06/01/2020
So Neat!
About 2/3rds of the way down the Queen's Garden Trail, just north of the hoodoo affectionately known as E.T., Cleopatra, the Fist, Baby Groot, and undoubtedly many other names, is an area this ranger likes to think of as "Bristlecone Beach".
Here, blushed pink and white hills of an alkaline, dolomitic limestone layer rich in calcium and magnesium challenges other plant life, but presents the ideal growing conditions for the Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva).
At about 7,680 feet, these tall, somewhat scraggly trees are some of the lowest bristlecone pines within the park. In areas of Nevada and California, swirling and gnarled Great Basin bristlecone pines are found like so many wizards at much higher elevations where dolomitic sediments combine with harsh weather to punish any potential competitors to these slow-growing and long-lived trees (remember Great Basin bristlecone pines have been aged at over 5,000 years old!), while here it's mostly chemistry. The result is a relative and apparent barrenness that creates a dune-like feeling in these areas--often with a sky above that's as vibrantly blue as any Caribbean shallow.
Please remember to always stay on trail within the park, but especially in areas like this where plant life is very delicate. Also consider that planning a trip to 8,000 feet above sea level involves many similar considerations to a trip to the beach: UV radiation is especially strong up here, and dehydration occurs quickly due to summer heat combined with thinner air. Thunderstorms are just beginning to occur within the park as well, so remember that "when thunder roars go indoors"--the park's trails and viewpoints are especially dangerous places to be when lightning occurs. Seek shelter in a vehicle or a building, never under a bristlecone pine.
ID Tip: the Great Basin bristlecone pine, being a white pine, has needles in bundles of five. These needles are deep green, only about an inch or so long, and are closely bunched along the last 12 inches of the branch. This needle arrangement is sometimes likened to a fox tail or a pipe cleaner. The cones have small barbs at the scale tips--the "bristle" in bristlecone.
Photo Peter Densmore/NPS
(pd)