Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

There are magical places with ancient creatures that make you remember how much has come before you and how much will come after. We drove high into the mountains where there was still snow despite it being nearly June. Everything felt lonely and still. The forest is a preserve and you can tell the folks who work there are so happy to share this rare beauty with you, to tell you all about the trees and how slowly they grow. The slowest ones live the longest they say, the ones found in the harshest of environments. The oldest living things on earth battling extreme frozen winters and intense wind. Their pine needles alone can live 30-40 years. We searched for the legendary tree considered to be the oldest, its location now a secret. It could have been any of them really, their twisting limbs and stunted trunks. Soon it will snow again and the road will be closed for winter; the trees safe in their desolate slopes.