Heading back to the motel after freezing up at the Bristlecones (it was 39 degrees F with a 20mph wind blowing), we returned down the access road and down to Hwy 395 just outside of the town of Big Pine. I saw some great clouds over the Sierras … and a nice pasture scene in the foreground, so pulled off the side of the road and grabbed the camera.
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is located in the White Mountains just north of Death Valley National Park. The Bristlecones here include the oldest living trees on the planet. They are only found at about 10,000 ft (3048 m) and above in a few isolated locations. There are a number of nature trails providing paths through the forest … the erosion caused by human presence off the trails results would result in many additional tree losses … natural loss of soil being one of the main causes of Bristlecone mortality. This view is looking SE across the Owens Valley (unseen) towards the Sierra Nevada.
After leaving Fort Churchill, Nevada, I traveled south down Hwy 95 to Beatty where I cut across Death Valley National Park to Lone Pine. The highway cuts across the Valley at Stovepipe Wells and crosses two passes before dropping down to the Owens Valley near Owens Lake (the water having been appropriated years ago by L.A. … see the movie “Chinatown”). The spring storm that provided snow to the upper elevations of the Sierras was hitting the range just as I dropped down to cross the Owens Valley to the town of Lone Pine, California. It was quite dramatic. I noticed other photographers stopped as I hunted for a good viewpoint where it was safe to pull over.
This is taken from the White Mountains looking west to the Sierras. The town of Big Pine is in the valley, just barely visible on the right side of the image.
This shot is looking west from the White Mountains (the Bristlecone Pine area) towards the Sierras in late April. Much earlier and the road up the White Mountains is still closed from snow most years. Elevation here is over 10,000 feet.