Bristlecone Pines are the oldest living thing on this earth. The oldest, over 3,000 years, is in California. The oldest Bristlecone on Mount Evans are approximately 1,700 years old.
In our part of the west, Bristlecone pines are only found in the Southern Rockies. The east-west ridge that Highway 103 follows to Bergen Park (18 miles) is the Northern range for this tree. The mountains north of Clear Creek do not contain Bristlecone pines, nor does Rocky Mountain National Park.
(June 2014)