Skip to main content

Methuselah

“My husband . . . Some people are tree huggers, mine is a tree sniffer.”

“Try it. Right here,” as I touched the smooth bare russet wood of the ancient Bristlecone Pine. “This smells like Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey, it’s like no other tree I’ve ever smelled. It’s an aromatic blend of pine, sweet honey, and wood.” I said to Lori as we hiked the four mile Methuselah Walk of the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

Lori laughed, “I doubt Jack Daniel's would advertise their Whisky with the slogan,” Try our special blend, smells like a Bristlecone Pine.

The Bristlecone Pine (species Pinus longaeva) is the longest-lived life form on Earth. According to our trail brochure, in 1957 Dr. Edward Schulman, searching for climate records in tree rings, increment bored a tree from this same grove. Upon counting the rings under a microscope back at camp, he nearly shouted at his colleague, “we’ve got a 4,000-plus tree.” It was later dated to be over 4,600 years old. Schulman named this tree Methuselah.

It was our third day hiking the Eastern Sierras. Our 27th anniversary. This year we decided to explore the Sierras with Bishop, CA as our home base.

To experience these ancient treasures, make your way to Big Pine, CA. on route 395. Turn onto route 168. Then wind your way slowly up-down, with hairpin switchbacks, and spectacular views from 3,980 feet to over 10,000 to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Visitors Center. When you read the map that says plan on at least a one hour drive once you leave 395 at Big Pine don’t doubt it, it’s slow going.

Plan ahead. The intrepid hiker will outfit themselves with a day-pack, layered clothing, gloves, a hat, hiking poles, water, and some snacks. When we arrived, in late October, the temperature was a chilly 36 degrees. Not including the wind chill.

Believe me when I say it’s worth the entire day to meet Methuselah. It’s a photographers paradise. The trail begins at the visitor center. The hike is a four mile loop trail. The travel time they post is 2-3 hours, it took us over four. The elevation change is between 800 - 1,000 feet. Not just once but two to three times. Be prepared to climb.

Sorry Motor Home Window Gawking Enthusiasts this is not a roadside tourist attraction.

The trail is very well maintained. Don’t slip, or drop your camera. Most of the hike you’re walking along a ridge with drops of 500-1,000 feet. However, once you reach identification post 16, (about two miles in) described in the brochure, you’ve surround yourself with hundreds, if not thousands of Ancient Bristlecone Pines. Oh, by the way, Methuselah is not identified. It is unmarked for its protection. Finding the oldest tree really didn't matter any more - they are all unique and spectacular.

So, photographers, hikers, and trail enthusiasts don't miss this unique opportunity to breath in (sniff) the fresh clean mountain air of the Ancient Bristlecone Pines.

A quote from John Muir provides the perfect ending, "Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks, trees, water, sky, or hearts."

 (I added the word trees. Seemed to fit.)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

Feeling Human Again

In this episode, The Unexpected Thankfulness of Feeling Human Again I’ll be honest with you: My triumphant return from France was not the glamorous homecoming I had imagined. No graceful glide back into routine. No cinematic jet-setter moment where I lift my suitcase off the carousel and wink at life like we’re old pals. Instead? I came home and immediately launched into a two-week performance piece titled The Great American Couch Collapse. My days blurred together in a haze of soup, hot tea, tissues, and desperate negotiations with the universe for just one nostril—one!—to function properly. The living room sofa became my emotional support furniture. And any creative idea that dared tiptoe into my congested brain was gently shown the exit with a firm but courteous, “Not today, friend. Try again later.” When life hits the pause button like that—when you’re exhausted, sick, and mentally unplugged—how do you find your spark again? Somehow, today, I felt it. A tiny shift. A clearing of th...
1 comment
Read more

Patience – the Only First-Class Ticket

In this episode, Why Patience is the Only First-Class Ticket They say travel broadens the mind. After eight days sailing the Rhône with 140 fellow luxury vacationers, I can confirm it also tests patience, calf strength, buffet strategy, and one's tolerance for people furious that France insists on being French. Don't get me wrong—I adored this trip. The river shimmered like liquid optimism. The villages looked hand-painted. The pastries could negotiate world peace. But somewhere between Ship Horn Hello and Bon Voyage, we'd inadvertently boarded a floating behavioral research study disguised as a holiday. Our ship was less a cruise and more a ferry for the Sailors of Status. ⌚ The Wristwatch Wars Some passengers approached relaxation like yogis. Others treated leisure like a final exam with extra credit. I came to believe certain luxury watches emit ultrasonic signals that only their owners can detect. A frequency calibrated to trigger rapid movement toward any line forming...
1 comment
Read more

Up the Rhône

Up the Rhône by Patrick Ball We booked a fine cruise up the Rhône — what a treat! With iPhones, lanyards, and schedules so neat. They promised us peace and a mind that would mend, But each calm beginning had chores at the end! "Now breakfast at seven! At eight, take the view!" At nine, there's a lecture on ' What Tourists Do!' At noon, there's a tasting (you must love the cheese), Then hurry to nap time — as corporate decrees! I followed that plan till my patience ran dry. The Rhône softly chuckled, "Oh my, oh my, my! You've missed half my sparkles, my ripples, my tone— You're busy pretending you've peacefully grown!" So I fired my planner and banished my clock. I tossed my agenda right off the dock! I let the wind tickle my schedule away, and drifted through hours that danced where they may. I chatted with swans, had no notion of when, I'd nibble, or nap, or go roaming again. No Wi-Fi! No meetings! No planning! No fuss! Just me and ...
1 comment
Read more

When a Guitar Chooses You

In this episode - When a Guitar Chooses You — And a Musician Steals the Show. Every so often, something nudges you back into the wide-eyed wonder of being a kid again. It feels like it was just yesterday—for me—June 2, 2023—thanks to a guitar shop, a long drive, and one very talented musician. I finally made the pilgrimage to Norman’s Rare Guitars —the mythical land where famous guitarists roam and ordinary folks (like me) try not to look like we’re hyperventilating. I walked in clutching my humble Squier Strat like a kid carrying his lunchbox to the Oscars. Enter Brandon Soriano, encyclopedic guitar wizard and “Spec Check” champion. Within minutes, he had me test-driving Fender Strats like I was choosing a getaway car.  Just as I settled on an American Ultra Strat , Michael Lemmo—yes, that Lemmo—walked in, the effortlessly cool host of Guitar of the Day . He plugged in the guitar I was thinking about buying . . . and suddenly I wasn’t thinking anymore. “Stevie Ray? He said, "Tr...
1 comment
Read more