Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
As you are slowly rolling South on U.S.395 at 26.5mph through downtown Bishop, watching the CHP cruiser in your rearview mirror, you are oblivious to the mountain chain to your left (East of Bishop). You may know that Mount Whitney is the highest point in the continental U.S., towering at ... however many feet it has, but if you are as ignorant as I was, you may not know that the mountain East and slightly North of Bishop, with a prosaic name of "White Mountain," is only about 200 feet lower - yet has a whole research station on its top. The whole range East of Owens River valley near Bishop is called the same unassuming name - White Mountains.
Most of the Pacific moisture is sucked out of the westerly winds by the High Sierras, leaving next to none to the White Mountains.
Late in Winter, when Sierras still sport a good white crown, White Mountains are already dry and dull gray. Yet... they have something that no other mountain range in the world has: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
It is nowhere as glamorous as groves of Giant Sequoias or Redwoods, and at the first glance reminds of Southern California forest that just survived a brush fire. But many of these scrappy, curvy, craggy, twisted trees were born before the Last Supper. Some of them were born before Egyptians came up with an idea for pyramids! These trees are the oldest living things on Earth. Makes you dizzy, doesn't it?
... Especially when you are there, at about 10 thousand feet. If you are driving a proper 4x4 with low range and a good cooling system, you'll be thrilled to drive up Silver Canyon Rd. It's a prominent side road East from the U.S. 6 heading North from Bishop; soon, it loses its pavement, and you are enjoying dust on the washboard dirt road. Not for long, though, since you'll be facing a few creek crossings - seven at my last count. The lowest is the deepest - it may be ankle-deep or hub-deep or a little deeper, depending on how wet the season was. The road seems moderately steep ... until you reach the end of the canyon. The road will then turn into a series of switchbacks so tight and frequent that on all maps the road looks straight. You'll be gaining close to 5 thousand feet in about 5 miles - a good 20% grade that never lets go. If you do it in Winter, however, check with the Ranger Station in Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest - they can tell you if the road is at all passable.
Alternatively, you can mash the thin pedal on 395 South of Bishop, and hang a left to CA 168 just before Big Pine. Some fun can be had there as well - especially when it narrows down to a single lane (for both directions!) in the narrow canyon, and you have to back out for a quarter-mile or so. Soon after the "gorge," there's a left turn to White Mountain Road, which will take you all the way to the forest (and a little farther, if you're willing). Note that park Rangers don't allow vehicles without low range gears (which means real 4x4) descend into Silver Canyon as means to get to Bishop quickly. And, by the way, it is not a minute quicker than blacktop, despite what it looks on the map.
The change in scenery and vegetation is rather unusual on any of these climbs. You start off at the dry valley floor, then pass some leafy trees wherever there's a little moisture, replaced by junipers and the like. Then, around 7-8 thousand feet, they disappear - and you drive through what people in other places call Alpine tundra - it would be appropriate here if it weren't so dry. After a while, you are almost down to bare rock... and then the Old Trees appear all around you. I can't remember any other place with conifer trees above the level of Alpine tundra!
It has a status of a National Park, so the Ranger Station at Shulman Grove is a good place to buy your annual pass. You know you'll need it, right?
Take your time to walk at least a mile-long trail between the trees - it is worth it. Or be more adventurous, and take on a 4.5-mile trail and try to find the Methuselah Tree - more than five thousand years old!