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 is much more strong on top of the plateau.

Rocks:

 Basalt is the most common rock, that is what the entire plateau is made of. The basalt is in two major colors on top of the plateau, the dark red and back. There are some other lighter stones as well, most likely pumice, or other minerals left by the receding waters of the last flood. The longitudinal grooves in the rock are present but much harder to spot in person, than in Google Earth.

Animals:

Golden Eagle, Sparrows, Spiders, Cows, Hornets, Bees,

Small bones of dead rodents were visible from animal scat, from a hawk or an owl.

General Notes: 

The fact that there is less water here than in the park means more of a desert landscape, and that was true. The sage grows everywhere, as if it was an invasive species, the smell is present in every breath. Other plants are very scarce, unless its grass, or smaller more colorful plants growing right in the edge of the plateau. Cow patties fertilize the whole land, some were fresh so cows must be close, if rock was something tat could be fertilized. Little dry basins, where water was once held are scattered throughout the plateau with reeds growing in a ring around the basin. There are small mounds of dirt every 20 ft or so, with black basalt surrounding them, and then branching off to surround other mounds. They look like little roads from above.

Our world is created by perception. To the naked eye, a valley is just a valley; the sage is just sage; a person is a stranger. In this light, ignorance is not bliss, it is blinding. I try to see, to understand why, because what I don’t see I don’t believe. Maybe it is a fault. Maybe this lack of faith will one day drive me towards cynicism, but in a world created by perception I trust only my eyes. I trust the height of the cliff and the strength of the wind, and I trust that what I am told is the truth, so instead of questioning, I choose to understand. 

Our third day was much longer than the two previous days, partially because the site was much further than the previous ones, and partially because our adventurous spirits took over and ended up getting us lost. In terms of the experience, though, nothing was lost at all, and we held onto a long, deep conversation as we wandered the landscape. Our slightly misdirected trek around the valley from atop the bluffs was reminiscent of some post-apocalyptic movie, an adventure that opened our eyes to the seemingly desolate area. It is not until you venture throughout Dry Falls, viewing the entire area from above and craning your neck from below, that you realize how beautiful the area is and can try to comprehend the events that made it so.

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- Orange, Green, White, Black, Yellow

Rock: 

The Butte is mainly pure basalt, some of the walls on the over hangs are in pillars. There was a minority presence with rock of a different compound. It was a round, smaller, and smoother rock. Lighter in color, and no more than three inches in length. No granite is on the Butte that we can see.

Animals: 

Sparrows, Red Tail Hawk, Bees, Hornets, Ducks, Spiders

There was owl scat, with small rodent bones in it, but there were no living rodents seen. Many snake holes were also present, but no snakes were seen either.

Notes:

 The Butte was about 1300 ft. in height, the saddle was not that high up. We were standing around 1260 ft. from the highest point on the saddle. The saddle was a weak point in the rock where water broke through, and carved the shape. From the Wast side you look out and see Dry Falls Lake, with the cataract and the falls. One half of the lake is mud, while the other is still deep enough for small boats. From the East; Green Lake, Red Alkali Lake, Big Plateau, Channels, Pillars are visible. Green lake had turned brown, from its chalky white color the day before. Foot prints were still visible from all the travelers (us) the day before.