Capturing the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

In the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, located in the White Mountains of Inyo National Forest, lives what is likely the oldest tree in the world. Clocking in at nearly 5,000 years old, Methuselah is the tree to find in the forest. Was Ian able to single out this famous tree for NATURE IN FOCUS?

April 05, 2021

By: Ian Shive

Show: Nature in Focus

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Photo By: Ian Shive

As a photographer documenting the pine forest, it's hard to get a sense of scale of a tree that is so incredibly old. It is easy to think "old" and think gigantic, much like the sequoia trees of nearby Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, but these trees are quite a bit smaller. Their age is more reflected in the way they grow and twist.

The ancient bristlecone pine forest looks a bit like a fairytale pine forest, with gnarled, twisted branches reaching every direction. Walking through the forest and knowing that these trees are the oldest living (non-clonal) trees in the world makes a hike into them even more amazing! The most famous and oldest of the bunch is named Methuselah, after the biblical name for the oldest living person, and is estimated to be north of 4,800 years old.

As the roots of the bristlecone pine become exposed, they will dry out and die. The tree directly above the roots will die as well, but part of the tree will continue to live! This is how the trees start to look like a sort of bonsai tree, with the gnarled branches that can be bare, but those branches which still have green pine on them are the indication that this part of the tree is still alive.

A healthy and vibrant bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California. The extreme age of these trees provide valuable insight to climatologists, because they provide the longest, continual tree-ring chronologies on Earth. This information can be helpful in reconstructing past weather changes.

The pine forest is extremely high up, starting around 9,000 feet in elevation and climbing as much as 11,000 feet. At this high of an elevation, oxygen is greatly diminished, making it important to pay attention to altitude sickness in hikers, remembering to always hydrate, and moving at a steady pace and not rushed. At the peak the effective oxygen level is 13.7%, compared to almost 21% at sea level.

Low light tends to bring out the vibrant colors of the trees bark, which is almost a rose color at sunset. As a photographer documenting this ancient grove of trees, there is no shortage of great compositional opportunities, accentuated by weather and clouds.

We made three attempts to film in the pine forest over the last year, with various results and challenges. On our first attempt we had perfectly clear weather, with not a cloud in the sky. This can lead to some challenges in making beautiful photographs, but the starkness of both the landscape and trees against the blue sky offers a different sort of composition. Which one do you prefer?

These trees allow for some interesting studies in composition, relying on shape, form, and texture, as well as depth. In this particular composition I love the row of branches against the stark blue sky, but the image is even further accentuated by the trees and mountain line in the background, offering depth. Even the moon makes a slight appearance. But within all of this, I find the shading and texture to be the most compelling, which is why this particular location can be really fun to explore as a black and white subject (see next image).

Same image, remastered for black and white. I added a little more contrast and boosted some of the highlights. Which do you prefer?

Portrait of an ideal, twisted and tortured specimen of bristlecone pine, Inyo National Forest, White Mountains, California.

This may, or may not, be Methusela, the oldest ancient bristlecone pine tree, located in the White Mountains of California. Its location is generally kept secret, with only vague GPS coordinates and information that is often contradictory online. The reason for keeping it a secret is, of course, to protect it from vandalism or other unfortunate human interactions. Some trees look older, but Methusela is rather lanky and not as dramatic as those which are likely younger.

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Capturing the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

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