Existing comment:
Whitebark Pines
Because of strong, harsh, and nearly constant winds, many of the trees here are deformed and stunted. The almost never-ending pressure bends trunks and branches so they grow away from the wind.
As the trunks thicken with age, they bury the curved bases of limbs on the windward sides. (You can see ridges where many of these limbs have been so covered.) Buds on the windward sides may also die. The combined result is the grotesque, lop-sided appearance typical of exposed trees at higher elevations.
The trees before you are whitebark pines -- one of the few kinds of trees which can survive under these severe conditions. |