There is OLD and then there is “West Coast Old”
Upper left and middle photos courtesy of Kevin Frest.
Hearts Content National Scenic Area - Allegheny National Forest (Warren County, PA)
Many Pennsylvanians, as well as many “East-coasters” know of Hearts Content in the sprawling Allegheny National Forest. Within the forest grows some of the largest and oldest remaining white pine and Eastern hemlocks in the East, likely more than 350 years old. Several of the trees’ diameters measure close to four-feet. Somehow, these trees were spared the massive logging that occurred throughout the state of Pennsylvania and other mid-Atlantic states. Such stands of trees also won the forest acclaim as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1973
For East Coast residents, trees over 300 years old are rare - and those of us in the east are glad to get to witness and approach 200 year old trees (note; less than ½ of 1% of original forest remains in East coast states). So the small acreage that has these ancient trees is unique and a gem just under three hours from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Tryon-Weber Woods (Crawford County, PA)
This is the 10th Year that Hearts Content is in the Old-Growth Forest Network, as is Tryon-Weber Woods, about 90 minutes to the east of Heart’s Content in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The 108-acre preserve, owned by Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, includes a 1.2-mile loop trail that crosses a stream, traverses a 40-acre old-growth beech-maple forest. Some trees date to the late 1800s. The preserve is named for the late Dr. C. A. Tryon of the University of Pittsburgh, who studied the ecological interrelationships of the forest, and Dr. Robert G. Weber, who previously owned part of the property. The old-growth area is considered a remnant climax forest. Happy Anniversary to Tryon-Weber!
Now let’s talk about a forest also 10 years in the Network that is not just old – it is just ANCIENT!
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (Inyo, CA)
This forest is a protected area in the White Mountains in eastern California. The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) trees grow between 9,800 and 11,000 feet above sea level, in xeric alpine conditions, protected within the Inyo National Forest. The Methuselah Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is the location of the "Methuselah", a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine that is nearly 5,000 years old (no, we didn’t accidentally add a zero here).
For many years, it was the world's oldest known living non-clonal organism, until superseded by the discovery in 2013 of another bristlecone pine in the same area with an age of 5,065 years (germination in 3051 BC). "Methuselah" is not marked in the forest, to ensure added protection from vandals.
