Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Looking toward the mountain we hunted, a wild horse watched us Looking down the 20 mile dirt road After a fossil fish hunt in Wyoming, we drove to House Range, Utah to hunt Trilobites at the U-Dig quarry. The formation is Wheeler Shale, 500+ MYA. The drive between the quarries was about 6 hours. Well worth it! The final 20 miles is a dirt road through the desert. We rented a 4x4 truck as we were told we shouldn't attempt the drive down that road after a rainy day. As luck would have it, we didn't get into rain & the road was well graded. (continued next post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 We had only 6 other people with us the first day. We were the only ones using pry bars to pull out larger rocks. Mark was bringing big rock up from below, then cracking open the layers. The other folks were breaking open the smaller rocks already laying on the ground. Everyone found trilobites! (continued) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgroper Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 You are so lucky being able to find trilobites, I'm jealous! Hope you found some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 I used my crowbar to pull larger rocks out of the wall behind me. We found that those rocks were much, much harder to break. Before the day was over, I was splitting rock popped up from below, as Mark was doing. Although, I did find some larger, more complete trilobites in the wall. (continued) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 At the end of your hunt, there's a rock cutter behind the office for use in reducing the size of the slabs. We found we needed to spend a good hour getting our finds down to a size we could travel with. There's also a polishing wheel onsite, but we didn't take the time to use it. There was a small roof over a picnic table & an outhouse. No trees, not even a decent bush. Prepare for wind & full sun. (and now for a few of my finds.....continued) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Some of the smaller pieces. I've just purchased a book to help me ID them. This is going to take awhile!Most are still under stone, to some degree. I'm going to have to find an efficient way to prep them.(continued) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 I believe they told me at the office that the pieces with lots of bodies present are called mortality plates. I've got at least 4 of these (I've not yet unpacked all of the treasures). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 About 120 of the pieces I've un-packed. About half Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 A closer look at a couple from the group shot, previous post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 And another closer look. I'll stop there, but will post again after I figure out how to clean them up. If hunting Trilobites in Utah is on your list, I can say, I didn't regret a minute of my time at U-Dig. I spent 7 hours there the first day & 4 there the 2nd day. I really wanted to hunt longer, but rain and hail moved in. I'm pretty sure I'll visit both Utah & Wyoming again ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Thanks Sandgroper! It was a highly successful trip, yielding more than 200! If you're ever over here & love the little bugs, you definitely have to hunt Utah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgroper Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 (edited) Fantastic finds and a great thread! Thanks for taking the time to show the results of your trip. That's a trip I'd love to do, I think trilobites are fascinating, we cant find them here. Edited June 25, 2016 by sandgroper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 I live in Florida. We can't find them here either. I was super excited to give this a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 nice report. It is a fun place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izak_ Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 amazing stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 That is a lot of nice bugs!! Makes Me want to do a return trip. The matrix of the wheeler shale is quite soft. It is easy to prep them with a dental pick. Here is a thread that I did a prep on an elrathia kingi. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/57894-digging-out-an-elrathia-kingi/ It is a little slow but looks good when done. Tony Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Wow, these specimens are fantastic. When you add these to your fish specimens you had an incredible trip. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Sounds like you had a wonderfully fun and exciting trip. I remember the first time I went there. Soooo excited I coulda burst. An air abrader with bicarbonate of soda is a heck of a lot faster, but ynots prep tactic works perfectly good too and doesn't cost near as much. Good luck RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Great trip report. We did a similar trip to yours a number of years back. We flew in and rented a car in Salt Lake City, UT. Drove to Kemmerer and loaded up on fish plates (and some Blue Forest petrified wood). Then we headed back to Utah and drove down to Delta to hunt bugs. We decided to go with A New Dig which was one of the employees at U-dig who purchased adjoining property and set up some competition. We did the VIP dig there were the owner pulled out some new material in the wall with a backhoe and we busted up a lot of rock. I can remember that we collected the ones that were "face up" in the chunks of matrix (they had no rock saw to trim in the field). Any of the trilos that were exposed in the matrix upside down we simply popped out of the matrix by putting a chisel to the side of the trilobite and giving a good whack. This dislodged them and we kept those as "free" trilobites (free of the matrix that is). Had a great time there and may get back some day if we are in the area again. I recall there being a really tiny trilobite there (likely in your book) that looked symmetrical-like it had two heads. It was only the size of a pencil eraser. If you can find that species in your book and check your mortality plates, you'll likely have some of those tiny ones scattered around. Not as spectacular as the larger ones but it will be another species you likely didn't know you had. Thanks for the visuals and the trip down memory lane. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Rock Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Greetings to all! Ken, that little "two-headed" bugger is Agnostus interstrictus. I would LOVE to go out there myself SOMEDAY…….dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Yup. That's the one--just google image searched it and that's the little "hourglass" one. Looks like the name may have changed as I found it on the list of taxa from the Wheeler Shale as (Peronopsis interstrictus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_Shale#Trilobita https://www.google.com/search?q=Peronopsis+interstrictus&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&biw=1330&bih=902&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiji7DeucPNAhXFVh4KHdKxBUYQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=%22Peronopsis+interstrictus%22 Cool looking little bugs that seem like they don't know if they were coming or going. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Yup. That's the one--just google image searched it and that's the little "hourglass" one. Looks like the name may have changed as I found it on the list of taxa from the Wheeler Shale as (Peronopsis interstrictus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_Shale#Trilobita https://www.google.com/search?q=Peronopsis+interstrictus&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&biw=1330&bih=902&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiji7DeucPNAhXFVh4KHdKxBUYQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=%22Peronopsis+interstrictus%22 Cool looking little bugs that seem like they don't know if they were coming or going. Cheers. -Ken I think that there are several species of the two headed bugs. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 JcP, Foosil, Marco Sr, THANKS....it truly was a fantastic trip! YNot Tony, thanks for your link !! I've got a nice PaleoTool with a couple of tips. At 5 minutes between your photo frames, I'm going to give it a try. I brought back a handful of partial bugs to practice with. *deep breath* RJB Where would I find the proper Air Abrader? Before I took the trip, I talked with my dentist (a good friend) who told me I'm welcome to use his supply account if I can find a tool I like. I'm not sure I need something so extreme? And as far as feeling like you were about to burst...ME TOO! I told the lady in the office I was moving in! She pointed me to a camper. Well... I require running water... but I could move to a town nearby. teehee Digit Ken, When we took our buckets to the office, the lady looked at them and said "upside down, right side up" I swear, I was barely blinking, but I couldn't tell the difference. Ha Upon closer inspection, I'm finding many of them have more than one body, or part of a body present. I've also seen the little 2 headed fellows. I've got one pretty well uncovered (with a needle). I'll follow up with a few more pictures when I get some uncovered (at the risk of driving everyone crazy....sorry in advance if that happens). CastleRock Dave, You just have to do it! Texas was my halfway plane change. Only 2.5 hours from your state. You will be happy you did. And I flipped through my new book. I see 10 examples of the 2 headed bugs. If those make your heart beat, I would guess your chances of taking a few home is pretty good. The "New Dig" quarry wasn't open this month. Someone said they are working on something and think they will reopen this summer. I don't know anything more about that quarry. The "U Dig" was my destination. They told me the family has been working the area for 53 years. As I looked around, I felt like another 53 years still won't be long enough to uncover all of it. A friendly elderly man in Delta, scribbled out a map to a free place to find trilobites. Still in the same area. Problem was, I had no tools. My point is, you've got all the time you need to prepare yourself for a trip. Those bugs will be there waiting. I remembered finding this one, but just unboxed it. There are gold flakes all over it. Ok, I don't expect it's real gold, but the color of it. So much going on with this piece. I think I'm seeing a random spine & at least 3 more bodies to uncover. Man, I love this!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Rock Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 I just got home (about a week ago) from a successful hunt in the Niobrara of Western Kansas. It was HOT, but then, so was the COLLECTING! I will try to post some pictures soon. Lori, How big would you say the Elrathias are that you collected? I may have to settle for buying some shale from U Dig! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Peronopsis is in here: http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0264d/report.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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