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ehughes
Jul-28-2005, 05:22 PM
For the past five days we have been exploring the Eastern Sierras, one of the highlights of the trip was the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The forest is located in the White Mountain range fairly close to the Nevada border.

If you ever get the chance, do yourself a favor a make the trip up to these amazing trees. From the base of the mountain it is about a 45 minute trip to the ranger station then another 40 - 50 minutes up to the patriarch grove over one of the roughest roads I have ever been on, it's not a paved road by the way.

Once you reach 11,000 feet you get the payoff for the semi uncomfortable ride. The trees are the oldest living things on the planet, some of them have been dated to 4 - 5 thousand years old. Even the oldest of the Giant Sequoias only dated back 3,200 years old. One of the things I read that really put things in perspective was that when the great pyramids were being built these trees were already quite old.

With the air being as thin as it was, I really had to concentrate to even take pictures.. You don't think quite as clear as your used to. It really was like being on another planet..

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/30097691-M.jpg

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/30097684-L.jpg

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/30119728-M.jpg

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/30097704-M.jpg

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/30119756-M.jpg

A few more can be seen here http://ehughes.smugmug.com/gallery/691042/1/30097497

Ed
Sam
Jul-28-2005, 05:41 PM
Great job Ed, Thanks for sharing.

Sam
Michael_Hansen
Jul-28-2005, 05:44 PM
Very Nice Ed!

I love the Bristlecone Pines!
ian408
Jul-28-2005, 05:52 PM
In the next couple of weeks, the research station located in the forest is
open to the public. Since this is a one day a year sort of thing, it'd be a
real treat to see.

Beautiful pictures of a spectacular place!

Ian
4labs
Jul-28-2005, 05:55 PM
Thnxs for sharing these Ed. A wonderful set..
Phil U.
Jul-28-2005, 06:43 PM
Wow Ed - Great job on these. I've never heard of them - they're really amazing trees. Surprising that anything can live that long.
rahmonster
Jul-28-2005, 07:49 PM
That 2nd shot really, really does it for me. Love the compesition. I have never seen these trees before but they look great. I bet I could spend all day shooting those fantastic trunks!
Dee
Jul-28-2005, 08:00 PM
Now I know what all the excitement is about. Your photos are great, thinking clearly or not.

I don't do too well at that altitude, or at least I didn't in Hawaii.

Guess I'd need to rent some kind of 4-wheel drive vehicle however...

I'll keep it in mind.

Anywhere near Bodie?
ehughes
Jul-28-2005, 08:34 PM
Now I know what all the excitement is about. Your photos are great, thinking clearly or not.

I don't do too well at that altitude, or at least I didn't in Hawaii.

Guess I'd need to rent some kind of 4-wheel drive vehicle however...

I'll keep it in mind.

Anywhere near Bodie?

Thanks folks,

Dee, You don't really need a 4WD vehicle but I would highly recommend a rental, I wouldn't want to put my car throught that torture :lol3 Its a couple hours ( more or less ) drive south of Bodie, that was another interesting unaved road :D , went spent some time there on Sunday.

Ian, I understand that the research station is up another 1 - 2 thousand feet or so, have you ever been up there?

rahmonster, I think we spent 3 or 4 hours up there shooting and I could have easily stayed longer but we were running out of light.. That's one road I really didn't want to come down in the dark. But I'm sure the sunset would have been great, oh well, next time.

Here are a couple of shots my wife took of me roaming around between the trees, just to give some scale to the place.

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/30139277-L.jpg



http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/30141010-L.jpg