Nick Smith’s Field Notes:

• The mesa is directly East of Umatilla Rock, it offers an amazing view of the valley and Dry Falls Lake.
• The plateau landscape is very similar to the valley, except for the fact that most of the rocks and shrubs are a lot smaller.
• The plant life here is much more exposed to the elements.
• The lichen up here is very varied, ranging from caustic yellow, to pale green, to ash black.
• There is light brown soil underneath the layer of rocks.
• Covering some of the soil is a small moss like plant that has star shaped flowers.
• The iron in the basalt here is very oxidized, even when I broke open a rock I found pockets of red.
• The rocks along the edge of the cliff face are very unstable and make it an uneasy experience to sit near the edge.
• The epic beauty of this place is very visible here.