RandyB Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Fossil Forum members were well represented at the Illinois Canal Corridor Association's Mazon Creek collecting event this weekend. My wife and I were able to make the 11 hour drive out Friday to join them and we enjoyed a productive afternoon in the creek Saturday gathering several buckets of concretions to take our first crack at freeze thaw. We also found a number of already opened specimens to wet our whistle while we do our best to be patient. Here are some of our better finds even if some are a little water worn. New to us, so the trip is already a success regardless of what the unopened concretions may be hiding. A few close ups: No clue about these last 2, the 2nd may just be worn and isn't the center plane so I will probably try to freeze/thaw it. It was nice being able to get out and chat with others while collecting and learning about a new to me location. Special thanks to @connorp for putting up with all our questions. 22 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praefectus Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Wow! Nice finds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I was just considering creating a trip report from this weekend when I stumbled onto Randy's topic. I too was able to attend the event hosted by a wonderful couple who are raising money for the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Area. A great time was had by all. I spent the afternoon running up and down the river looking for nodules and was tired and sore from lugging multiple heavy 5 gallon buckets around. The whole time that I was WORKING HARD, I noticed this couple sitting in the stream enjoying the cool waters as they picked around methodically in the bed of the stream. It was a hot day but this hare, in spite of the weather, was not going to stoop to the turtle's level. Well, the turtle beat the hare AGAIN!!!!!! Great finds guys. Oh by the way, here is a picture of the two turtles! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 @minnbuckeye @RandyB It was great meeting you both finally, and @deutscheben @stats @flipper559 it was nice seeing you all again. If there were any other TFF members there I missed, my apologies, please say hi here. I had a great time, pulled about 16 gallons over two days. I tapped some and had a couple nice splits already, I'll post some pics later. I hope everyone finds some nice stuff during freeze thaw over the coming months, and please post some pictures as your finds open! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, connorp said: @minnbuckeye @RandyB It was great meeting you both finally, and @deutscheben @stats @flipper559 it was nice seeing you all again. If there were any other TFF members there I missed, my apologies, please say hi here. I had a great time, pulled about 16 gallons over two days. I tapped some and had a couple nice splits already, I'll post some pics later. I hope everyone finds some nice stuff during freeze thaw over the coming months, and please post some pictures as your finds open! As long as @connorp has mentioned the other members in attendance, I will show a few more pictures. If you didn't figure it out, the two pictures above are @RandyB and his lovely wife, who is so tolerant of his obsession. @deutschebenbelow: @flipper559 with a millipede and a horseshoe crab!!!!!! Deutsheben and @connorp The same two discussing Connor's find. Edited August 30, 2021 by minnbuckeye 2 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 It was good to meet everyone on this trip as well, unfortunately I had to leave early due to an evening commitment, but I did manage to fill one 5 gallon bucket to the brim. As @minnbuckeye said, the hosts were truly welcoming and generous- they even made me a to-go platter since I was leaving before the refreshments were served! Since this was my only Mazon-area trip of the year, I am very excited to start freezing and thawing to see what I found and I can't wait to see everyone else's finds too. For a start, that horseshoe crab is outstanding, @flipper559! And there are definitely nice ferns in that mix too, @RandyB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 It was another productive weekend. Like @connorp, I did both days. I'm a little sore, but not too bad. I have a couple buckets of nuts to freeze/thaw over the next year. Hopefully, there will be some good specimens... I spoke to @minnbuckeye and @randyb without realizing who you are... sorry, I didn't recognize as you were out from behind your FF user names. I collect with @flipper559 pretty often, although, I hadn't seen him for a few months. @connorp, it was nice to have dinner with you, too. I'll post a few open specimens and potentials soon. Cheers, Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Calamites Several ferns species here Here's a large Calamites I found. A bit water worn unfortunately, but it looks like there are perhaps two specimens compressed on top of each other. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Looks like the water level was perfect for the occasion. Congrats to everyone. P.S.-- To those who also like fishing, there are some mighty nice smallies in that creek. 2 Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 19 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said: Looks like the water level was perfect for the occasion. Congrats to everyone. P.S.-- To those who also like fishing, there are some mighty nice smallies in that creek. I had a few nice ones swimming at my feet!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 (edited) Here's a syncarid shrimp (Acanthotelson stimpsoni) that opened up a few weeks ago. I was processing the last of my concretions from last year's trip. This only took about a week (3 cycles) to open. Sometimes, the river rocks are a little softer than Pit 11 and Braceville and open quicker. Cheers, Rich Edited September 1, 2021 by stats 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoda Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Looks like a fantastic trip MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 (edited) I'm glad that such things are still possible in that area. That horseshoe crab is I see at least one matching pair in Randy's lot - not right next to each other so I'm not sure if it was unnoticed, or are they not a match even tho they look extremely similar? Edited September 1, 2021 by Wrangellian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Looks like this was a really successful community event. Wish I could have been there! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveltip1 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 Here's a nice big one that opened today. A tip for those who haven't hunted the creek before - a lot of nodules will have many (often 10+) well defined but thin layers that can all be split. Often times when these nodules first split, there is either no fossil present or just some small fragments. Keep splitting the thin layers and you might end up finding something nice. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 Looks like everyone had a great time, unfortunately I had other commitments to attend to, maybe next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyB Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 That is a beautiful fern @connorp I have a couple that have hairline cracks down the midline after 2 cycles but they didn't open when I tapped them, so they are back in the freezer. The only one with a big laminate layer that split off was blank. Its an outer layer, so the rest is back in the freezer. Maybe tomorrow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 On 9/3/2021 at 7:56 PM, RandyB said: That is a beautiful fern @connorp I have a couple that have hairline cracks down the midline after 2 cycles but they didn't open when I tapped them, so they are back in the freezer. The only one with a big laminate layer that split off was blank. Its an outer layer, so the rest is back in the freezer. Maybe tomorrow... Make sure that each concretion is soaked ALL the way through, or you'll just keep cracking off outer layers on some of them. Sometimes that outer layer comes off in two pieces, like the shell of a walnut, and the "nut" can be reinserted either permanently by gluing it in or temporarily in half a shell to make an interesting display. 1 Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Russell Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Great report! Beautiful specimens! Sorry I missed it! Next year! Gearing up for the return to Catlin, though. Finding my way through life; one fossil at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 A couple new finds from today. A cute little Macroneuropteris pinnule Not sure on this one. It's quite fragmentary whatever it is. Perhaps part of a cone? 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stats Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Here's a few newly opened ones from this trip. Cheers, Rich Laveiniopteris rarinervis Partial Macroneuropteris scheuchzerii Diplazites unita 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFossils Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 On 9/10/2021 at 2:16 PM, connorp said: A couple new finds from today. A cute little Macroneuropteris pinnule Not sure on this one. It's quite fragmentary whatever it is. Perhaps part of a cone? This might be a section of a large millipede. it is not well preserved but I think I can see some of the spines. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connorp Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 1 hour ago, RCFossils said: This might be a section of a large millipede. it is not well preserved but I think I can see some of the spines. Interesting thought. I'll get some more pictures when I'm home in a couple days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 (edited) o Edited October 9, 2021 by minnbuckeye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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