Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'hiking'.
-
This is an odd one my first thought at first glance was a mammal, but I'm no expert I'm just a curious extremely interested individual who loves the rocks, fossils,gems,stones etc so what u think. I'd love to learn more on how to identify them
- 4 replies
-
- oddly shaped
- indiana
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with:
-
-
I was able to get out for the first mountain hike this season recently after being held back due to storms. The weather had been too hot the last several weeks to get out in the mountains due to afternoon thunderstorms building up making it hazardous for hiking and to leave an aircraft exposed at 5,000’ elevation. Most of the large pictured ammonites are Pachydiscus sp. so here we go, a photo trip in the Matanuska Formation, Member 3. Yes, it is as steep as it looks. Not for the faint of heart. This particular ammonite has been exposed for three seasons now and too steep to get a closer view. One of my old friends:) A new ammonite from the spring snow melt erosion. This concretion has 4 ammonites present in it. Another “Old Friend”, each season gets a little most erosion around it and subsequent exposures. The suture pattern and description matches Pachydiscus kamishakensis. Where there is one often will be more in close proximity. Pelecypods are present in great abundance but most are fragmented. One of the few pelecypods mostly intact. Another old friend, 26” peleycpod. I have posted pictures of the giant clam previously. I’m going clam digging tomorrow and one like this would do for a years worth of chowder. I have been mainly focused on looking at ammonites and taking my time on this trip started noticing other fossils. This is a piece of a baculite imbedded in a concretion. Once I noticed this one I saw more similar smaller baculite fragments. The backseat passenger looking at an area where belamites occur. The alpine flowers were out in full bloom. Back to the Red and White magic carpet ride to fly home.
-
I thought I'd post these pictures in the hope someone maybe able to shed some light on this rock or fossil. This piece was found while hiking over Jebel Harim in Oman. Jebel Harim is well known for it's fossils but I was on a hike and not specifically rock kicking! To give everyone an idea of the spectacular terrain and crazy geology, I've added two photos from the hike. The piece I'd like assistance with please is the semi circular shaped rock above the ruler. I found this on top of the mountain near the walking train and it was the unusual shape that caught my eye so I popped it into my pocket and it was only when I got back home did I take a closer look and realised it maybe something worth keeping. Sadly, that all I can add so if anyone has any ideas I appreciate any assistance? Thanks Paul
- 10 replies
-
Just back from an epic hike in the Talkeetna Mountains after a recent storm passed through. The snow line was at 5,500 feet and at this time of year the snow is referred to as termination dust because it will stick in the higher peaks foreshadowing winter’s arrival. I have enough confidence now to name some of the fossils I have encountered on these hikes and would like any corrections on IDs if I misidentified them. The background geology I gleaned from Geological Survey Professional Paper 432, Upper Cretaceous (Campanian and Maestrichtian) Ammonites From Southern Alaska. An early morning start to take advantage of the spectacular weather. Castle Mountain, volcanic deposit which overlays the fossil bearing layers I will be hiking through. The Wrangell Mountains in the distance overlooking the Copper River Basin and Talkeetna Mountains in the foreground. Landed a ridge and tied down multiple times as even though good weather was forecast I need to have the plane where I left it so I can return home. The fossils on this trip are in the Matanuska Formation, specifically in member 3 and divided into two faunal zones. The lower, Inoceramus schmidti zone and upper, Pachydiscus kamishakensis zone. I believe this is a Pachydiscus sp. ammonite and have seen these before. Many of the concretions contain fossils and locally abundant. Having said that it was many miles hiking before a came across an intact ammonite. Bits and pieces to look at and ponder. Canadoceras sp. but so broken could have been a heteromoph and a completely different ammonite species. I mentioned the good weather for this trip and here is an example of what a storm can do. Normally you do not see what the silt stone looks like in un-weathered condition as it take quite an erosion event to expose the rock from the overburden. The preceding week had some heavy precipitation with this area obviously receiving enough to cut down to the bedrock. All the small gullies I crossed on this hike were also affected by the recent run off and snow at the higher elevations. This is at the base of the silt layer where it is overlain by the volcanic rock. The Dall sheep use the steep gullies and cliffs as escape habitat from predators. Kobuk, (my dog) was interested in the sheep and I recalled him so as to leave the ewes with their lambs to their solitude. Continuing on to my objective where I saw what looked like more silt stone exposure with concretions from the air. I like this picture which gives a feel for how steep the exposures are. You never know what is on the next one! Uncommon but I have found some petrified wood in this area. I could not determine what layer this was associated with as it was just laying in the tundra. If you look in some of the pictures you will see numerous caribou trails with this calf cruising by on one while Kobuk and I were having lunch. Caribou can be quit curious at times and this one approached to 12 feet. Notice Kobuk’s paws are ready to go! Still curious and had to take another look at us. Blue berries are ripe now and a bonus snack while in the mountains. My objective for this hike was this area and exposures. From the air it looked like numerous concretions in the silt stone but turned out to be chunks of conglomerates from the layers above. Four and one half miles from the plane so will loop back and check a few more exposures out. The six mile ammonite! Patagiosites alaskensis. The exposure on the right side here immediately caught my attention as I could see concretions. Getting closer and some more caribou, cow with her calf. More importantly definitely concretions here. Abundant Inoceramus in the float at the bottom of the cliff. Will come back another time to see what might be on the face but need to get new soles on my boots as my current ones are rounded and it’s hazardous when like that climbing that steep of an exposure. These Cretaceous deposits are very similar to those of Vancouver Island and the Chignik Formation on the Alaska Penninsula. In rereading the professional paper after this hike I got a better understanding of the geology and concretions there. Some of the concretions have thin crystal layers which look a little like shell in cross section. These are described as cone-in-cone concretions and are likely calcite layers which form concentrically in the concretion and their white flash appearance can be seen in the distance when looking shell material. Looking back from where I traversed can see the Chugach Mountains and recent snow. Nine miles and almost back to my ride home. Hope you enjoy as much as I did, what a day!
- 18 replies
-
- 27
-
I got a weather window and some time to get out for a hike to the Talkeetna Mountains near my home recently. It is an hour long flight to where I went this time and beautiful scenery on the way there. The Nelchina caribou heard uses this area in the spring through fall with their trails from eons use evident in some areas like this mountain. Alaska’s state flower is the Forget Me Knot with many in full bloom. This is at 5,000 foot elevation and the alpine flowers are just now greening up. The caribou trails are nice to use if they happen to be where you are going. Bones from a likely wolf killed caribou. The formation in the background has abundant belemnites. The spring melt with water erosion moves lots of the loose grey mudstone exposing concretions with weathering, some fracture open. This large clam was laying on the bottom and next flood will be gone. Fossil Dog (Kobuk) in action trying to get a parka squirrel who had been chipping at him. Entertaining but really we need to keep hiking as we’re 4 miles from the plane and have not gotten to where I wanted to look at another exposure. D2DCA8DF-76FF-46C0-92B0-6D987105F3A9.MOV The size if some of the ammonites is impressive with these being chunks at the bottom of the exposure I was hiking too. Kobuk is carrying my water which is something he can’t break in his pack. Time to turn around and disappointed as this exposure had looked promising for the bigger ammonites with the float I was seeing in the bottom. On the way back went a different way and found some small gastropods. These slabs of clams were mixed in with conglomerate aggregate and I have seen these type of fossils in several other locations near by. Mixture of fossils and rounded rock. The weather really improved for the flight home making for another spectacular trip. The Talkeetna Mountain in the foreground and Chugach Mountains in the background. Rock glacier is in Hicks Creek valley. Matanuska Glacier The area hiked on this trip is in Cretaceous rocks. There are Jurassic exposures in the Talkeetna Mountains and will get to those sometime too. AK Hiker
- 13 replies
-
- 17
-
Ten essentails for conducting prepared and safe field work involving hiking
Oxytropidoceras posted a topic in Collecting Gear
The ten essentails for for being safe and prepared in the course any field work involving hiking and bushwhacking off main roads are given in: Ten essentials, National Park Service According to the below articles, day hikers are the most vulnerable in and most likely to get involved in survival situations and should have these essentials with them. Safe and Found, George Brown, SmokyMountainsCom Day hikers are the most vulnerable in survival situations. Here's why. A new study looks at who lives and who dies when lost in the wild. By Jayne Moye, National Geographic, 2019 Let's be careful out there, Paul H.-
- 1
-
- survival situations
- hiking
-
(and 3 more)
Tagged with:
-
My wife, dogs and I got out recently to camp overnight and hike in the Talkeetna Mountains. Still very cool for this time of year at 40 degrees in the late morning upon arriving with frost the next morning. The cool weather made for nice hiking weather and we put some miles in on caribou trails and ridges. At one point I checked out a gully with Cynthia staying up high where she collected two hands full of belamite pieces retaining two of the end pieces. I took pictures of the ammonites I saw in a 1/2 hour side hill jaunt returning to camp at our plane with 7.5 miles covered. I have been studying ammonite anatomy and nomenclature so getting closer to be able to make educated guesses as to what I have been seeing. I believe this area is in Member 3 of the Matanuska Formation probably the Pachydiscus kamishakensis zone per the reference recommended by FossilDAWG. I have several ammonites with the umbilcus cleaned out which will help with identification. A new one to me is ribbed, evolute and unfortunatly broken. Most of what I have been seeing are partially evolute or convolute if I am using the terms correctly, some being fairly large. Will post one picuture of a partially prepared one that I am going to make a grade school guess is from the genus Pachydiscus or Psendophyllites and when fully prepped will post better pictures to help identify. All of this is new to me so enjoying the education very much. Reeeealy steep terrain I did not go out on the hard consolidated areas as poor grip with my boots. Breath taking view and also don't slip here. Belemnites deposit are above the ammonites Orca our stylish Boston Terrier Partially prepared ammonoid with an intact umbilcus
- 13 replies
-
- 19
-
Howdy all! I'm super excited about this and I'm looking for expertise and knowledge from all of you! I'm working in Chapel Hill, NC next week and I've paved out a day to FINALLY visit GMR!!! I'm a total noob to this area and what to expect. I've been doing research but I would humbly ask you all about your experiences, local knowledge, where to park (safely), points of entry, tools to bring (i have an good idea), areas to avoid, concerns, etc... I'm doing this alone unfortunately but that also adds to the adventure! I still haven't found my meg yet and it will be sometime before I'm able to get back out to Brownies Beach or Calvert any time soon... SO! I'm really eager to make this visit a great work out and to find some awesome treasures to share with my little boys! I wish they were old enough to come with me!
- 15 replies
-
- gmr
- green mill run
-
(and 7 more)
Tagged with:
-
From the album: Field Pictures