Bristlecone Pines of the White Mountains, CA Aug. 11, 2018

[Shark Hunter]

Fred,
You are looking a little thin in the skin with that pony tail.

[Steve-O]

Very Cool Non-Fishing report, Wayne! Thanks for sharing.

We went to the NV Bristlecone pine groves in Baker, NV a few years ago.  Up on Wheeler Peak in the Great Basin park.

and correcto-mundo on collecting wood samples.

Please remember that everything in a national park is protected. Some bristlecone pine wood on the ground may be thousands of years old and important scientifically. Please leave all down bristlecone pine wood in place.


The mtn mahogany is fair game and a better choice, though IMO.

The Prometheus tree was in this park...until a "scientist" got permission to cut it down to count the rings. What a moron. You can see the stump in the visitor's center and count the rings.

No more cutting after that faux pas.

[Dominick]

Wayno... thanks for the pics and the report.  I don't know how to rotate the photos once they are posted.  I would appreciate it if someone that can, will post the way to do it.  Dominick

[oc1]

Open the photo with your operating system's photo viewer.  It should happen automatically when you click on it.   Then rotate the photo with an edit tool.  It will be saved in that orientation when you exit.  Then remove the old photo and replace with the newly saved version..... I think.
-steve

[steelfish]

thanks for sharing Wayne, great pics of those latitudes

[reelynew]

Thank you both Wayne and Fred, who had separately recommended the Ancient Bristlecone Forest as a stop on our recent family road trip up the 395.  Plenty of beautiful scenery all around making this a great stop.  I believe I found Wayne's picnic table, but there wasn't a morsel left.  If anyone is travelling up the 395 from Southern California, Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine has delicious and very tender tri tip and ribs and it's conveniently located next to the road up. 

[Crab Pot]

Supposedly, the oldest known Bristlecone Pine Tree is at Great Basin NP. Least that's what they told us at the visitors center when I took my Boy Scouts years ago (twice). Bit of a hike to get to it but well worth it.

There was an amazing find at Great Basin NP some years back, a Winchester lever action rifle dating back to the 1800's. Seems the guy took a break under a Bristlecone Pine leaning his gun leaned up against it, then forgot about it and walked away. It was found "grown" into the tree at the barrel tip. here's the link:

https://www.npshistory.com/publications/grba/newspaper/2016.pdf

Cool story.

If you've never been to Great Basin NP you really need to go. One of the most unvisited NP in the country. One of the darkest places in the lower USA, star gazing is amazing, and the alpine hikes are worth the drive.

[oc1]

Those gnarly ones are really something.

[El Pescador]

Matt!!!

Great post, and you're right, the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is a place for self-discovery. Too much to see and do even in an entire summer!!!

And so few of us have walked at 11,000' elevation - the air is noticeably thinner, and you have to slow down. A difficult thing to do for THIS old focused German!!!!

Steve, I've seen your posted article before, NVR thought about posting it here.  Good call for you!!!!

Some follow-up on the old rifle found in the Great Basin NP area.

      https://www.winchesterguns.com/news/articles/132-year-old-model-1873.html

Matt, keep getting out there, you will become a fount of fishing & local facts for the younger kids wanting to fish in wild & remote places!!!!! 

And for fun facts, totally off the topic of this post, BUTT Matt, Dominick and I are on the hunt for the best Calzones in our area.  And while we hunt for them, enjoying a fresh brew together is our REEL #1 Goal!!!!!

Wayne

[Gfish]

Cool! Missed this when first posted.
How does one count that many tree rings?
The bubble in your compass fluid? Maybe the effect of high elevation, low air pressure?
Never seen a sign warning motorists to check their spare tires, great idea.
The water must all go down into the underground aquifer and/or into sink lakes.