[pct-l] Bristlecone Pines

[csiechert@hotmail.com (Carl Siechert)]

You're right: the ancient pines near the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell are
indeed spectacular. But a point of clarification: those are limber pines
(pinus flexilis), not bristlecone pines (pinus longaeva).

One Park Service brochure I have describes the difference this way: "Like
bristlecone pines, limber pines also have five needles per bundle and in
both cases the clustered needles make the end of each branch look like a
bottle brush. One way to tell the trees apart at a distance is to notice
that each bristlecone pine branch looks like a new bottle brush while each
limber pine branch looks like a used bottle brush." I hope this clears
things up!

I didn't see the Nova show you mentioned, but it sounds interesting and I
hope it'll be repeated. In the meantime, you might be interested in the
following link. Perhaps they're talking about the same tree.

http://www.sonic.net/bristlecone/Martyr.html


----- Original Message -----
From: <Montedodge@aol.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 8:57 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Bristlecone Pines


> Did you folks see the show on Bristlecone Pines tonight??  ( On Nova)
Showed
> a guy finding the oldest tree and then cut it down to prove it's age!!!
( Way
> to go!!) This is a highlight of the PCT for sure, to stand next to these
> 5,000 year old wonders on Mt. Badin Powell. Few hikers in the world will
have
> this chance.