Bristlecones

Methuselah Trail

I love the Bristlecones.  Their texture, their age, their colors.  They are so lovely.  We try and go to the Schulman Grove several times a year.  What a joy.

The bristles on the cones.  Not only are they bristley, they are covered in sap.

Lewis Flax

I love how some of the trunks twist.

No idea what this one is.  Maybe a hymenoxys.

Like the roots.

One of the core markers from when they were determining tree ages.

Bristlecone with Mat Rock Spiraea

Mat Rock Spiraea, up close.  Love the little brown flowers or cones.

Probably something in the aster family.

An illegal trail by disrespectful people.  Yep, don't be
surprised to read the Methuselah Tree was cut down. Grrr.

After we went and were so appalled by the disrespectful use trails going up everywhere, we were thrilled to hear that Inyo National Forest had a crew work the area for two weeks.  They got rid of the use trails and put back in the trail supports that were vandalized.  Thank you very much Inyo National Forest for a job well done. 

Patriarch Grove

We also headed up to the Patriarch Grove.  It is a lovely area, but oh my, the time commitment to get that culminates with a long slow drive on a remote dirt road.  We saw only a handful of people all day and from a great distance.  

I love the barren limestone.  Sometimes it seems to roll on forever without any signs of life.  Life does exist though, most of it is so small it takes getting to ground level to see it.

We're going to walk that ridge and beyond.

A whole lot of nothing.  Nice.  Very nice.

Alpine Aster

Elegant Sunburst Lichen

Hymenoxys lemmonii, Lemon's Rubberweed

So much Lilliputian life

Cushion Buckwheat

Dwarf Alpine Indian Paintbrush

Cottonwood Peak

A lovely bristlecone grove.  One of my favorites.

White Mountain is that dark peak in the distance.

Our car is back there somewhere.