RV Adventures says

    October 14, 2012 at 8:16 pm

    Fabulous pictures ! interestingly at our hike today Steve mentioned about Bristlecone but I have never been able to identify them. And Viola your post just came in time. It is very informative and thanks to your beautiful shots I can identify and point them out.
    By the way, here is our story about our good experiences with your excellent referrals, Marty (Elite) and Rob (Hendersons) appreciates your shout out.
    http://lowestravels.com/2012/10/13/health-checks-for-betsy-at-grants-pass-oregon/

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:29 am

      How fun that you guys were talking about them the same day. Love those kinds of coincidences. So VERY happy you had a good experience w/ the guys at Elite & Hendersons. Great write-up!
      Nina

      Reply
  8. jil mohr says

    October 14, 2012 at 8:22 pm

    Great photos and yet another wonderful post on something new for us…

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:28 am

      Definitely worth adding to “the list”
      Nina

      Reply
  9. Jerry and Suzy says

    October 15, 2012 at 6:02 am

    Thank you for taking us back to a place we visited oh-so-many years ago! We were taking a photography class, and that was a field trip. We didn’t hike toward Methusalah, but we at least got up to the end of the road. Your pictures are superb, as always!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:28 am

      Yup, we didn’t take the drive to the largest tree (Patriach) up at the end of the dirt road, so that’s one more for a future list. LOVE the photography here, but need to go back and photograph these trees in late afternoon light…must be gorgeous at that time! I can just imagine how fun a photography trip would have been!
      Nina

      Reply
  10. LuAnn says

    October 15, 2012 at 7:26 am

    This was a wonderful hike, a little scary at times given the slope of the trail and the snow and ice, but would not have traded it for anything. And yes, for those who did not already guess, Lu, that dizzy broad, is the one who slipped and fell on her ass. Glad I had enough padding! No more vertigo so hopefully today no falling down! Thanks Nina for another great post. 🙂

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:26 am

      Hehe…you did wonderfully, esp. considering your vertigo. Very glad we all made it.
      Nina

      Reply
  11. Widget says

    October 15, 2012 at 10:50 am

    You can also hike to a 3,000 year old Bristlecone right outside of Las Vegas in the Spring Mountains. Its a beautiful hike, only 7 miles round trip and enjoy your lunch under Raintree. It is my favorite Saturday morning hike. Better hurry though, we already have a little snow. There’s more to Vegas than the strip….

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:25 am

      You know I read about the Bristlecones in other places and am interested to go and see them. We haven’t RV’d around Las Vegas, but it’s on our “list”. Lots of nature in that area we’d love to see!
      Nina

      Reply
  12. TravelBug-Susan says

    October 15, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    Great memories. I was there about 37 years ago. I bet it hasn’t changed much…except back then we drove most of the way up there.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:25 am

      Yup, likely it’s exactly the same. This is a never-changing place, for which I am very grateful.
      Nina

      Reply
  13. Jim & Colette says

    October 17, 2012 at 6:16 pm

    Wow – snow! We were there on September 27th ( http://roamingtogether.com/ancient-bristlecone-pine-forest/ ) and although it was extremely chilly in the morning it warmed up in the 60’s midday. The ranger mentioned as we were leaving that they just discovered an older tree but they haven’t finished dating it yet since they’re so gnarly it takes some time to fit all the pieces together. It’ll be interesting to hear the details, but of course they’ll keep the location of that one secret too to prevent vandalism.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:24 am

      Nice write-up & love those shots (esp. the black and white one!). Didn’t hear about the “new” old tree…how intriguing!! Gotta ask about that one next time we go back.
      Nina

      Reply
  14. Lynda & Howard says

    October 17, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    We were there last June after leaving June Lake. No snow, but absolutely mind-boggling. Awesome creatures and great photo ops!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 18, 2012 at 8:23 am

      It’s a very, very cool place! Nina

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Bishop CA Round-Up…And A Few More Thoughts On The “Dark Side” | Wheeling It says:
    October 18, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    […] and the other by the majestic White Mountains really packs alot in. Besides the hiking, and the Ancient Bristlecone Forest there’s a fabulous petroglyph tour along Fish Slough Road (multi-hundreds are strewn across […]

    Reply
  2. BLM Campground Review – Horton Creek, Bishop, CA | Wheeling It says:
    October 19, 2012 at 5:00 pm

    […] galleries, museums and within easy drive of fabulous hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Ancient Bristlecone Forest. Lots to see and do in the […]

    Reply
  3. Year 3 FullTime RVing – 2,700 Miles & A Western Adventure | Wheeling It says:
    December 31, 2012 at 11:52 am

    […] our buddies Lu & Terry. Here we checked out ghost towns, explored June Lake, discovered the oldest living things on earth, caught some awesome hikes and did a bit of […]

    Reply
  4. Boondocking & Bumming In Bishop, CA | Wheeling It says:
    October 22, 2013 at 11:54 am

    […] been to Bishop before and have sampled many of it’s best assets including the amazing Ancient Bristlecone Forest, and Little Lakes Hike (probably my most favorite hike, ever!). This time around we  decided to […]

    Reply
  5. And Then There Were 2 1/4 – Bishop, CA | Wheeling It says:
    November 15, 2014 at 10:06 am

    […] cornucopia of hidden treasures. From the high alpine lakes of the John Muir Wilderness, to the ancient bristlecones of the White Mountains, the historical petrogylphs of Fish Slough, interesting museums, great […]

    Reply
  6. Château Living Part III – The Grounds – Wheeling It: Tales From a Nomadic Life says:
    March 14, 2021 at 1:08 pm

    […] hundreds of years of history. I still remember when Paul and I saw the oldest of them all, in the Ancient Bristlecone Forest in 2012. And of course anyone who has ever seen the redwoods of N.California will know the feeling […]

    Reply

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