Methuselah Trail - Inyo National Forest, CA
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 37° 23.127 W 118° 10.681
11S E 395714 N 4138283
The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, among the oldest living organisms on earth, is the star of this remote 4½-mile hike with spectacular desert views.
Waymark Code: WM19XCP
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/02/2024
Views: 0
Thriving only in the harshest conditions - high altitudes, alkaline soils and little or no rainfall - the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine can only be found in a few isolated spots in California, Nevada and Utah. Nevertheless, it’s one of the longest living trees known with many specimens exceeding 3000 years of age, and some exceeding 4000 years old.
In 1957, Dr. Edmund Schulman, while doing some research in this area, discovered a bristlecone that was determined to be over 4600 years old - the oldest on record. He named the tree ‘Methuselah,’ after the biblical character. The tree was found in a grove of particularly old bristlecones which today can only be accessed via this trail.
This ‘Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest,’ is found on the eastern slopes of the White Mountains in the Inyo National Forest in California, northeast of Bishop. To get there, go east on CA 168 out of the town of Big Pine to White Mountain Rd. (about 12 miles). Go north on this road about ten miles to the Schulman Grove Visitor Center.
The Methuselah Trail is about 4½ miles long and forms a loop. It typically takes about two hours to complete. A brochure available in the visitor’s center provides information that corresponds to numbered signs along the way. Though not particularly difficult, the trailhead starts at an altitude of about 10,000 ft. and there is about 900 ft. of elevation gain. The tree named Methuselah is alive and well but is unmarked for its own protection, although it’s said to be right along the trail. Besides the ancient trees, there are some wonderful desert views toward the east.
Picture location 1: N 37° 22.753 W 118° 10.198
Picture Location 2: N 37° 22.909 W 118° 09.877
Picture Location 3: N 37° 23.053 W 118° 09.862
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