Sunrise over the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Rick Parchen - Seattle, Usa

The White Mountains in Eastern California are home to some of the oldest living organisms in the world, as they top out around ~5,000 years old. A mix of extremely high altitude, cold weather, little rain, and rocky soil, lead to a very short growing seasons and these trees only grow about a feet every hundred years. I was hoping for a fiery red sunrise but was treated with a much more subtle golden morning, which I won't complain about. It's an area that I won't soon forget and one that I'll hopefully be able to visit again shortly. Enjoy!! Lots of other photos at www.parchenphotography.com