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West Virginia (I-68) And Western Pa (I-79) Road Cuts


cck

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Hey all- I have to make a trip which includes the routes in the title ( VA to Titusville PA) and wondered if any one could recommend a road cut or two. Not looking for honey holes, just points of interest. Thanks for the knowledge. C

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No one? I'm back and that is a fantastic geological journey. Maybe you think I was asking for sites. Does anyone on the forum live in western Maryland? Morgantown? On the I-79 corridor south and north of Pittsburgh? Guess not.

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It's my understanding (just mine, could be wrong) that interstate road cuts are off limits. My own experience has proven this correct a handful of times and it happened once in PA (I-80?) state trooper pulled over asked me what I was doing and then asked me to leave. They didn't say anything about laws, just said "please move along." There were a few cuts on ramps & clover leafs I frequented without a problem.

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I was going to respond to you earlier but I got busy and forgot. Many of the roadcuts along I-79 have fossils but they are scattered somewhat. Most of what you see are repetative cycles of marine transgression and regression with coal swamps in between. During the trasgression you get marine limestones and some of them can be very fossiliferous. One unit in the Glenshaw formation (Ames Limestone) is well known for producing fossils. I'd suggest taking a geologic map with you and propect here and there until you get a feel for what layers are exposed.

As for cops and highways, some will chase you off as there is no parking allowed on limited access highways in PA. It can also depend on how close the roadcut is to the road. They don't want you to knock something loose onto traffic below (or yourself). Think also of the liability issue with road cuts. If someone gets hurt and the right ambulance chaser gets to them then the state could be sued for not having warning signs, fencing, maintaining the cut, etc.

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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actually, its illegal to be a pedestrian on an interstate highway. Im sure some cops enforce that more than others...

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I have hunted several times at the road cuts near Elkins with no problems. Just find a wide spot or side road to pull off of. Found some cool Spirifers and some ferns.

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  • 5 years later...
On 1/27/2012 at 8:00 PM, kirk said:

I have hunted several times at the road cuts near Elkins with no problems. Just find a wide spot or side road to pull off of. Found some cool Spirifers and some ferns.

Sorry for bringing back a dead thread, are you referring to Corridor H? or something before then. I stopped at an exposure on Corridor H to stretch my legs and found the best brachiopods of my life. Didn't stay for long because i didnt know of any laws pertaining to the collecting near roadcuts. 

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E.T. Hall - opabinia

 

"If It Can be Written or Thought, It can be Filmed." - Stanley Kubrick

 

Cambrian and Quaternary

 

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53 minutes ago, opabinia said:

Sorry for bringing back a dead thread, are you referring to Corridor H? or something before then. I stopped at an exposure on Corridor H to stretch my legs and found the best brachiopods of my life. Didn't stay for long because i didnt know of any laws pertaining to the collecting near roadcuts. 

Pics of brachiopods, please :)

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Been years since I been there. My parents and grand parents lived in Elkins. Found Ferns along 33? and the Spirifers along the newer to me anyways bypass. No one every bothered me there.

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On 8/21/2017 at 10:51 PM, Peat Burns said:

Pics of brachiopods, please :)

Bad picture, but it looks a lot better in person, +I've just been collecting for a year now so if these aren't that great compared to someone else's they are still pretty valuable to me! :)

 

 

20170813_203429.thumb.jpg.888e6bf74f82f2752725133012cef5d3.jpg

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E.T. Hall - opabinia

 

"If It Can be Written or Thought, It can be Filmed." - Stanley Kubrick

 

Cambrian and Quaternary

 

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On 8/23/2017 at 8:45 AM, opabinia said:

Bad picture, but it looks a lot better in person, +I've just been collecting for a year now so if these aren't that great compared to someone else's they are still pretty valuable to me! :)

 

20170813_203429.thumb.jpg.888e6bf74f82f2752725133012cef5d3.jpg

 

Hi there!

 

I've also only been collecting for a year - I'm a "newbie," too!

 

I personally think your brachiopod looks great!  It's a nice, complete specimen and you can clearly see the ribbing on the valve - well done!

 

Monica

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On 8/23/2017 at 8:45 AM, opabinia said:

Bad picture, but it looks a lot better in person, +I've just been collecting for a year now so if these aren't that great compared to someone else's they are still pretty valuable to me! :)

 

20170813_203429.thumb.jpg.888e6bf74f82f2752725133012cef5d3.jpg

That is a beauty! Thanks for posting it.

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