Prospecting the San Juan Basin

[Kato]

@PFOOLEY.  I'm seeing this thread for the first time. Guessing the area is northwest New Mexico or are you venturing into southwest Colorado?

 

I was in Bisti Badlands area last fall and some of the surrounding areas just aimlessly wandering. I spent several days in the lands west of Cortez, Colorado as well, primarily trail running and hiking remote canyons but keeping my eyes open for fossils. Much different than the Sacramento mountains down here in southeast California. Much more open feeling as opposed to the horrendously rocky trails and back roads we have here.

 

I'm planning another trail running, hiking and mountain biking trip to Cortez in early May and hoping to explore more of Bisti fir a couple of days if there are no crazy Spring winds. That place is definitely in the wide open as are the locale you seem to be visiting.

 

 

[SPrice]

On 3/26/2024 at 10:18 AM, SPrice said:

A little FYI - the main author of the bulletin you posted back in 2015...about the ammonites in Crittenden Springs, NV...lives a few miles up I-15 from me. I dug through the webernet and found his address and land line phone #. Might be making a phone and visit... if the call goes well. He's now 81 and retired...but still pretty active. I've seen one picture of his "Fossil Museum" in his home...online. Unless, I'm recalling a different scenario ( happens often ) he also might sell or trade fossils. Could be wrong there. 

 

 

Update:  I did call Mr. J.F. Jenks, left a message and he returned the call. We had a great introductory conversation and then got to the meat and potatoes. I had two requests - first, could I pick his brain to assist me in climbing the learning ladder. Tools needed I hadn't considered, geology studies, recommended locations ( yeah, I did ask that ) , and so forth. 

 

He did recommend air scribes and air abrasion equipment if I wanted to get serious. 

 

My second request was - would he be willing to show me his collection? Before we even got that far into chatting. He said " normally, I would just invite you over to show you my collection...nano seconds ticked off and I thought - OH NO!...and he continued - but I donated it to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. I said awww...but that's okay - road trip. He said - oh you can't see them, it's not on display, you need permission to get into storage.  I say - no worries, I can ask politely and mention your name or find someone to grant said permission. 

 

And then he asks - do you have a GPS? Yes! Let me have your email and I'll send you some coordinates. I did, he did.

 

First of many to come and I find out it's in the Salt Lake Valley less than 30 minutes away.  Anasibirites beds! Woot!  I had seen a hint of this location and mentioned it to him and he quickly dismissed what I'd found and said, I don't know anything about that place, but I'm talking about the outcrops up in the hills . Oooooh! I understand now. The weather finally cleared...

[Alex S.]

That's awesome! Those look like some beautiful fossils in those beds! I've been hoping for the weather to clear to check out the echinoids in emigration canyon.