38 minutes interview with one the oldest trees in the world.

– Hi tree! Nice to meet you here on this trail of the Great Basin National Park. Could you tell us a bit more about yourself?
– Greetings. I am a Bristlecone Pine tree.
– Would you mind telling us how old you are?
– Hum… I think I am 3100 years old… Or maybe 3300… You know, 200 more or 200 less, at my age we stop counting precisely… Although, I am not the oldest of my kind. Some of us, I heard, are up to 5000 years old.
– Wow, that’s impressive. So wait… According to our calendars, your birth would then be around 1300 Before Christ!
– Christ?
– Ah, that would be a bit long to explain. Thank you Mister Tree for this short interview 😊!

This tree and I met 2990 meters up a mountain in a very isolated national park. At first, it didn’t seem as impressive as the two other parks we went to previously, but it proved to have few very impressive features.  First, the hikes are nice. Second, some of the oldest trees of our planet are living there. Third, it is very high up, and offers an incredible view on the endless valley down there. It is so high up we couldn’t even spot our beloved Route 50, or even just one the few houses that we knew were definitely down there. This park definitely makes you think about how small you and your life are, time wise, and space wise.

 

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