Gallery "Bristlecone pines"
Work in progress.
Some of these ancient trees are the oldest living things on the planet, the oldest being more than four and a half thousand years old.
These images were taken in California's White Mountains at elevations of around 11,000 feet. Their environment is exposed, windy and hostile and little else grows there. These trees are typically short but may be of impressive girth with wonderful textures and often assuming bizarre contorted shapes.