Heroic Trees
We are back to the amazing Lassen Volcanic National Park. This is the fourth installment in this series, you can see the first here, the second here and the third one here.
Remember that Lassen is a park of high craggy peaks and verdant forest. Today we will look at where those two things come together.
I found examples of trees that had been damaged by wind, snow, lightning and gravity. This one was growing on an impossibly rocky point. You can see that the one in front didn't make it and this one isn't going to either. The third tree in the line has had it's top broken off to make it spread out that way.
Another tree growing right on the marge between usable and death. Notice just to the left in the frame a snag that looks like it may have been burned. Possible lightning? To the right and lower you can see another tree leaning at an impossible angle and can be sure that it won't stand another snow.
It's obvious that these trees don't need deep soil to germinate and grow. It obviously takes a little more soil than this for them to thrive. The grizzled old giant in center frame had given up much of himself to keep growing, with almost no limbs surviving.
There are at least three broken stumps in this frame. Casualties that could no longer pull a living out of the rocky patch.
Look at this guy in the forest. Just shattered top and a few scraggly lower branches still holding needles. Lightning, no question. On the extreme left you can see the crown of a tree that was probably hit by lightning but put out a new crown and is continuing to grow.
Notice the tree just left of center, with the curve in it's stump? And the two scragglers right in the foreground? That is caused by snow and gravity as the snow pushes down hill. It's inevitable and impressive.
See the bend in the trunks? Every tree you can see in this frame has been bent by the weight of snow sliding downhill. It's amazing to me how much force the snow can exert. That's some serious push to deform trees like that.
This is after all the Sierra Nevada mountains where they get almost unbelievable snowfall and it lasts for months. Look at the stump on the far right and you can see a pretty gross deformity that has been caused by snow. The fallen tree here finally gave up and broke right near the ground.
These trees are stunted and bent by wind! This is an exposed knob at near timber line elevation and you can see the effect of high winds that hit here often.
Thanks for staying with me to the end. Next time we will look at another specific aspect of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
All words and photographs in this post are mine. For better or worse.
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Do you have any idea how old some of these trees are?
They are mostly pine and fir. Fir are fairly fast growing and are considered mature at 20. Pines are somewhat slower and longer lived. Some of the Ponderosa Pine as seen here live to be 1000. Bristlecone Pines go much longer, there is a sample not too far from where I was that is 4600 years old.
Lot of words for 'I have no idea' :)
Ha
Yeah, I knew some of them are "getting on" a bit, but you have to be impressed with anything that lives 4000 years.
Mick Jagger is making a run for it.
Yeah. When you think that there are trees that were alive about the time man started writing things it sorta puts civilization in perspective. It's really new, with no guarantee it will live to be old...
Mick is just amazing but it's Keith Richards that astounds me. He's put some hard miles in, and just keeps going.
Good photos, nature sometimes behaves in an amazing way.
Nature is just so natural! :) This is another little known and lovely place that I really like to visit.
Yeah, yeah, there are trees, but look at that sky! Holy blue. I am just kidding. That is some impressive fresh air right there! Nice shots. I thought we got a ton of snow! :)
I think the next up will be a small alpine lake. It's blue because the sky is.
Lassen is in far north California, way north of the bay area pollution and it is pretty darn pristine. Obviously the fires weren't burning there yet...
Interesting to see those bent trunks, nature certainly is amazing, plus we underestimate the strength of the elements! Looking at some of the images I can just smell the pine forest, the air must be so pure up there! Thank you for sharing this with us @bigtom13
It's a spectacular place, to be sure, but highlighted by how pristine everything is. The air is pure and the water clean. It's just a wonderful place.
Looks cold on the bottom pic, lots of snow. I don't think I even saw any during my stay in AZ, but looking at this place.. it's in Northern CA. One place I have not visited.
Oh, I have snow photos upcomming. I was there roughly the 20th of June and there was quite a lot of snow left at the higher elevations.
In Arizona I have seen snow at Sedona, Flagstaff and Hannigan Meadows. From the seat of my motorcycle :) I've also had to cancel early season camping plans in the Pine and Strawberry areas due to May and June snow cover.
It's just here in Yuma that there is NEVER snow. Once since 1545 and records have been kept.
I love those bent trees, interestingly wind can almost have the same type of effect on trees.
Me too. The forces at play in this park are just amazing. It's really an engaging place.
It's impressive how those trees are still alive and thriving with all those snow bending them like that!
They are indeed a resilient bunch!
I'll tell you what, there are some trees living in tough conditions in Lassen. It's really quite amazing.
Makes us look at things with a different perspective, don't they?
But I forget the lesson soon after anyway. Not the brightest son of mother nature.
WOW what amazing scenery thats a place i would love to visit one day
It's a really cool place and it's almost unused. I saw less than 10 cars on the road the day I was there. I did see more than that in the various parking areas at trailheads.
Well its a pity its unused but in a way that makes me want to visit it more
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Nature is really awesome, thanks for sharing these photos and the explanations. Got to run, adios.
Sult
Thanks for stopping by. I know you are busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest and REALLY appreciate the time you took.