An Ode To Mazon Creek- 2017 Collecting Season

[abach292]

Mazon Creek 2017 Collecting Season

 

Mazon Creek is open for collecting fossils from March 1- September 30. The area known as Pit 11 is famous for concretions from the Carboniferous period. It is far past its collecting heyday, where concretions were very easy to find. Now this coal strip mine has become quite overgrown and difficult to collect. But there are still treasures to be found. "There are Tullys in these Hills, still"

 

I collected Pit 11 and the South Unit about 15-20 times over the course of the summer, some trips alone, and some with friends, and one with the Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois. I posted some of my trip reports on my blog, and wanted to create a FF post to compliment them, and share photos that are not on my other trip reports.

http://americanfossilhunt.com/2017/03/08/mazon-creek-fossil-collecting-opener-trip-report-3517/

http://americanfossilhunt.com/2017/04/14/mazon-creek-pit-11-collecting-report-492017/

http://americanfossilhunt.com/2017/06/23/mazon-creek-pit-11-collecting-report-5292017-torino-hill/

http://americanfossilhunt.com/2017/10/01/mazon-creek-pit-11-collecting-report-islands-braceville-hill-late-2017/

 

Also, below is a cool poster I made to memorialize the season. It hangs in my collecting gear closet, above all the concretions I will be freezing and thawing this winter.

 

2017

In spring, this wildlife area is very peaceful. Its hauntingly quiet, and a refreshing feeling to smell the sprouting plants and earth, after an always seemingly very long Chicago winter. To spend a day hiking and exploring 2000+ acres of undisturbed land is one of the more unique fossil collecting experiences as far as sites in the United States go.

 

One of my favorite things about collecting in the early season, is finding some of the animal bones and skulls of those who didnt make it through the winter. This buck skull was one of my coolest finds from the area. When i found it, it still had some meat on it, so I took it home and tried to boil it and soak it in biological detergent. The thing reeked! even though there was very little tissue on it.

After a few days of trying to clean it myself, I actually took it back to the woods, and stashed it under a fallen tree, to let nature do the heavy lifting. I returned a few weeks later, and found it very clean and bleached by the sun. It now hangs above my display case.

 

Below is an area by Monster Lake, that I liked collecting. There is some exposed shoreline, and its not uncommon to find concretions in, or right next to, the water.

Here is a mixed lot of pre-opened fossils, a couple jellyfish, fern fragments, a worn out shrimp, and corprolite.

And a nice neuropteris that opened after a few freeze/thaws.

Another mixed lot of pre-opened.

 

As the summer wore on, the collecting got immensely more difficult. By May, some of my favorite collecting areas were so overgrown, they were impassable and un-collectable. My friend invested in a boat, so we can collect Torino Hill, which extended the collecting season quite a bit. Most all of my Torino finds are still unopened, and I am working through them little by little. Photos to come soon.

 

I was going to create a longer post, but it appears I am capped at photos for this entry. I downsized them, but perhaps not enough. I will post follow-ups on this later, and likely throughout the winter, as my concretions start to open up, whether by freeze/thaw, or some days I have planned to do some hammering.

 

til next year! But I will keep the MC posts on the blog and here coming over the next few months. I have 300lbs of concretions to go through, and keep me busy this winter.

[Miocene_Mason]

Sounds like a productive season, you got some real nice fossils there! Good luck with the rest of the nodules!

[Macrophyseter]

Pretty great haul! Good luck on the rest of the nodules, and maybe you can get even more next summer?

[RJB]

  Cool stuff!   Good luck on your freezing and thawing.

 

RB

[Nimravis]

Nice report, thanks for sharing.

[abach292]

hey thank you all!

 

@Nimravis you have some great posts from the area. Hope we can go collecting next season.

 

The current lot I am freezing and thawing is photographed below. They have gone through 4 cycles, with none opening other than duds. Since one of the buckets came from a shaft mine (and more fragile), I am going to let them dry and tap them with my rock hammer. Was hoping to this weekend, but time escaped me. Sharing this photo because it is rather unique, and unplanned. The bunch on the left came from a trip to Braceville Hill, from a trip hosted by ESCONI. This site is all shaft mine dump, from much earlier in the coal mining days, and from much deeper underground. The lot on the right came from an island in pit 11 that is from the strip mining days. I thought the color difference was interesting, and worth sharing. 

Based on the area, they will both contain similar material. Hoping for more fossils than duds  some nice shapes in here.

[Nimravis]

6 minutes ago, abach292 said:

hey thank you all!

 

@Nimravis you have some great posts from the area. Hope we can go collecting next season.

 

The current lot I am freezing and thawing is photographed below. They have gone through 4 cycles, with none opening other than duds. Since one of the buckets came from a shaft mine (and more fragile), I am going to let them dry and tap them with my rock hammer. Was hoping to this weekend, but time escaped me. Sharing this photo because it is rather unique, and unplanned. The bunch on the left came from a trip to Braceville Hill, from a trip hosted by ESCONI. This site is all shaft mine dump, from much earlier in the coal mining days, and from much deeper underground. The lot on the right came from an island in pit 11 that is from the strip mining days. I thought the color difference was interesting, and worth sharing. 

Based on the area, they will both contain similar material. Hoping for more fossils than duds  some nice shapes in here.

Nice- If I had to pick a pile that I thought would have the best fossils, I definitely would take the Pit 11 over Braceville. Good luck on your finds and maybe next year we can get together at the pit.

[Rob Russell]

Nice report, and nice finds.  I didn't make it over to mazon once this season, unfortunately. Compared to making (literally) dozens of trips a year to collect there, I'm now feeling widthdrawls.  Thanks.   Hahaha.  Just kidding.  I'm looking forward to seeing what else pops up for you.  

[deutscheben]

Great report for the year! I was only able to make it out twice in 2017. Next year I will try for more trips (and hopefully we can meet up as well!). 

 

Re: The Braceville vs. Mazonia nodules, that matches my experience as well, with the Braceville ones turning the water I soak the nodules in red and even somewhat acidic.

[stats]

Nice post!  Anything open from the River yet?  Already looking forward to next year.  I made it out to pit 11 5 or 6 times this year.  The last was late May and it was already pretty overgrown.

 

I've got lots of material in the freeze thaw.  Have a couple Tullies from the Spring.  Nothing great, but still a Tully is a Tully.

 

Cheers,

Rich

[Rob Russell]

8 hours ago, stats said:

Nice post!  Anything open from the River yet?  Already looking forward to next year.  I made it out to pit 11 5 or 6 times this year.  The last was late May and it was already pretty overgrown.

 

I've got lots of material in the freeze thaw.  Have a couple Tullies from the Spring.  Nothing great, but still a Tully is a Tully.

 

Cheers,

Rich

Did Kieth find any Tully's, Rich?  I've fallen out of the loop!  

[madness]

This is so neat. I've seen plenty of prepped fossils from all over the world, but this forum is giving me first look at fossils straight from the ground. I would never have looked at any of those and thought "fossil"! Love learning about this. Thanks for the report.

[smt126]

I like the various reports. We were at the esconi dig that saturday. I like it because it's fairly easy for the kids to collect. Also if they get bored, they can just demolish some dirt walls which helps with my collecting.

[stats]

On 10/10/2017 at 6:15 AM, Rob Russell said:

Did Kieth find any Tully's, Rich?  I've fallen out of the loop!  

Not this year.  He did find some nice ones recently.  A Cyclus recently.  Next year, you need come out with us.

 

Cheers,

Rich

[Rob Russell]

14 hours ago, stats said:

Not this year.  He did find some nice ones recently.  A Cyclus recently.  Next year, you need come out with us.

 

Cheers,

Rich

Count me in March 1st!  If I don't see you before hand!  

[abach292]

Playing catch up, thanks for all the comments! was a fun season, although seemed like a short one for sure

On 10/8/2017 at 7:23 PM, Nimravis said:

Nice- If I had to pick a pile that I thought would have the best fossils, I definitely would take the Pit 11 over Braceville. Good luck on your finds and maybe next year we can get together at the pit.

 

I hope so, lets keep in touch. I am already counting the days until March.

 

On 10/9/2017 at 8:10 AM, Rob Russell said:

Nice report, and nice finds.  I didn't make it over to mazon once this season, unfortunately. Compared to making (literally) dozens of trips a year to collect there, I'm now feeling widthdrawls.  Thanks.   Hahaha.  Just kidding.  I'm looking forward to seeing what else pops up for you.  

 

Missed you Rob!! I thought I'd see you for sure at the ESCONI trip. It was actually quite productive this year. Better than I remember in years past. Not sure if it was the rains or what. But hey, Pit 11 is about to turn over, with what is hopefully an agreeable winter for popping out concretions, a lot to find in March for sure.

 

On 10/9/2017 at 11:40 AM, deutscheben said:

Great report for the year! I was only able to make it out twice in 2017. Next year I will try for more trips (and hopefully we can meet up as well!). 

 

Re: The Braceville vs. Mazonia nodules, that matches my experience as well, with the Braceville ones turning the water I soak the nodules in red and even somewhat acidic.

 

And i missed it! I think we were both there the same day if I recall, texting back and forth, but on opposite sides of the 2000+ acres and didnt get a chance to meet. Next year for sure my friend.

Someone on instagram mentioned the color might have been from a methane fire, which seems plausable. I've heard someone mention that part of the Braceville spoil pile was on fire at one time, with the coal underneath keeping it smoldering for weeks or months.

 

On 10/9/2017 at 9:43 PM, stats said:

Nice post!  Anything open from the River yet?  Already looking forward to next year.  I made it out to pit 11 5 or 6 times this year.  The last was late May and it was already pretty overgrown.

 

I've got lots of material in the freeze thaw.  Have a couple Tullies from the Spring.  Nothing great, but still a Tully is a Tully.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

Hey Rich, I loved the River trip this year! found quite a bit, and was more selective than in years past. I've had a lot of trouble with freeze/thawing things from the river actually. They are SUPER hard, and it is probably more practical to hammer them, which I have not had the time or space to do yet. But will keep you posted. Here are some nice pre-opened ones from the day. They are worn from the water and sand eroding the rock, but I actually think that gives them a cool look.

 

For those not there, it was a rare event to collect private property with an event hosted by the I&M Canal Heritage Center. I hope they do it again. This is my 2nd year in a row, it is a great time, and the family hosting makes an excellent dinner and are so nice too!

 

 

 

On 10/10/2017 at 11:29 AM, madness said:

This is so neat. I've seen plenty of prepped fossils from all over the world, but this forum is giving me first look at fossils straight from the ground. I would never have looked at any of those and thought "fossil"! Love learning about this. Thanks for the report.

 

Thanks for the comment! Mazon Creek is a very unique area, very unglamorous at first, but when the nice ones open they are spectacular!

 

On 10/11/2017 at 0:27 AM, smt126 said:

I like the various reports. We were at the esconi dig that saturday. I like it because it's fairly easy for the kids to collect. Also if they get bored, they can just demolish some dirt walls which helps with my collecting.

 

Nice me too! not sure if we had the chance to meet, but perhaps I'll see you in the spring. And I agree, great for kids. was great to see everyone out there, and the weather was fantastic!

[stats]

On 10/12/2017 at 12:12 PM, Rob Russell said:

Count me in March 1st!  If I don't see you before hand!  

It's hard to believe that another season is over... bring on Spring!

 

Cheers,

Rich