Lone Pine Lake sits at about 10,000 feet elevation near the Mount Whitney Trail outside Lone Pine, California.  It sits amidst the towering granite slopes characteristic of the Sierra Nevada.  A unique feature of the lake is the foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) that grows in open areas at this altitude.  The tree is a near-threatened species found only in California & is related to Great Basin bristlecone pine.  There is a northern population found in isolated pockets in the Klamath Mountains & a southern population in the southern Sierra Nevada here near Mount Whitney, a separation of over 400 miles.  Needles are in bundles of 4-5 & the cones are 2.5-4.5 inches long, forming on the end of the limbs & having a nice lightweight symmetry when dry.  The trees have a height of 30-70 feet & don't grow a standard shape, often growing at obtuse angles.  This southern population has bark that is noticeably more orange.