contorted Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana) It’s also been known locally as Tamarack, which otherwise, more typically refers to various Larch species, which do not grow here, and are not even pines, and shed all their needles every winter. But apparently, the Gold Rush era miners or whoever, were reminded of them, as the name is seen in many local geographic place names. Maybe they just like how it sounds.