Bristlecone Pines are among the oldest living things on earth, some in excess of five thousand years. They grow extremely slowly at altitudes in excess of eight thousand feet, where the winter winds sculpt the branches into fantastical shapes. Little else survives in this challenging environment. After the soil erodes and some of the roots are exposed to air, that portion of tree dies, but the dense wood remains for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years.
These are in the Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California. I've visited them numerous times. The "Golden Hour" sunlight turns the wood to a rich golden-red hue that enhances the intricate wood patterns and I always find something new to photograph!
Bristlecone Pines are among the oldest living things on earth, some in excess of five thousand years. They grow extremely slowly at altitudes in excess of eight thousand feet, where the winter winds sculpt the branches into fantastical shapes. Little else survives in this challenging environment. After the soil erodes and some of the roots are exposed to air, that portion of tree dies, but the dense wood remains for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years.
These are in the Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California. I've visited them numerous times. The "Golden Hour" sunlight turns the wood to a rich golden-red hue that enhances the intricate wood patterns and I always find something new to photograph!
