Wishbone Hill plant fossils and Eska Falls Day Hike

[AK hiker]

Wishbone Hill by Sutton, Alaska is an old coal strip mine area so unfortunately a lot of trash, motorized recreation and shooting. Did I mention shooting? On the drive in will pass where trees have been shot so much they have fallen down, I should have taken a picture of that as for about an 1/8th of a mile 50 trees have been cut down by bullets. My wife, dogs and I did an eight mile round trip day hike first with the strip mine visible in the background. There is road access to the mine area and fossil collecting is allowed.

 

 

Wishbone Hill with the notch in middle for reference later too where the plant fossil pictures were taken.

 

Above tree line Eska Falls Day Hike. Really a nice trail but need 4 wheel drive to access the trail head. 

 

This petrified log is on the west end of the cut

 

 

 

Petrified log

 

 

Back to the truck just in time!

This is the upper part of the Chickaloon Formation, a Tertiary deposit. There area multiple papers online if interested in the history and geology. These pictures were taken in a 20 minute walk. The two bigger petrified logs are visible on the middle cut. If you visit sorry about all the trash, not proud of the shape this area is in. The last time I was there was 20 years ago and not any better then. If you like to shoot bring your guns, you will fit right in!

 

  

[FossilDAWG]

Thanks for the tour without having to brave bullets.  My favorite Cambrian trilobite site has a similar problem.  It's only accessible in the winter when the lake (actually reservoir) level is lowered, and that overlaps with deer hunting season.  I never go there without wearing a bright orange reflective vest and an orange hat, and even then I am a little nervous.

 

Don

[Monica]

Those are some awesome petrified logs - WOW!!!

[Ruger9a]

I enjoyed this post, thanks for sharing.

[Sjfriend]

Nice log!

 

I hit that quarry about 32 years ago But in all my moves with the military after that they all died (wasn't as learned then , most due to this group). Hope to get back there some day to add to my AK plant finds again. 

[AK hiker]

On 6/24/2020 at 2:02 AM, Monica said:

Those are some awesome petrified logs - WOW!!!

I flew by there again today returning from another epic overnight camping/hiking trip with my wife and dogs. Looking down you can see those logs from 2,000 above ground level and also I saw two other strip pits that looked like less activity from the Winchester crowd.