Trip Report July 7Th - Scoharie Ny.

[Fossildude19]

Hello All,

This is a little late in coming, but life gets in the way, sometimes. Anyway, during the course of my stay in Gilboa, NY, I had occasion to visit (Twice!!) a cool Devonian fossil site in Scoharie, NY. The famous Rickard Hill Road!

Thanks to 'erose', I was introduced to this productive site. More info about the location, here:

http://bingweb.bingh...e/Schoharie.htm

( Thank you again, Erich!)

The site was about a half an hour north of our campsite. I packed the family into the car and we arrived at the site.

 

    

 

The fossils were being found immediately, before I even had time to unpack our gear!

 

 

 

[Fossildude19]

All in all, I spent about an hour and 15 minutes, each time,... Once on the 7th with the family, and again, on the 9th, by myself. (Family was fossiled out!)

This was the haul:

All in all, ended up with a number of different types of brachs, some bryzoans, crinoid pieces, and a Phacops trilobite cephalon.

Also, a cool spheroidal sponge, Hindia sphaeroidalis!

Edited August 9, 2010 by Fossildude19

[Fossildude19]

More pics:

[Fossildude19]

Leptaena and Atrypa?

[Fossildude19]

Megakozlowskiella perlamellos?

[Fossildude19]

Bryzoans. Fenestella?

[Fossildude19]

More Brachiopods:

[Fossildude19]

The large brachiopod is Macropleura macropleura and the sponge, Hindia sphaerodalis :

Edited August 9, 2010 by Fossildude19

[Fossildude19]

Another pic of the site, and the ultra cool window cling Trilobite, made by my son!

  

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Eldredgeops logani ? cephalon:

 

[Fossildude19]

Neat octagonal house on the way to the site!

And hash plates:

The site was phenomenal, and I only wish I could have had about a week there, instead of 2.5 hours!

Lots of cool stuff, with easy pickings, and if you have good eyes, neat things weathered free of matrix!

Definitely a cool trip! Thanks for looking.

[sue in ohio]

Awesome pics Tim and some really nice finds too. I'm hoping once I'm back on my feet I can make a trip there before the weather gets too nasty to travel. Glad you got a chance to explore it with your family and yourself....Sue

[pleecan]

Great report Tim! Thanks for sharing photos of the site and the haul of fossil goodies.

PL

[Fossildude19]

Sue: Thanks! Yeah it was a great site - not as many trilos as I'd like, but cool stuff, none the less!

Peter: Thank You!

[Auspex]

Mmmmm, Devonian road cuts....I can smell the shale

Neat stuff, and your Hindia is bad to the bone (even though it's an invert)!

Oh, the window clinger is A-OK

[Fossildude19]

Auspex : Thank You for the kind comments.

I was really pleased with the Hindia !

A nice surprise, and the Eldredgeops wasn't found 'til I got home, after a closer inspection,... (another nice surprise!)

[Shamalama]

Wow, Good site to visit. I've read about it on the New York Paleontology site but have not visited it yet. You've got quite the haul there.

[nala]

So many finds ! nice report and great site ,thanks to share.

[Fossildude19]

Dave: Thank you. It is a terrific site - I need to go back and spend a full day there, probably when things cool down a bit! I didn't even get a chance to check out the other side of the road!

Nala: Thank you for your kind remarks. I enjoy sharing my trips and fossils found during them when I can.

Regards,

Edited August 9, 2010 by Fossildude19

[Nandomas]

Nice report. thanks to share, I am always thrilled with brachipods places

[Fossildude19]

Fossil Veraci: Thank you for the nice comment. I am glad you liked the post!

Regards,

[erose]

Fossildude,

Good report. You did pretty well for just an hour plus. If you go again and can spend some time you will eventually find more and more perfect specimens free of matrix. After some good rain or next spring after the freeze/thaw it can be quite an experience. I've spent a few entire days there just crawling from one end to the other.

A few notes: The Hindias are more common than you realize and if you spend some time you can go home with dozens. I've seen good ones the size of golf balls. The bryozoans are definitely "Fenestrate" types but you will need to do more research to nail them down even to genus. Different bryozoan genera can look exactly alike with the differences only seen in cross sections or under a microscope. When you go back spend some time working the really small stuff near the road to find crinoidal bits & pieces.

Don't bother much with the other side of the road. It does not weather the same and you will not find much. Also down the hill at the bend in the road you can get a look at the Coeymans Limestone. It is a dark gray, and much harder stone with a somewhat different mix of fossils. If you look hard where it has weathered you can find good loose specimens. There is a very distinct brachiopod called Gypidula to be found there.

That was one of my all time favorite sites. It's fun to experience it even vicariously.

[JimB88]

Wow! What a haul! Its cool that your family is involved and loves it too! Your son's window cling is neat - he should make and sell em on the forum. A good trip all around!

[Fossildude19]

... That was one of my all time favorite sites. It's fun to experience it even vicariously.

Erich -

Thanks again for the tip. I would never have thought to look for this place on my own.

We had a great time, and It's on the list of places to get back to!

Warm Regards,

Edited August 11, 2010 by Fossildude19

[Fossildude19]

On 8/10/2010 at 9:04 PM, JimB88 said:

Wow! What a haul! Its cool that your family is involved and loves it too! Your son's window cling is neat - he should make and sell em on the forum. A good trip all around!

Thanks Jim!

Yeah, the family puts up with it for a while,... but can be easily/quickly bored.

I think some people just don't get it.

And,... if my wife isn't finding better stuff than me, ... the kids are stealing my best finds!

A couple of the brachs will be headed your way!

Kind Regards,