Sentinels above Treeline

The dense forests of North Cascades give way at treeline. Above treeline the conditions are too harsh—the winter snows too deep and long-lasting—for most trees to survive. There are islands of trees, or sometimes an individual tree, that are able to take root and persist in this inhospitable habitat. Many of these trees are mountain hemlocks, an alpine species adapted to these extreme conditions.

Due to carbon emissions, the climate of the Pacific Northwest, as elsewhere, is changing, becoming warmer and drier. Treeline in the North Cascades has risen by 415 feet over the last 50 years. The habitat of these sentinel trees is likely to be invaded by other species, increasing competitive pressures.

My intent is to portray these ancient and threatened trees as unique individuals that have survived on the edge of the possible for hundreds of years. This required a temporal perspective that was achieved by rephotographing the same trees before and after the first major snowfall of the 2023-24 winter season. The future for these trees, as with us all, is of a rapidly changing climate that will fundamentally alter our world in ways that we cannot fully anticipate.

Technical notes. Camera: Rollei SL66, Planar 80 mm lens, red filter, Film: Delta 100, Developer: DD-X (1+4) 10:30 @ 68F.