Seeking Methuselah



Endurance, photo by Harold Davis.

Bristlecone Pines are the oldest living things in the world, and the largest group of Bristlcone Pines are high in the White Mountains on the eastern side of Owens Valley. (View a map of the area towards the bottom of my first story in this series.)

These trees grow best in harsh conditions where it’s hard for other species to compete with them:

Twisted Sistr

A hike around the Methuselah Grove, where the oldest of the old trees lives, is like a visit to God. If ever there were a real temple or church, this is it.

Methuselah itself is not identified by the Forest Service (the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is part of Inyo National Forest). This lack of specific identification is intended to protect Methuselah, the oldest of all living things, from vandalism and souvenir hunters.

But hiking on the trail around the Methuselah Grove, I felt sentience — ancient, sleepy, wise — and that the eyes of the old ones were upon me:

The Eye in the Ancient Forest

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5 Responses to “Seeking Methuselah”

  1. Photoblog 2.0: » Photoblog 2.0 Archive: » Road Trip Wrap-Up Says:

    [...] 170″ title=”Photo Sharing”> Beyond Westgard Pass Gateway to the desert and Nevada Seeking Methuselah The [...]

  2. Photoblog 2.0: » Photoblog 2.0 Archive: » Bristlecone and Sierra Crest Says:

    [...] e peaks of the Sierra crest in the distance of this photo. These trees are believed to be the oldest living things, preserved in part by high altitude and clean living (think clear, dry air whi [...]

  3. Photoblog 2.0: » Photoblog 2.0 Archive: » Westgard Pass Says:

    [...] tgard Pass, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger. Westgard Pass lies below the Ancient Bristlecone Pine preserve in the White Mountains. It is the last stop between Owens Valley and [...]

  4. Methuselah | Photoblog 2.0 Says:

    [...] had a licensing request for images of bristlecone pines from the Methuselah Grove in California’s White Mountains. These trees are believed to be the world’s oldest [...]

  5. Touching the Rainbow | Photoblog 2.0 Says:

    [...] story: Seeking Methuselah, a story about the ancient Bristlecone Pines when I visited on a roadtrip in 2005; my Bristlecone [...]

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