We began our morning with a lovely soak at the foothills of the Sierra.

I discovered these free hot springs a few years ago and we all agreed that we needed their therapeutic properties. The surrounding area was originally inhabited by the local native Paiutes, who considered the waters sacred. I could feel the specialness the longer I lingered.
Sadly, like everything around here, in 1926 the City of Los Angeles purchased the property as a part of its famous water-rights land grab in the Owens Valley. Thankfully, we are still allowed to benefit freely. That's something truly special.
Our final destination, on this Road Trip, was to ogle the Great Basin Bristlecone Pines at Schulman Grove located at 10,000 feet.
We came to learn about these unique pines which are remarkable for being the oldest non-clonal species on the planet. These hardy trees, shaped by wind, snow, and rain survive thousands of years, overseeing the rise and fall of great empires, growing through ice-ages and catastrophic volcanic eruptions. But their ability to survive these harsh environments and adverse growing conditions is exactly their secret to great longevity.

This slow growth leads to an incredibly dense wood which provides resistance from insects, fungi, rot, and erosion. At high elevation the Pines spiral out from a seemingly impossible soil of limestone rock; this too proves favorable for the ancients. They grow where most other vegetation cannot, limiting the impact that a forest fire might havoc on their near-eternity.