I ticked off yet another place from my wish list...yeah, Ancient Bristlecone pine forest, located at White mountains off Big Pine..at 10,080 feet. The spiraling, uphill drive itself was very rewarding...rain clouds were hanging low, with intermittent drizzles....walking in the expansive forest of Schulman grove, among the conifers as old as 5,000 years was an otherworldly experience..enjoy some pictures...
Uphill path.......
Cloud draped hills..
The conifers symbolize survival at very hostile geological and geographical conditions...the soil is dolomite-rich, while rain fall is less than 10 inch per annum...most of the old pines are in Methuselah and Mountain Mahogany grove..
Piles of cones blanketing the ground.......
Overlooking a vast grove of the old pines........
One of the most surreal place to be, for sure....the rain, clouds, snow, silence, almost 2 mile above sea level...smell of pine resin..
The pollens...
The trunk that has borne the brunt of harsh weather for thousand years........
With prevailing mist and dripping rain drops, it felt like rain forest......
Though pines constitute the dominant plant atop the hill, many small plants do grow there, adding to the diversity, such as paintbrush, wax currant, green ephedra, fern bush, rock spirea, forget-me-not etc..
The Visitor Center roof covered with snow....
Downhill road.....
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