Yesterday, the first of May, Aaron and I hiked to the Jardine Juniper, the oldest tree in Utah, and one of the oldest living things on the Earth today. It is 3200 years old! It is one gnarly, twisted old tree that looks mostly dead except for the sprig of leaves at the very tippy-top. It's base is about 8 feet in diameter. We were the only ones on the trail, and so had the tree all to ourselves. Approaching it I felt like I should whisper, there was such a feeling of reverence about the old thing. As for the hike itself, the last time I did it was 8 years ago. I remember it being much longer than anticipated...so this time I was prepared for it to be a bit longer, but not 11.4 miles! I was thinking...oh...maybe 7-8 miles tops. We hiked it in 5 hours. So I am hobbling around this morning because I was too stubborn to
not make it to the tree.
Below is the trail (roughly). It was beautiful and was so nice to get out and and challenge myself and see how much I could do. It will be a gorgeous autumn hike...oh, and it's horse friendly...
Below is a view looking northwest...
And this! I'm hiking along the trail, minding my own business when I am pelted from behind by petrified elk poop! So, I flung a handful of the stuff back at my assailant, and we proceeded to have an elk-poop fight. Very random. Kinda fun.
Below: Aaron hugging the ancient giant...
Below: The base...about 8 feet in diameter...
Me and the tree. Yes, I have bare feet in the picture. My running shoes were not very hiking friendly.
5 comments:
Well done, indeed! You've already beat my latest time (5.5 hours, last summer) and I had the advantage of good footwear. It's truly amazing to think that this tree - this still standing, living, breathing being - has out lasted the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Athenian League, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the British Empire. It was alive, and already old, at the time of Confucius; Alexander the Great; Julius Caesar; Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth; Mohammed of Mecca; Martin Luther; Joseph Smith; and is still with us. That really helps me put things in perspective.
Amen.
I hope the poo was really really petrified. That tree is incredible. It looks like a character in a movie.
Call it grandfather...
Way too cool.
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