The Western Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains on the California-Nevada border are among the oldest living things on the planet. Some have been dated as nearly 4,000 years old. The oldest, the Methuselah tree, has been dated at 4,700 years-old and is the oldest known living organism in the world. I loved their shape, their colorful bark, and you gotta love their perseverance for they grow in a harsh environment known for its extremes of drought and cold, yet they survive where precious little else does.