Background
I decided to visit the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California on Saturday, June 15th, 2019. The forest reaches an elevation of 11,190 feet and contains some of the oldest trees in the world, at over 4,500 years of age (the Methuselah Tree is estimated at 4,850-year-old). There are two main trails in the forest, the Methuselah Trail (a 4.5 mile loop) and the Discovery Trail (a 1 mile loop). I started with the Methuselah Trail and then did the Discovery Trail. The altitude can be somewhat difficult to hike in if you haven't adjusted. When I went, the road to the forest had just recently opened for the season and there was still snow on the ground on the Methuselah Trail. Getting to the forest requires going on a long, winding road but to see the oldest trees in the world puts human life in perspective, it was worth the effort.
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