Close-Call. More Dumb Luck

[PRK]

Just before I left calif permently, I did another paleosalvage job in Orange County for the hiway dept. It was on a weekend, and in a low miocene roadcut, approx 20-30ft. About halfway up the cut I found a nice piece of pecten(scallop) shell in situ (in place), in some unindurated softish sandy material, and flairly easy to dig.

This softer layer was sandwhiched between two thick, very solid and resistant layers of limestone?. As it was pretty easy diggin where the pectens were, I explored further, i started burrowing/digging, following some decent pectens into the hill along the bedding plane. Before to long, I realized I had dug a small horizontal shaft into the hill directly into that layer, about the size of my body. I was by then 3-4ft into the hole, and i was laying on my back looking up at a celling of beautiful pectens. As I dug in further the pecten bed started to broaden until it was approx 6 ftx5ft, of solid overlapping pecten, and 3 or 4feet into the hole I had started. There were probably 50 giant perfect shells each 5-6 in across. The entire celling was covered with giant perfect pectens. What a sight!! Truly a work of art?

Not knowing just how to handle this one, I squirmed out to take a breather and assess the situation. Just as I sat up outside the opening, I heard a horrible ground shaking THUD, and dust came billowing out of the hole which I had just vacated. The entire ceiling had caved in. I would estimate a couple tons of rock had collapsed, including the fossils.

WHEW!!! EEOW!! WHAT A CLOSE CALL !!

Out of ALL those lovely pecten I had uncovered, I was only able to salvage these TWO,--- pictured below. And like I said, they ALL had both valves and ALL were this good. It seems i was the only one to see this underground treasure. Ohh, if I only had a camera? WAIT !! i mean, I'm sure glad I didn't have a camera

Last time i was there they had sprayed the cut with asphalt to ensure slower weathering AND to discourage fossil collectors. I now stay well away from rock overhangs.

Pecten mIguelensis. Pliocene. S.Calif

Edited September 18, 2013 by PRK

[Scylla]

You were almost pulverized by pectens! Ever consider going back to California? I have a few road cuts in Orange Co. I've had my eye on...

[Wrangellian]

Nice specimens, at least you got those ones out. Were the rest shattered or what? Any idea of the age?

[Scylla]

My parents live there (in OC), we visit a couple of times a year.

[PRK]

Leisure world?

[Scylla]

:rofl:

No, Yorba Linda

[Missourian]

Those shells are beautiful. Would it be at all feasible to work down to the pecten layer from above, or at least dig a more modest and less dangerous pit?

Edit: I just saw where you mentioned how the hwy dept sprayed asphalt on the outcrop. Figures....

Edited December 26, 2012 by Missourian

[PRK]

First of all, remember this was 35yrs ago. secondly there will be 15-20ft of overburden. Third im relatively sure the fossils were shattered, and I am sure the California hiway dept would frown on a large hole. ----- WAAAAY to much trouble.

Edited December 26, 2012 by PRK

[Missourian]

And I can imagine, being in southern California, that the road cut is perilously close to a NASCAR-like highway (when it's not a parking lot).

[PRK]

Here is that reverse side.i just can't figger, I usually get at least 2pics in a post?

[Wrangellian]

That's a nice association piece.. you don't often find even Recent shells that pristine! (depending on what part of the world)

I don't know why you can't post 2 pics in once post either, they seem to be small enough to not go over the 2MB limit.

[PRK]

Arent there any other " close call" stories/warnings anyone wants to share?

Edited February 1, 2013 by PRK

[Scylla]

Well, once when I was a kid we were camping near Rooseveldt lake in Arizona. I always looked at the ground for rocks/fossils and that is the only reason I saw that rattlesnake (thought it was an interesting driftwood root until it moved) that was between my feet. The ensuing jump was one of my best. So in a sense rock/fossil collecting SAVED my life, but it didn't end so well for the snake.

[jpc]

I fell off a cliff once, about 6 feet into water. A chunk off rock that came down with me smacked me on the shin and I got a big ole lump on my shin. I thought the fossils were maybe artictaled ribs, but it turns out (yes I went back up) they were a series of clams sticking out of the cliff.

So, PRK, I don't get it... if youwere collecting for the County, did you get to keep what you found? How unusual.

[PRK]

When I was on the clock it was their material. Occasionally I would recon on the weekends---

[Missourian]

I think you have it backwards. Collecting on the clock would be recon for the weekends.

[PRK]

Since i dont have the money to buy, when i do see a fossil i like/want, I go out and collect and prepare it myself. This insures not only do I NOT have a fake, but I do have another good story.

As this collecting process may take years and hundreds of pieces before i find "the one", there is no need or reason for me to keep everything I collect. I don't want hundreds of the same fossils, so when I find that satisfying piece, I move onto another type of fossil locale. I love to collect variety.

Edited August 31, 2013 by PRK

[Boneman007]

I was in western Kansas a number of years ago, looking over the top of one of the "mesas" out there, when in a second I realized that I was standing on a undercut cliff. Of course this was due to the fact that the ledge underneath me had collapsed and I was about to go for a 40 foot fall.

Strangely, I didnt fall but 8 feet.

Worse, though, was the fact that I didnt fall because I was wedged into the cravass below me. I still had a 30 foot drop underneath my dangling legs. In addition there was a small rise immediately under me.

I knew what had to happen next. I needed to loosen my equipement belt, fall the rest of the way, and like a episode of "Kung Fu", I made a plan to bend like a reed when I hit the rise. It would be not problem.

Well, reality was, a slammed down on the rise like a pancake at IHOP. broke 3 ribs.

Worst, and Best, I found a mosasaur the next day and spent 2 days digging it out with broken ribs.

Not for the faint of heart.

I'd love to say it was my only broken bone while fossil hunting, but it would not be true.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Boneman007

[PRK]

Good story, thanks 007. I was hopin to encourage more of them with my initial post. I know others out there have those kind of stories

[BobWill]

I'd love to say it was my only broken bone while fossil hunting, but it would not be true.

And here we thought "boneman" had something to do with your finds

[Wrangellian]

^ Ha!

What we won't do for fossils...

I have not had such a close call but I nearly crippled myself on Saturday extracting an ammonite from solid bedrock using hammers/chisels. Took all afternoon. Was all I could do to load up and drive home. Sore spots all over - was not sitting in a comfortable position (they are never found in convenient locations are they? - at least it wasn't out of reach) My arm is still sore..

But it was worth it. Will post pics later.

[PRK]

So I guess I'll start another close call story. In Oregon this time and about 15yrs ago

I was down at another fossil locality showing a friend an easy locale. We were just there for a quick visit so the only tools we each had was pointed estwing rock hammers. I noticed a nice fossil extending into the bluff. However there was an open seem extending through the rock just over the fossil. If I could only pry off that loose slab.

SOOO, not wanting to leave it and being the "great fossil hunter", I decided to pound the point of my friends rock hammer into the open seem with MYrock hammer to easily pry it off. Why not, the hammers had convienient handles so we couldn't loose them. Plus, the handles provided good leverage for prying.

BAD MISTAKE!

Those hammers were the exact same tensile strength. I didn't know the metal wouldn't mushroom but simply chip, and I was whalin on those hammers. And yes, you guessed it---on the third blow, (hammer to hammer), A shrapnel chip about the size of a 22 slug with lots of sharp edges, hit me straight on in the sternum knocking me down, and penetrated pretty deep, luckily only into, but not through the bone. Didnt know it at the time, so I was pretty freaked!!!!! Bleeding profusely, we made it back to the house and removed the piece of metal.

I only received a tetanus shot from the Dr out of the deal, along with orders to take it easy for a few days

Needless to say I took a couple week break. And had nightmares about what if it hit my throat or my eye, or........ YIKES!!! Shudder!!!!

Edited October 19, 2013 by PRK

[fossilcrazy]

I like these stories. Mine is a little toned down. Digging for Eurypterids is done in hard and brittle Dolostone. Frequently the chisel and hammer send shards flying at sub-sonic speeds. You can hear them whiz by your ear. I'm not sure how many pairs of glasses I've ruined by shards. Once in a while a nice shard goes right in the face and draws blood. That is when my hot head Italian temper immediately shows up and my next blow goes to max power and smashes the offending rock. I wish I could react better. It really isn't the rock having the audacity to attack me and besides that rock could still have had a nice Eurypterid in it. Wouldn't that be a shame to ruin a good Eurypterid over spilled blood.

[Auspex]

...on the third blow, (hammer to hammer)...A shrapnel chip about the size of a 22 slug with lots of sharp edges, hit me straight on in the sternum knocking me down, and penetrated pretty deep, luckily into, but not through the bone...

Were you, by any chance, in the company of Peter Ward at the time? He tells a very similar story!

[PRK]

NOT !!

As ive mentioned before, Cant say i know a Peter ward.

Edited September 3, 2013 by PRK