Plant / Tree ID?

Can anyone identify the name of the plant circled in the above picture and the name of the white tree in the below picture? Both shots were take at Black Canyon of the Gunnison (and I forgot to convert from ProPhoto to sRGB, hence the funky colors).

Thanks!

Here's the tree pic...

Its not sagebrush??

I believe it is. I'm looking for the specific names. Now I think it's Basin big sagebrush. The other seems like an oak of some type. I think the dark trees in the background are gambel oak, but the one in the foreground is so white that I'm thrown off.

Tree definitely looks like a birch. Do you have a close-up of the leaves?

Thanks, Jesse! Here's a close up of the leaves. The NPS only lists one birch - the water birch - as "probably present" in Black Canyon, but the leaves do look quite similar, so it does look like you're right.

It's likely Wyoming Big Sage, but Mountain, Wyoming and Basin have overlapping environments and they look very similar. The seed stalks on Mtn. Big typically form a squarish flat top looking profile. The leaves of Wyo. Big will fluoresce under black light - I'm sure you have one those handy at all times.

The tree just looks like a funky aspen to me, those are the seeds, or catkins in early spring. Please chime in if it's something different.

The tree is most likely an aspen with its spring catkins. It could another type of poplar such as lance leaf, but I'm pretty sure its just an aspen.

Thanks Chuck & Mel. I think you're right about it being an aspen. Those do seem to look exactly like catkins. Is "funky aspen" a scientific term or should I just go with "aspen?" I'll just call the other "big sagebrush" to be safe.

I'd go with Populus tremuloides funkii.