Within a relatively short distance, you can climb Mt Whitney, the tallest mountain in the US (not counting Mt McKinley in Alaska), walk through Death Valley, the lowest place in the US with the highest recorded temperatures in the world and you can walk through a forest with the oldest known living trees.
We haven't made it to the top of Mt Whitney or Death Valley but we did spend a day hiking 4 1/2 miles through the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
Owens Valey is bordered on the west by the Sierra Nevada Mts and on the east by the Inyo and White Mountains.The scenery from either side is beautiful. Those who study Geology would love coming here. While the Eastern Sierra mountains are composed mostly of granite; the White Mountains are much older and are mainly sedimentary rock.
The Ancient Bristlecone Pines grow in harsh conditions. At 9,000 to 11,000 feet, they survive in dry summers and snowy winters. These pines thrive in the white mineral, Dolomite, a low nutrient soil. The oldest one in the Schulman Grove is Methuselah. It has been dated to 4,848 years old. A few years ago, another one was dated to 5,064 years ago.
As it ages, the outer bark falls off revealing varying colors and patterns of yellow and brown.
Height is not an indicator of age. This seemingly young sapling is actually 50 years old.
It all begins with here. The pollen filled red cones fertilize the purple seed cones. After a year, the mature cone will release seeds.
The years of wind, snow, and ice contribute to their unique sculptured appearance.
When you consider their survival through thousands of years, it is quite humbling to walk beside them.
