In 2006, working in a dry area of Idaho (above), I remember noticing flashes of light near the tops of the pines. I couldn't imagine why the trees were sparkling, but I didn't think it was my imagination because I kept noticing it. This summer at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument on the dry side of Oregon I came across this tree growing in an obsidian flow:
And noticed that the tree had this cone:
Notice the bubbles of sap stuck to the cone
I'm convinced this is why those trees were sparkling. Now I wonder why the cones are oozing sap, and whether it is a particular kind of pine tree that does this. How many needles are in a bunch is diagnostic of species for pine trees, and from my picture it seems the needles are in bunches of five (Trees to Know in Oregon tells me Oregon native pines with 5 needles to a bunch are: western white, sugar, limber, and whitebark).
