Jump to content

Had A Nice Trip To The Sulphur, In Roadcut


JimTh

Recommended Posts

I'd heard this location had blastoids, which I've never seen before, so last Friday me and a friend headed down there. We arrived around 930 or so and were immediately stuck by the steepness of the cut "we have to go up this?". We got up near the top where the really productive layer is and immediately started finding blastoids, archimedes, and small horn corals. Most blastoids were in the 1/2" range, I found one archimedes that is around 6" in a slab. Buddy found one blastoid that is probably over 1". The horn corals are generally small. Lots of crinoid bits and pieces also. We took a break for lunch and when we returned we had company. On the west side there was now a man and his son. We hit the east side but it wasn't very productive. Dropped back down and the man & son were gone, but now there was an older lady with 3 young boys. We crossed over and said hi. They were looking for fossils on the very bottom layer, which is hard limestone and not very productive. The boys got very excited when they saw my rock pick and boots. I gave them some of the duplicates of everything I had picked up earlier. I told them the good stuff was up there.

Things evolved and me and my buddy wound up taking the two older boys up the road cut to hunt. The boys were very polite, calling us "sir" the whole time. We spent around 30 minutes up high, with them finding several examples on their own. I ended up giving them my bottle of water because they were dried out. I was identifying what they were finding or debunking psuedofossils (lots of those when you're 10/13) the whole time. They eventually asked me if I was a scientist. :) Eventually grandma yelled up that it was time to go, so we had to get down. I think all the grown-ups were much more concerned about it than the kids. The 13 year old scrabbled down 3 steep 4' shelves in no time. But I slowed down the 10 yeard old, I was afraid he was going to fall. I ended up getting below him and lifting him down each shelf. He actually told me I was really nice. :)

Overall a fun trip, if a bit short. It was made more enjoyable by getting to help stir an interest in science in some youngsters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like a fabulous trip for many different reasons. I bet you helped create a life long love of fossils in those 2... How wonderful! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a trip report that is a cut above the norm; well done!

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad you had a productive trip, and got to help out the next generation of paleo nuts. Here is a report you may find useful on the geology of the site, with lists of fossils (but no photos unfortunately).

I visited there a few years ago, but had no information other than the highway intersection. It took me a couple of hours of climbing/exploring to find the productive horizon, but in the end I did come away with quite a few nice blastoids, Archimedes bits (and one slab with two 6 inch specimens), and a couple of very tiny crinoid crowns. I count it as a productive day, but knowing more now I'd sure like to pay it another visit.

Don

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Dawg,

I reviewed that paper ahead of time so I knew to go straight up and look for the shale. I want to go back and explore the other two corners. Might wait for fall tho, got a tick and a few chiggers on this trip.

The kids really were great kids. Very respectful and polite. Grandma said she liked to make stops for them to rockhunt when she could. She was in flip-flops so going up was not an option for her. Shame the youngest one couldn't go up, but it was tricky for the 10 year old.

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great trip report! It was very nice of you to share your knowledge and finds with those kids.

-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/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...