BrowniesMix Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 My wife and I have been fossil hunting in the Calvert Cliffs region (read: some beachcombing, some sifting, some stick-your-hands-in-the-muck-and-see-what-that-is) for a year or so now, and we're slowly starting to feel like seasoned vets on that front. We're getting ready, however, to take a road trip to Niagara Falls, and we're looking for some solid fossil hunting locations to hit along the way. We'd love to hit a good trilobite site in north PA or western NY state, and possibly also somewhere for ferns and other similarly aged fossils in Schuylkill County PA or thereabouts on the return trip. The fact that it's the dead of winter may present some issues, but we are looking for recommendations for fairly easily accessible sites along our route. To summarize it, consider a straight line path from Washington (DC), to State College (PA), to Jamestown (NY), to Niagara Falls (ON), to Binghamton (NY), and back south to DC via I-81 to either I-83 or I-476. I understand that the Penn Dixie site in Hamburg is closed to the public until May. Is it possible to get to the 18 Mile Creek site at this time of year without walking through freezing cold water (or slip-sliding our way over ice)? If not, any suggestions for productive alternate sites would be great. We are not necessarily looking for a proverbial gold mine -- just somewhere that we can reasonably drive to and park, walk a ways, maybe break a few rocks and bring home some interesting things. Sending me a PM is fine if discretion about locations is warranted. Same deal goes for good sites along the I-81 Corridor in PA. Preference given to places that don't require us to own hip boots, waders, or jackhammers... One final question for now -- anyone know if there would be any customs issues if we had a bunch of fossils in our car when crossing over into Ontario? Thanks for reading and for any recommendations! Edited to add: if this belongs in a different sub-forum (i.e. this one is maybe for completed trips only?) -- sorry, please feel free to delete/move it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael971 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 They get a lot of snow in western NY. I would wait until April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowniesMix Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 We'll be making a second trip in Spring or Summer for sure. I was just hoping that even under wintery conditions there could still be some productive spots. Right now there is almost no snow cover, and I'm hoping it will stay that way for one more week! They get a lot of snow in western NY. I would wait until April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 If there isn't snow cover, you should be able to hunt 18 mile creek. I tried it one winter, and there was about 6-7 inches of snow cover on everything, the crick was half frozen (ie unsafe) and the waves from the lake piled big chunks of ice all along the shore. I was unsuccessful. Then the next year in the spring I had great luck there! For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I live in Ontario and have collected in the US several times and never had a problem bringing fossils back as long as they're in/on clean rock. You will get hassled if there's any dirt. I would also recommend waiting until the snow melts, until then, you're likely wasting your time There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarleysGh0st Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 We'll be making a second trip in Spring or Summer for sure. I was just hoping that even under wintery conditions there could still be some productive spots. Right now there is almost no snow cover, and I'm hoping it will stay that way for one more week! The ten-day forecast looks fairly promising. Of course, in a lake-effect area like Buffalo, that could change very quickly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowniesMix Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Thanks to all for their thoughts... We are still hoping for good conditions, but are also prepared to wait until our next trip if necessary. A few final questions, if anyone wants to chime in: - Is there somewhere specific to park for 18 Mile Creek? - If we go should we be looking along the creek itself, or is the best hunting out on the lake shore? - Is Buffalo Creek also worth a look (again, assuming the conditions make hunting feasible in the first place)? - Still looking for a good PA site near St. Clair to visit on the way back... if anyone can point me towards an open site it would be most appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 There was a place in/near Hamburg, NY called Smokes Creek. You parked near a fire station and walked down to the creek. I found some nice bugs there. All similar to Penn Dixie or 18 Mile. You can probably find it on Google Maps... Found it! http://goo.gl/maps/wAuUi You parked in the very back and walked NW along the creek past the picnic areas for good exposures. And you stop in at the firehouse to ask permission. Qualifier: I went there 11 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Thanks to all for their thoughts... We are still hoping for good conditions, but are also prepared to wait until our next trip if necessary. A few final questions, if anyone wants to chime in: - Is there somewhere specific to park for 18 Mile Creek? - If we go should we be looking along the creek itself, or is the best hunting out on the lake shore? - Is Buffalo Creek also worth a look (again, assuming the conditions make hunting feasible in the first place)? - Still looking for a good PA site near St. Clair to visit on the way back... if anyone can point me towards an open site it would be most appreciated! For 18 Mile Creek parking, there is a fisherman's lot on Old Lake Shore Rd. just past the bridge but before South Creek Rd. in North Evans, NY. Lot is on the left, if heading south on Old Lake Shore. I've had great luck on both sides of the creek, but there is supposed to be an exposure of trilos on the lake shore, (southern side of the creek - need to walk to the beach) at the water level - but the path to get there may not be accessable, depending on the water level/snow cover. If there is snow on the ground, though, this is all probably an exercise in futility. Buffalo Creek definitely has fossils, but I have not personally hunted there, and snow cover would be discouraging. In Deer Lake in PA , on Rt 61 - fossils can be found behind the Michaels restaurant - stop in the restaurant and ask permission to hunt in back. Kind of a treacherous scree pile, but marine fossils can be found there. Also, not sure if this is on the way of your route, but you could try Googling Carbondale + PA + Fossils. Fern fossils to be found in scrap piles. Personally , I wouldn't chance the creek hunting this time of the year - especially if there is snow cover/ice - too much could go wrong, very quickly,... but that's just me. I'd wait for late spring- summer to make the most of it. Hope this helps. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilcrazy Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Be glad to turn on any FF member to Western New York collecting places. I've collected the fossils here since the 80's. PM me in the Spring for specific info. I'll try to go out with you or just lay the information on you. Really the winter (32F and less) collecting is for the extreme die hards. There is an direct relationship, as the temperature decreases, so does the fun and the finding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowniesMix Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Thanks to everyone for their help. The trip was only moderately successful in terms of bringing fossils home but served as a very good scouting trip for going again in the future. After seeing the falls, we stopped at 18 Mile Creek, found the right place to park, and walked on the south side of the creek in both directions until we couldn't walk any farther. Unfortunately the water level was too high to get very far, and we didn't budget enough time to explore ways to get to the north bank of the creek or to the Lake Shore. We'll be far more prepared when we visit again! The other suggested sites are on our list of places to stop in the Spring (or whenever we get back up there). On the way back south through PA we stopped at the St. Clair site for fern fossils. Unfortunately, by this point, my wife had sprained her ankle pretty badly and waited patiently in the car while I jogged down the trail to the site. I didn't bring anything along since I knew I'd only be out there for 10-20 minutes, just scouting around. I came home with as many loose pieces as I could carry safely in my hands, but they were a very nice consolation prize. We're itching to get back there with some proper tools for proper hunting next time. fossilcrazy -- I'll send you a PM whenever we finally get around to hauling ourselves back up there, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 As Fossilcrazy indicated not exactly the best time of year for collecting up here. Glad you wen thome with something, I know I would not have tried 18 mile creek at this time of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 There is an direct relationship, as the temperature decreases, so does the fun and the finding. This is a very true and wise statement....... it is winter... it is cold outside and I am indoors, where it is warm and playing with fossils and optics and camera stuff... just waiting for spring to arrive...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 make sure you keep a few Friday's free !!!!!!!!!!!! Will be interesting to see what has become of the Fiddler's since we last visited....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilcrazy Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 make sure you keep a few Friday's free !!!!!!!!!!!! Will be interesting to see what has become of the Fiddler's since we last visited....... I pretty sure we will see much of the Fiddler's green bench missing and some big piles of well sorted gravel. Just knowing there were some beautiful Eurypterid babies all ground to little chunks of rock saddens me. If I had a couple million dollars, I'd buy the quarry and all the Eurypterids would have a home and not be pulverized then driven over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Just knowing there were some beautiful Eurypterid babies all ground to little chunks of rock saddens me. *plays "Lion King" soundtrack" It's the Ciiiiiiiiirrrrrrrcle of liiiiiiiiiife! (or in this case fossils) -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 McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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