51�Թ�

Forests with few tree species pose considerably higher risk of being damaged and especially vulnerable is the introduced lodgepole pine.

Unlike species such as giant sequoias and lodgepole pine that drop their seeds in fire, the dominant pines of the Sierra can’t reproduce if their seeds burn.

The ascent through lodgepole pine and subalpine firs is lovely and the air is so fresh, it practically sparkles.

BLY, Oregon — In this patch of Southern Oregon forest, young stands of Ponderosa and lodgepole pine once pulled carbon dioxide out of the air, storing this greenhouse gas in their trunks, branches and roots.

Traffic patterns aside, Tioga Road’s reopening is a relief for high country lovers eager for easy access to the subalpine meadows and blue lakes nestled between granite domes and towering lodgepole pines.