Ancient Foxtail Pine

This is the skeleton of a foxtail pine, a tree found only in the high mountains of the southern Sierra Nevada. The tree gets its name from its long needles, which grow in dense clusters and give the branches the appearance of a fox’s tail. When these trees die, they often remain standing for decades as beautifully weathered skeletons, their twisted wood slowly shaped by wind, sun, and time. They are, for many reasons, one of my favorite trees in the Sierra. Foxtail pines grow on dry, rocky slopes that receive very little rainfall, somehow managing to thrive in these harsh conditions high in the mountains. One thing I also love about them is the smell of the dead wood when it’s used in a campfire. It gives off a sweet, smoky scent that’s unlike any other wood I’ve burned in the backcountry. They’re remarkable trees, full of character, even long after they’ve died.