Because of strong, harsh, and nearly constant winds, many of the whitebark pines here are deformed and stunted. The almost never-ending pressure bends the trunks and branches so they grow away from the wind. As the trunks thicken with age, they bury the curved bases of limbs on the windward sides, leaving ridges where many of these limbs have been covered. Buds on the windward sides may also die. The combined result is the grotesque, lopsided appearance typical of exposed trees at higher elevations, and these whitebark pines are among the few kinds of trees that can survive under such severe conditions.