95. California Redwoods

            I am a lover of trees. It comes from growing up in Idaho, the most forested of all the western states. As you have probably surmised I am fascinated by how such gigantic creatures can live so long. So, in mentioning gigantic, I have to travel to California and tell you about the Sequoia and Redwood trees. These trees are so large that they have had sections hewn out of them large enough to drive cars through!  To me they seem a close relative of the Western Red Cedar in my neck of the woods with their tiny cones and scale like leaves rather than needles like the other evergreens.

            The Sequoia trees of Sequoia National park are not quite so tall as their coastal Redwood brethren with their own Redwood National park, but they are still the largest trees—Sequoia National Park is where the largest tree in the world is. I haven’t seen those, only the coastal trees, but I am still amazed by the grandeur and age of these amazing trees.

            Whenever I get a little down about all the craziness of American humanity, the politics of our country in general, I just want to run away. And, living in Idaho, I’ve always been able to do that out in the woods so I have fallen in love with trees. We are lucky to live in such an amazing country where there are such amazing trees, the oldest and largest in the world. The California Redwoods and Sequoia are a sampling of some of those majestic trees and they make me proud to be an American even when other things might get on my nerves. A nice drive down the California coast and the Redwood forest is both an escape and a moment of great American affection for me, so I am very thankful for the California Redwood forests.

94. Bristlecone Pine Tree

            Some of the oldest living beings on our planet are the Bristlecone Pine trees. They grow in the mountains of the Great Basin Desert of the Southwest. The oldest known of these ancient trees has been found to be over five thousand years old. They are known to survive some of the harshest weather conditions from storms and extreme heat and cold. Not only are they the longest living creatures on our planet, they are the most resilient creatures on our planet. I suppose that goes without saying.

            Of course these aren’t terribly common trees but they are distinctly American and I see them as being very representative of America. I’m not saying they are necessarily examples representing our democracy. Some people still refer to that as the American “experiment” and almost every administration that occupies the White House brings out some doomsday fear in at least a part of our population. So it would certainly be unfair to compare such a majestically resilient tree to our democracy, but it’s not at all unfair to compare it to our people. We are made up of people who have survived incredible odds, suffering persecution from every part of the planet, and then landing on our feet to become some of the wealthiest and prosperous of all nations. And maybe that gamble is why so many of the Bristlecone Pines are in Nevada. J (Ok, I know that’s a stretch.)

            Bristlecone Pines are gnarly, twisted old creatures that can survive almost anything. That’s just one more reason to be really proud of our country. So if you’ve never seen one, go to Great Basin National Park in Nevada and have a look at one of these most amazing of creatures, most amazing of trees, the Bristlecone Pine Tree.