The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Bishop, CA

This is the first opportunity for me to actually write a post to this blog.  It's taken some where around 3 weeks to get this far. 
The Cerca section of the Las Vegas Review Journal contracted Janet Farnsworth and myself to cover the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest off hwy 395 in Big Pine, California.  On a previous trip we tried to get there but only made it to the Sierra Overlook.  This time we were able to make it almost to the end of the Bristlecone Pine National Scenic Byway before we were stopped by two piles of snow.  At 11,000 feet and the sun setting I was not game to hike the two miles necessary to see the worlds oldest tree, dated at 4,764 years old.....or some where close to that age.  The view of the Sierra Nevadas was breathtaking.  In the forground were the sage covered rolling hills of the White Mountains, which is where the Bristlecone Pine Forest is.  Way beyond the hills, across a valley that could not be seen, were the snow covered Sierras in the low light of the setting sun.  Misty blue and white mountains fading into the pastel blue sky with sharp olive green sage of the White Mountain, made for a wonderful view.