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Email me at ajs@frii.com
Last update: January 23, 2026
This is a cross reference by tree number to the August 28, 2006 booklet: Growth-Form Characteristics of Ancient Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pines (Pinus aristata), Colorado by F. Craig Brunstein of the USGS in Denver, Colorado.
Unfortunately this lovely study makes many references to specific trees such as "90-11" without any master index, nor any correlation to metal tags like "CB-18" found on many of the trees on the south slopes of Black Mountain in Park County west of Guffey, Colorado. I was unable to find other notes or papers Craig Brunstein (1952-2008? obituary 1-11-2008) might have left behind with friends or at the USGS, although clearly he was abstracting from an extensive data record.
Note: In other Brunstein papers the tree numbers are preceded by a prefix like "CB-90-11". Also this Black Mountain is not to be confused with several other peaks of the same name in Colorado or even in the same county!
The book mentions 134 dated trees (see page 1) that are 20-2500 years old, including 125 from core samples (see page 5) taken 1968-70 and 1988-96.
See also below the tables for more notes about what's missing from this booklet.
Sorted by tree numbers (47 entries):
Page number suffixes: p(hoto), s(ketch), t(able). [INCOMPLETE, in progress]
| Number | Pages | Min/Est Age (2005) |
|---|---|---|
| 68-1 | 88t,90s | 788/800 (ponderosa pine) |
| 68-3 | 18-19s,33s,56,63,88t | 1992/2050 |
| 69-2 | 48p,88t | 1188/1200 |
| 69-4 | 42p,82 | 960 |
| 69-R4 | 18-19s,63,67 | 1550 |
| 69-7 | 42-43ps,82 | 1080 |
| 88-4 | 88t | 1250/1300 |
| 88-5 | 30-31ps,33,56 | 1100 |
| 88-7 | 18-19s | 1160 |
| 88-8 | 18-19s,34-38ps,56,88t | 1191/1210 |
| 88-9 | 88t | 1247/1260 |
| 88-17 | 82,88t | 1134/1170 |
| 88-10 | 18-19s,39p,63 | 1410 |
| 88-20 | 18-19s | 1180 |
| 89-2 | 66p-67,88t | 1907/1980 |
| 90-1 | 18-19s,32-33s,56,88t | 2198/2220 |
| 90-3 | 18-19s,20p | 300 |
| 90-4 | 18-19s,48p,88t | 1854/1870 |
| 90-5 | 18-19s,81 | 500 |
| 90-8 | 22p | 510 |
| 90-10 | 18-19s,56 | 2370-2500 |
| 90-11 | 18-19s,88t | 2449/2500 (sampled at 12') |
| 90-15 | 56,62p,63,82 | >1870 |
| 91-2 | 18-19s,81 | 1850 |
| 91-7 | 18-19s,81 | 760 |
| 91-8 | 18-19s | 720 |
| 91-12 | 88t | 1251/1270 |
| 91-14 | 18-19s,56,63,82 | 1180 |
| 91-15 | 88t | 1131/1160 |
| 91-28 | 18-19s | 2350 |
| 91-38 | 63 | ? |
| 91-41AL | 18-19s,81 | 140 |
| 91-65 | 40s,56,82 | 1660 |
| 91-67 | 88t,90s | 1669/1680 (limber pine) |
| 93-10 | 18-19s | 340 |
| 93-17 | 18-19s,81 | 200 |
| 93-38 | 18-19s,81 | 830 |
| 93-39 | 18-19s,56,82,88t | 1834/1870 |
| 93-40 | 82,88t | 1792/1880 |
| 93-45 | 18-19s,88t | 1044/1180 |
| 93-55 | 18-19s,88t | 1497/1520 |
| 93-R18 | 18-19s | 1400 |
| 93-61 | 88t | 1611/1630 |
| 94-1 | 88t,90s | 688/710 (ponderosa pine) |
| 95-11 | 18-19s,81 | 580 |
| 95-13 | 18-19s,81 | 760 |
| Krebs34 | 18-19s,88t | 1603/nc |
Sorted by estimated age:
| Number | Pages | Min/Est Age (2005) |
|---|---|---|
| 91-38 | 63 | ? |
| 91-41AL | 18-19s,81 | 140 |
| 93-17 | 18-19s,81 | 200 |
| 90-3 | 18-19s,20p | 300 |
| 93-10 | 18-19s | 340 |
| 90-5 | 18-19s,81 | 500 |
| 90-8 | 22p | 510 |
| 95-11 | 18-19s,81 | 580 |
| 94-1 | 88t,90s | 688/710 (ponderosa pine) |
| 91-8 | 18-19s | 720 |
| 91-7 | 18-19s,81 | 760 |
| 95-13 | 18-19s,81 | 760 |
| 68-1 | 88t,90s | 788/800 (ponderosa pine) |
| 93-38 | 18-19s,81 | 830 |
| 69-4 | 42p,82 | 960 |
| 69-7 | 42-43ps,82 | 1080 |
| 88-5 | 30-31ps,33,56 | 1100 |
| 88-7 | 18-19s | 1160 |
| 91-15 | 88t | 1131/1160 |
| 88-17 | 82,88t | 1134/1170 |
| 88-20 | 18-19s | 1180 |
| 91-14 | 18-19s,56,63,82 | 1180 |
| 93-45 | 18-19s,88t | 1044/1180 |
| 69-2 | 48p,88t | 1188/1200 |
| 88-8 | 18-19s,34-38ps,56,88t | 1191/1210 |
| 88-9 | 88t | 1247/1260 |
| 91-12 | 88t | 1251/1270 |
| 88-4 | 88t | 1250/1300 |
| 93-R18 | 18-19s | 1400 |
| 88-10 | 18-19s,39p,63 | 1410 |
| 93-55 | 18-19s,88t | 1497/1520 |
| 69-R4 | 18-19s,63,67 | 1550 |
| Krebs34 | 18-19s,88t | 1603/nc |
| 93-61 | 88t | 1611/1630 |
| 91-65 | 40s,56,82 | 1660 |
| 91-67 | 88t,90s | 1669/1680 (limber pine) |
| 91-2 | 18-19s,81 | 1850 |
| 90-4 | 18-19s,48p,88t | 1854/1870 |
| 93-39 | 18-19s,56,82,88t | 1834/1870 |
| 90-15 | 56,62p,63,82 | >1870 |
| 93-40 | 82,88t | 1792/1880 |
| 89-2 | 66p-67,88t | 1907/1980 |
| 68-3 | 18-19s,33s,56,63,88t | 1992/2050 |
| 90-1 | 18-19s,32-33s,56,88t | 2198/2220 |
| 91-28 | 18-19s | 2350 |
| 90-10 | 18-19s,56 | 2370-2500 |
| 90-11 | 18-19s,88t | 2449/2500 (sampled at 12') |
When I opened the (physical) booklet in late 2025 I found a handwritten note I'd forgotten some years ago. I decided to type it in:
The book is silent on: