Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2018/2019

2018-2019 Scenic 395 29 Lone Pine 760-876-5555 633 S. Main Street Lone Pine, CA WALKING DISTANCE TO RESTAURANTS • POOL • WIFI • LAUNDRY these unique rock formations. After Yosemite, the Alabama Hills was one of Ansel Adams’ favorite shooting location. Check in at the Lone Pine Film Muse- um in Lone Pine for tours of the loca- tions he used. Just past Big Pine, take a right on Highway 168 which will take you up to about 12,000 feet in the White Moun- tains to Schulman Grove which is where you will find the visitors center for the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Although the pines are found in 6 western states, this grove of Bristlecone Pines is home to the oldest known trees on Earth. Some of these trees are over 4,000 years old and still going strong. At an elevation of over 10,000 feet, the oldest trees grow on outcrops of dolomite, which has a very low nutrient content, but a higher moisture content than the surrounding sandstone. The dolomite reflects more sunlight than other rocks, contributing to cooler root zones, and saving moisture. The grow- ing season for the Bristlecones is so short, they have developed survival strategies to survive, including very slow growth, sometimes adding only 1/100th of an inch per year. To learn more about these amazing trees and read about Dr. Edmund Schulman, the man who dis- covered the Bristlecones, you can go to www.sonic.net/bristlecone/intro.html. Because of the elevation, this forest is only open through the summer, as early as May and as late as November, de- pending on snowfall. You can check the recorded information line at 760-873- 2500 for current road conditions and visitor center information. There are several hiking trails with interpretive signs and rest benches and if you are feeling more adventurous there is a 12-mile gravel road beyond the Visitors Center that takes you to the Patriarch’s Grove. Although not the old- est tree, the Patriarch is the largest in girth at about 36 feet across. This forest is a photographer’s para- dise! Who said you have to be young to be beautiful and photogenic! BY PAUL HERMANS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS The stagecoach used in “Django Unchained” is seen at the Lone Pine Film History Museum. PHOTO BY AARON CRUTCHFIELD Lone Pine says “Howdy.” Continued from Page 28