TWO Fossil Hunting Trips!

[Dpaul7]

Saturday, May 12 featured TWO Fossil Hunting expeditions! The FIRST one was PHOTO ONLY - We hiked the Staple Bend Tunnel trail - The Staple Bend Tunnel, about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in a town called Mineral Point, was constructed between 1831 and 1834 for the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Construction began on April 12, 1831.[4] This tunnel, at 901 feet (275 m) in length, was the first railway tunnel constructed in the United States. It is rock bored and stone lined. Finished in June 1833, the Staple Bend tunnel was advertised as the first railroad tunnel in the United States. It was the third tunnel of any kind built in the U.S.; the first two tunnels were for other canals in Pennsylvania. You may NOT collect along here...as it is maintained by the National Park Service... but PHOTOS are welcome!  We di dnot see any fossil material here - except for one stone that looked like itmight have shown "fossil raindrops in mud" (pictured)
THEN we went for Chinese buffet... and BEHIND that building is one of my old fossil haunts.... Sadly, a MAJOR thunderstorm broke out, but Francis Joseph Serenko III, who was with me, found the brachiopods before the storm hit. THIS deposit has crinoids, bivalves, brachiopods and beautiful Worthenia gastropods.  One of the photos shows some of the rock formations - This stone was cut to make the old railway bed.... and drainage culverts - some of which STILL exist. You can see 2 of the drainage culverts, made in the early 1830s. The last 2 photos show the brachiopods Francis found! 

[Darktooth]

Thanks for the report and pics! Nice brachiopods!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Very interesting report and pictures, love the history bit. 

Nice brachipods! ! ! 

[Miocene_Mason]

Nice brachs! There sure is some pretty nature around Johnstown!

[Dpaul7]

Indeed... here, nature & history combine.... and add FOSSILS to the mix, and you have a wonderful day!

[Wrangellian]

I wonder if those are bivalves instead of brachiopods...

The 'raindrops' piece looks a little too 'violent' compared to any raindrop fossils I've seen - maybe it's just bioturbation instead?

Interesting, anyways.

[Peat Burns]

5 minutes ago, Wrangellian said:

I wonder if those are bivalves instead of brachiopods...

 

Agreed.

[Miocene_Mason]

45 minutes ago, Wrangellian said:

compared to any raindrop fossils I've seen - maybe it's just bioturbation instead?

I think it’s an interesting weathering pattern, I’ve found raindrops before (common in Gettysburg shale) and they are very distinctive.

[Auspex]

3 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

I think it’s an interesting weathering pattern

That, or an up-ended piece of poured cement.

[Monica]

Nice ornamentation on those shells - Viola would be very impressed 

(I'd show her but she's still sleeping!)