Sunday, June 16, 2013 - Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Saturday, drove to Bishop and stayed the night. Sunday, woke up early and drove from Bishop to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains. The road is paved up until Schulman Grove, where the visitor center is located. We continued on the unpaved road, 12 miles up, to Patriarch Grove, first, and then later came back down to Schulman Grove. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest contains the current oldest tree in the world.

 As you drive to Bishop from Los Angeles on Highway 14, you pass through Red Rock Canyon State Park, where we made a short stop.

On the unpaved road driving up to Patriarch Grove.

Arriving at the Patriarch Grove.

At the Patriarch Grove.

The Patriarch

 

The trunk of the Patriarch.

Pine cone.

At the Patriarch Grove.

 At the Patriarch Grove. Both dead and living sections of the tree together.

Flowers scattered throughout the area with different colors, white, yellow, red, purple.

At the Patriarch Grove.

 At the Patriarch Grove.

At the Patriarch Grove. Looking up.

Driving back down from the Patriarch Grove to the Schulman Grove. Looking at the Sierra Mountain range.

 Schulman Grove trails. We took the short Discovery Trail.

On the Discovery Trail.

On the Discovery Trail.

On the Discovery Trail. You can see the small red flowers.

On the Discovery Trial.