Yoda Pine

I found a fascinating little old "Yoda like" Limber Pine while out shooting photos at sunset near the Sleeping Giant Mountain (on the horizon). Trees like these: stunted, wary, and worn, tell the tell of this Central Montana landscape: harsh, dry, and dangerous - odd places for trees. This tree shows an old scar from an apparent lightning strike; the dead wood now used as a home for a bird. And if you could see its tree rings, it would likely tell a tell of frequent drought that desiccated it, nearby fires that nearly destroyed it, and insect outbreaks that should have killed it. Even though its only 30-40 feet tall, I bet it is several hundred of years old.