The Oldest Forest In the World: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest - Milky Way, Night Sky, and Star Trails Photos, 29-30 July 2013
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Driving up Hwy 14 to Hwy 395, then along the beautiful Hwy 168 to White Mountain Road took six hours. I stopped several times, including an hour long stop in Lone Pine to eat spinach enchiladas at Bonanza Mexican Restaurant and then search for pants. You see, I had forgotten to bring pants. It gets cold up at Patriarch Grove, where I was going. It's up at 11,000 ft./3350 m in elevation , and the temperature drops to near 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4444444444 Celsius). Without pants, that's a little cold. So I stopped off at some cowboy shop to pick up some Wranglers. My first pair. Yeeeehaw! I took a lot of night sky photos. It was summer. The Milky Way is higher in the horizon. The moon would not make an appearance until after 1:15 am. The air was clean, if thin. I had lost all the advantage I had gained from being in the Himalayas for several weeks earlier in the summer, but no matter. This was pure bliss. |
 One more peak at some of the night sky photos coming up... |
 When I arrived at Patriarch Grove, pleasantly surprised to find the 12-mile dirt road from Schulman Grove to Patriarch Grove much smoother than last year, there were several photographers from PPLAC (Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County) who were also preparing to take night sky and "light painting" photos. They were very nice. We all had the place to ourselves. |
 The air was very dry and cold. Although I had brought beer, the dry cold, thin air dissuaded me from drinking during the evening. The others had brought wine and they too were not drinking it. |
 The Bristlecone Pine Forest. Some trees can live for around 5000 years. And even after they die, the tree trunks can stay for another five thousand years. So it's possible that some of the trunks that one walks amongst are approaching 10,000 years old. These trees are the oldest living things on the planet, and it really blows the mind to think that you are walking in a forest of trees that may have been around when Buddha was walking the earth, some around even before George Burns was born. |
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 The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest during sunset. |
 The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest during sunset. |
 A fantastic collection of tree trunks, as seen just after sunset. |
Title: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Plate 2642 |
Title: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Plate 2653 Thank you very much for your love and encouragement! -Ken |
Title: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Plate 2669 |
Title: Milky Way Over Ancient Bristlecones, Plate 2674Photographer: Ken Lee Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. 20 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 3200. 9:57 pm 29 July 2013. Location: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, White Mountains, California. |
Title: The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With One Step, Plate 2680Photographer: Ken Lee Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. 20 second exposure, f/2.8, ISO 3200. 10:09 pm 29 July 2013. Location: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, White Mountains, California. |
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Ken's photos of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung
San Suu Kyi, as well as photos of Peru, Burma, India, Morocco, China, Thailand,
Ghana, Ecuador, and elsewhere, have appeared in many books, magazines,
websites, and galleries. Visit the
Ken Lee Photography Website. Some of Ken's select photos may be
purchased through his
Imagekind Store. Join the fun and participation on Ken's Facebook Page. |
The Oldest Forest In the World: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, 29-30 July 2013
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Monday 29 July 2013 - Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, White Mountains, CA
Almost heaven, Bristlecone Pine Forest.
The so-called "blue hour" is actually one of my favorite times to photograph. The colors can sometimes be extraordinarily rich. And as a bonus, I can still see what I'm doing.
The "blue hour" up in the White Mountains near the Owens Valley.
The sun down, the moon not yet up, the Milky Way was vivid, in full view. I had been up in Leh in Ladakh, in the mighty Himalayas, and seen the Milky Way from about the same elevation. But this may have been a bit more vivid since I was farther from light pollution. More and more, I seem to really value getting away from city lights and being in darkness. For many, that scares them, but for me, it feels great to be in the Himalayas, the desert, or the mountains of California and see the stars. 
Title: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Plate 2690
