#chrisriesner

Over the summer I made a trip up to Crater Lake to visit an interesting native western tree, the whitebark pine {pins albicaulis}. These alpine trees grow at very high elevations which are generally to harsh for other vegetation. However, with warmer summers the whitebark pine is quickly becoming endangered due to the mountain pine beetle infestation. Pictured here is the bleached bones of what remains of a whitebark pine, looking through to Crater Lake and a tall mountain hemlock growing from down below. The @oregonexplored “looking through” reminded me of this image. #or_exp_012. @trailboundco // #trailbound #whitebarkpine #mountainpinebeetle #craterlake