Spending time in the Eastern Sierras of California, the Alabama Hills tract, most photographers. But the White Mountains and Bristlecone Pine-Inyo National Forest are truly just a few miles away. There is a rapid ascent up to 10,000 feet where these magnificent trees have lived at the edge of the tree line, enduring the most adverse conditions at times.

The oldest trees in the World are found there, with recent findings tagging some trees as long as 5065 years old! Acclimatizing to the rapid change in altitude limited my time there. Certainly, in awe, I marvelled at the silky grain of the weathered roots and the sparse vegetation on the branches of some trees. Certainly a "must" if one is in the area!

This image was made in the fall; conditions and road maintenance probably limit winter travel.