Yosemite, El Capitan and Redkill Ponderosa

Yosemite National Park, El Capitan and redkill ponderosa pine. Redkill is shorthand for a tree killed by bark beetles. The first year of the kill all the needles on the tree turn red. Depending on the altitude, where higher altitudes have much shorter warm seasons, the red needles can stay on the tree for one to four years. One can tell it’s a ponderosa pine because of the reddish yellow straw color.