There’s a plant that looks like poison hemlock, but the leaves are different and so are the heads. There’s also plants that grow in clusters with long stems, ending in bunches of fragrant seed pods. Several burned plants are about, … Continue reading
The hanging canyon at Dry Falls was the second stop for the Daytrippers The canyon is about 2/3 mile in length, and about 1/10 mile wide. The canyon runs west for about 1/4 mile, then south until the mouth opens … Continue reading
This lake is nestled in between two massive rock faces. This area was likely made by the flood digging deeper and deeper down, through an area of substantially softer rocks. The sheer banks reflect this. The lake has a good amount … Continue reading
Plants: Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Orange, green, white crustose lichens (Mycophycophyta) Cheat grass (Bromus tectorum) Animals: Gnats (Culex pipiens) Wasps (Vespula Spp.) Bees (Apis mellifera) Darkling beetle (Gonopus tibialis) Deer (Cervidae) Trash: Fishing line Cigarettes Water bottle Beer cans Plastic bits
Water is slow moving Lush vegetation in close proximity with stream Deer tracks and bedding are present. Soil is deeper near the Spring/stream Small fish inhabit the stream
Field Notes: 1st Location: Dry Falls Lake October 12th, 2012 Late morning Weather/Atmosphere: Mostly sunny Warm with slight breeze Overall composition: Rocks, grass, shrubs, trees Buttes, basins, lakes, boulders Beetles, centipedes, birds, snakes Old persons fishing Us, observers Deer, deer … Continue reading
Touch: The lake is dry, but moist just beneath, and in the middle the mud is deep. On top of the mud is a layer of white powdery stuff, the consistency powdered sugar perhaps, or maybe salt mixed with ash. … Continue reading
Plant Species: Stiff Sage Brush, Lichen on North faces of rock formations, Queen Ann’s Lace, Cheap Grass, Wheat Grass, Reeds, Purple Sage, Common Cattail, Wild Rose Rocks: Basalt is the major rock type in the area. The loose rocks that … Continue reading
Day 2: The Butte Plant Species: Base of Saddle: Sage, Cheap Grass, Bear Grass, Bent Grass, Monkey Flowers, Thistle Trees, Sagebrush Stickseed, Mules Ear, Rabbits Foot On Saddle: Lichens (on rocks), Thistle Trees, Cheap Grass, Bear Grass, Moss Lichens- … Continue reading
Plant Species: Stiff Sage, Thistle Trees, Cheap Grass, Bear Grass, Reeds (only by water) I imagine its harder for life to grow on top of this rock, its in much more direct sunlight, further away from water, and the wind … Continue reading
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 that the rocks and shrubs are a lot smaller. The … Continue reading
Field Notes: 2nd Location at Dry Falls: Mossbottom Pothole Pothole off of Jeep Trail Approximately ¼ of a mile east of Deep Lake dock October 13th, 2012 Noon Weather/Atmosphere: Overcast, slight rain Cold, breezy Sounds: Bird calls, near and distant … Continue reading
Deep Lake Deep Lake’s water is clear with algae in shallow areas along the shore areas around deep lake look like seasonal flood plains. These areas are characterized by fine sediment, extremely arid sediment, and a lack of vegetation. Water … Continue reading
Anonymous Field Notes The pothole is about 60 ft. in diameter and 40 ft. deep. The rocks are all basalt and seem to be organized by size. There are a section of small golf ball sized rocks, next to a … Continue reading
Plants: Orange, green, white crustose lichens Basalt loose rocks and cliffs Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Cheat grass (Bromus tectorum) Cattails Nettles Wild Roses Saddle fungus Rotting Elf fungus Algae Animals: Gnats Bees Wasps Gardner snake Bull snake Rattlesnake skin Hobo spider … Continue reading
Touch: Getting down into the pothole the rocks shift beneath my feet. My skin feels dry against damp stone. Hot against it’s coldness. The rock is rough, solid, pockmarked with lichen. Moss grows here as well, soft and refreshing against … Continue reading
The plants on this mesa are larger than the plants on the other one There are many small ridges and valleys on this mesa Each valley contains a slightly different ecosystem, with larger plant species and sage brush, which is … Continue reading
Plants: Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Cheat grass (Bromus tectorum) Other knee high grasses Desert Asters (Xylorhiza tortifolia) Desert Buckwheat (Eriogonum codium) Orange, green, and white crustose lichens (Mycophycophyta) Moss (Bryophyta) Animals: Darkling beetle (Gonopus tibialis) Sparrows Cows (in the form of … Continue reading
Shallow soil with sparse desert vegetation. Vegetation is less sparse and more hydrated near the bottoms of grooves. Predominately basalt rocks, with heavy to light lichen cover. Large amounts of livestock droppings. Grooves roughly 16 feet deep. Areas of sloping … Continue reading
Field Notes: 3rd Location at Dry Falls: Longitudinal Grooves Sunday, October 14th 2012 Audio: Very quiet Almost (but not quite) far enough from the highway not to hear it Voices of other teams are heard but they are not … Continue reading
There’s sagebrush here, and some small strangely pink-white flowers. Occasional grasses spring up. Small tan rocks around that don’t seem to belong, they almost look like quartz. There are flies up here, as well as ants and the occasional bee. … Continue reading
Touch: By the time I write this it’s wet. Small raindrops sprinkle expectantly on my hands. The stone is rough and scratchy where I touch. The stone cracked and unstable. The grass is smooth and my feet slip slightly against … Continue reading