Ancient Bristlecone Forest

My second day in the Sierras was absolutely packed from sunrise to sunset! I started with sunrise at Mono Lake, stops at Silver & Convict Lake, and then an incredible 8 mile hike along Little Lakes Valley. After checking into my hotel in Bishop, I drove into the White Mountains to the ancient bristlecone forest. This incredible area is home to the oldest single living organisms on earth, some dating back almost 4,500 years. My time was limited but it was amazing to see in person these ancient, twisted trees that have survived so long clinging to the tops of these dry mountains. After a nice hike through the grove, I watched the sunset from almost 10k feet facing the entire crest of the Sierra Nevada range.