Driving along highway 395 in the region known as the Eastern Sierra of central California, a small wooden sign points, right, to go to the "Ancient Bristlecone Forest." What you don't realize is that Big Pine, CA is at an elevation of about 4000 feet and the Bristlecones inhabit the zone between 9800 and 11,000 feet. The crude little signs keep urging you on at every intersection from highway, to paved road, to dirt road. 30 or so miles later there is a visitor center with information and a trail into this tiny habitat for pinus longaeva; the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine which comprises 44 square miles. I guess they get their name from the fact that a few of the trees have been dated to over 5000 years old; germination in 3051 BC!
The day I visited it was well over 100 degrees F in the valley and up at the forest above 10,000 feet it was in the 60's. I want to go back and camp there!
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