North Sulphur River - 11-8-15 - CURSE THE MUD!

[DinoMike]

Thought I was gonna DIE in the North Sulphur River last Sunday. Seriously overdid it, hiking over a mile through patches of thick, sticky mud. Gave up when I hit a patch that almost fossilized ME. This is all I came back with, partial ammonite & 2 bone scraps. No more long-range hiking in that place for me, unless the riverbed & mud is BONE DRY.

[Auspex]

It's bad when that Giant Sucking Sound isn't just from boots in the mud...

I'm sure you'll find another way to push yourself too far, though

[JarrodB]

Nice ammo.

Thought I was gonna DIE in the North Sulphur River last Sunday. Seriously overdid it, hiking over a mile through patches of thick, sticky mud. Gave up when I hit a patch that almost fossilized ME. This is all I came back with, partial ammonite & 2 bone scraps. No more long-range hiking in that place for me, unless the riverbed & mud is BONE DRY.

North Sulphur River 11-08-15 001.jpg

[DPS Ammonite]

Take a long hiking stick with you. I used a pool cue with the small tip cut off. You can try to attach a hand strap on top. They are also good for probing muddy water depth and digging up small fossils. I survived many NSR trips with mine. I noted the worst/deepest mud was where side canyons entered.

[Ptychodus04]

Feel your pain. I once mired myself up to my waist in the NSR gumbo mud. It took me half an hour to pull myself out.

[DinoMike]

Next time I go there, I think I'll just stick to the fairly mud-free areas near my entrance point. Do a surface-collect walk of the immediate area to look for anything noteworthy, then settle down with my screens & sift gravel.

[JarrodB]

I've had more close calls in the creeks sinking especially where they connect to the river. lol

[JohnJ]

Take a long hiking stick with you. I used a pool cue with the small tip cut off. You can try to attach a hand strap on top. They are also good for probing muddy water depth and digging up small fossils. I survived many NSR trips with mine. I noted the worst/deepest mud was where side canyons entered.

A general rule of thumb has served me well through the years: if the raccoon tracks are deep, don't walk there.

[Khyssa]

I feel you're pain. A couple weeks ago I was checking out a creek with a friend and while walking downstream I tried crossing what looked like a regular sand bar. Only a couple steps across I started sinking very quickly. The sand was up past my knees before I belly flopped forward across my heavy duty sifter with it's floats. Had to yell for my friend to come along the bank and help me out. Don't know how far down I would have sunk if it wasn't for my very bouyant sifter! Made me wonder if I had stmbled into a sand clogged spring but there were no bubbles and I've been to that creek before.

[Auspex]

...I started sinking very quickly. The sand was up past my knees before I belly flopped forward across my heavy duty sifter with it's floats...

Did your friend shoot a video?

THAT would go viral!

[JustPlainPetrified]

Some pretty scary stories there. Stay safe and alway get home!

[DinoMike]

I feel you're pain. A couple weeks ago I was checking out a creek with a friend and while walking downstream I tried crossing what looked like a regular sand bar. Only a couple steps across I started sinking very quickly. The sand was up past my knees before I belly flopped forward across my heavy duty sifter with it's floats. Had to yell for my friend to come along the bank and help me out. Don't know how far down I would have sunk if it wasn't for my very bouyant sifter! Made me wonder if I had stmbled into a sand clogged spring but there were no bubbles and I've been to that creek before.

Sounds like a river incident I had up in north-central Florida about 10 years back. Muck on the bottom swallowed me up to mid-thigh. Had to lie across my float-equipped screenbox to get out.

[jpc]

Sounds like a good place to bring a fossiling buddy.

[Khyssa]

Did your friend shoot a video?

THAT would go viral!

No video as she was around a bend in the creek when I started sinking. I'm sure it would have been very amusing to watch if there had been one! At the time though I was just happy to be out of the sand. It was not fun trying to get all that sand out from under my pant legs afterwards. There has been many a time I've wished someone had caught one of my less then graceful moments on video. Judging by the way my friends have laughed they must be quite amusing! The eeping and squeaking sounds I tend to make as I stumble around alone tend to make people stop, stare, and burst out laughing.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Khyssa