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| This bristlecone snag was captured just west of Cold Creek on 03/24/2011. I was hoping to capture pictures of some mature bristlecone pines, but our hike into the mountains was cut short due to a heavy snowfall the night before. I just love the swirling, twisting texture of these ancient trees. Usually found in elevations above 8,000 feet, these trees display a whitish gray bark and have short stiff needles that crowd against the branches with small cones that are only 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches long. I will have more pictures to add here later; stay tuned. Description: The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees (Family Pinaceae, genus Pinus, subsection Balfourianae) that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years. Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves at and just below the tree line. Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons, the trees grow very slowly. The wood is very dense and resinous, and thus resistant to invasion by insects, fungi, and other potential pests. The oldest living organism known is a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed "Methuselah", is located in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California, however its precise location is undisclosed by the U.S. Forest Service to protect the tree from vandalism. The age of Methuselah was measured by core samples in 1957 to be 4,789 years old. |
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