Coyote Lake recreation area - Alaska

[val horn]

I finally made it to Alaska and was able to go to coyote lake in Sutton, Alaska.

   

It is described as being a half mile of dirt road after the pavement ends that is passable in dry weather.

It had not rained for more than a week, and there were burn limits so I thought I would have a chance.  I drove maybe 10 feet onto the path where a stream was running down the road  before I backed out.  At the end of the payment were a couple of houses, with the expected rusting cars on their lots and the no parking signs.  Slightly further back there was a pull-off for parking.

 

Started up the trail past the rusting cars and the barking dog.  I was starting to be worried when the dog came up to me.  He would not leave me alone. he wanted to be rubbed and petted.  The leaf fossils were abundant I brought home several bits of metasequoia , horsetails, and large broadleafed leaves that I don't recognize.  The best of the broadleaf leaves were in rocks that were too big for me to carry home.  While I was there man and his grandsons came up by atv to hunt fossils and fish.  Nice people, nice place. and the dog went home before I finished so I didn't have to worry that he was lost.

 

[Sjfriend]

Glad it worked out. Roads in Alaska can be a bit "different" One day good, next day mud deep enough to swallow a T-Rex!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Still, the leaves that you did manage to bring back look rather nice.  

[minnbuckeye]

Nice finds!! Were the fossils as fragile as the internet says? My goal is to make it to Alaska some day and IF I make it, I would need an Alaskan fossil  to go with my fossils from other states. 

 

 Mike

[val horn]

I am not sure where the extra pictures came from on my post @Fossildude19.  I did spay several with glossy acrylic from walmart artsupplies not sure they needed it and somewere less visible after the spray.  Smaller pieces went in baggies larger just into the backpack 

[Fin Lover]

Love the leaves!

[Sjfriend]

On 6/12/2022 at 4:48 AM, minnbuckeye said:

Nice finds!! Were the fossils as fragile as the internet says? My goal is to make it to Alaska some day and IF I make it, I would need an Alaskan fossil  to go with my fossils from other states. 

 

 Mike

They can be super solid or as fragile as paper thin glass. One of the biggest issues is a lot of the best leaves still have nice layers of carbon that will flake off very easily after exposure. I always have a bottle of Vinac (paraloid) ready when splitting.