Hot pink pine flowers

Shore pine (Pinus contorta) is a cool plant in a lot of ways. Depending on the setting, it can grow into a 60 foot-tall tree or a twisted, bonsai form. It can keep some cones sealed up on its branches, until a forest fire triggers the cones to open and release the seeds.
But did you know the female flowers can be hot pink?

I found these pines on Discovery Park's north beach this morning. If you look at some of the branch tips the right way, you can see a face.