Reno, NV Fossil Sites

[Ptychodus04]

I will be spending some random time in Reno (Sparks actually), NV over the next couple months. Does anyone have a few sites they would be willing to give me the details on for some collecting when work allows?

 

Send me a PM if you don’t want the general public to know. Any possibilities would be greatly appreciated.

[Fossildude19]

Looks like plant fossils can be found at different spots around Washoe County. 

Very old information, and likely no longer accurate, but maybe some hints available.  

Good luck Kris. 

[Ptychodus04]

27 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Looks like plant fossils can be found at different spots around Washoe County. 

Very old information, and likely no longer accurate, but maybe some hints available.  

Good luck Kris. 

Thanks Tim. It’s more than I started with. 

[Walt]

1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I will be spending some random time in Reno (Sparks actually), NV over the next couple months. Does anyone have a few sites they would be willing to give me the details on for some collecting when work allows?

 

Send me a PM if you don’t want the general public to know. Any possibilities would be greatly appreciated.

Can't you just drink and gamble like a normal tourist? 

Just kidding. Dont know about fossils, but pretty interesting area. Be sure to drive out to Carson city and see the old mint. It is a museum now and they have a nice gun collection. Then there is Virginia City just past that. Lots of mining history. To the north of town is Pyramid Lake, part of ancestral Lake Lahoton (sp).  Lots of artifacts but everything is BLM land, so you looky but no touchy.  Mt Lassen is about 80 miles NW in California, but getting pretty late in the year for that trip.  I think it was bigger than Mt St Helen when it blew up in the early 1900's.  Shouldnt have to go too far into California if you wanted to pick up some obsidian to practice knapping with. Getting to be winter there which will limit you. Lots of black ice and wierd winds off the mountains which blows any snow pretty good.  Good luck. Wish I was there! 

[piranha]

Here are two excellent monographs on the Miocene floras in the proximity of Reno, Washoe County.

They are out of print but your local university library should be able to get them via interlibrary loan.

 

Axelrod, D.I. 1992

The Middle Miocene Pyramid flora of western Nevada.  WorldCat LINK

University of California Publications in Geological Sciences, 137:1-50

 

Axelrod, D.I. 1995

The Miocene Purple Mountain flora of western Nevada.  WorldCat LINK

University of California Publications in Geological Sciences, 139:1-62

[siteseer]

3 hours ago, Walt said:

Can't you just drink and gamble like a normal tourist? 

Just kidding. Dont know about fossils, but pretty interesting area. Be sure to drive out to Carson city and see the old mint. It is a museum now and they have a nice gun collection. Then there is Virginia City just past that. Lots of mining history. To the north of town is Pyramid Lake, part of ancestral Lake Lahoton (sp).  Lots of artifacts but everything is BLM land, so you looky but no touchy.  Mt Lassen is about 80 miles NW in California, but getting pretty late in the year for that trip.  I think it was bigger than Mt St Helen when it blew up in the early 1900's.  Shouldnt have to go too far into California if you wanted to pick up some obsidian to practice knapping with. Getting to be winter there which will limit you. Lots of black ice and wierd winds off the mountains which blows any snow pretty good.  Good luck. Wish I was there! 

 

There was a nice rock shop/assay office in Virginia City in the 90's (bought a killer Lee Creek Meg there once) .  I don't know if it's still there.  In the 80's I used to go with my parents and grandparents to Reno every year.  I visited every rock shop I could find (Sierra Contact Minerals, Comstock Rock Shop).

 

Yeah, a friend knew at least one site for fossil leaves somewhere near Reno - probably covered in one of the Axelrod papers.  In the 80's Fossils for Fun (CA fossil club) used to go for Pliocene mammals fossils somewhere around Lake Lahontan but I don't know if you can still collect there. 

 

Yeah, it's probably pretty cold out there by this time of year. 

 

Jess

 

[Ptychodus04]

@Walt If I wasn’t prospecting, I’d be gambling and drinking and that doesn’t work for me anymore! 

 

Unfortunately, most of my time will be working and when I’m not, it will be dark early so prospecting will be limited. 

 

One of the locations in the page @Fossildude19 sent had lat/long coordinates that coincide with a hill exposure only 15 minutes from Reno so I may try that one for starters. Also, last time I was there, I spotted an exposure near my hotel that bears inspection.

 

 Thanks for the references @piranha. I’ll see if I can get a hold of them.

 

 Thanks @siteseer for the tips. I’ll look for something near that lake. Cold isn’t an issue. I did some collecting in Ottawa one winter when the temp calculated out to be negative even in Fahrenheit! Splitting rocks was not fun but I came home with some cool trilobite bits!

[ynot]

How far can You travel from Sparks?

Would You have a full day to hunt?

[Ptychodus04]

13 hours ago, ynot said:

How far can You travel from Sparks?

Would You have a full day to hunt?

I will typically only have afternoons/evenings open. Unfortunately, this coincides with an early sunset. If I rush my construction meeting a bit, I can be away by 2:30-3:00. I guess this gives me a 30 minute drive radius from Sparks in order to allow any light for collecting. If I have a guaranteed collecting area further away, I can schedule my return flight for later in the day.

[Walt]

4 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

If I rush my construction meeting a bit, I can be away by 2:30-3:00

Hmmmm.....somebody has priority issues 

[Ptychodus04]

2 hours ago, Walt said:

Hmmmm.....somebody has priority issues 

 

I'd skip the whole thing all together but I think my absence would be noticed...

[ynot]

3 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I will typically only have afternoons/evenings open. Unfortunately, this coincides with an early sunset. If I rush my construction meeting a bit, I can be away by 2:30-3:00. I guess this gives me a 30 minute drive radius from Sparks in order to allow any light for collecting. If I have a guaranteed collecting area further away, I can schedule my return flight for later in the day.

About 4 hours east of Reno is Fossil hill / American canyon, a triassic ammonite site in the Humboldt mountains.

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, ynot said:

About 4 hours east of Reno is Fossil hill / American canyon, a triassic ammonite site in the Humboldt mountains.

That’s probably outside of my possible range for this job. That being said, I may have a San Francisco project in the spring/summer.

[caldigger]

The real fossils are in line at 2pm at the Peppermill's buffet for the "Early bird Special". 

[Walt]

2 minutes ago, caldigger said:

The real fossils are in line at 2pm at the Peppermill's buffet for the "Early bird Special". 

Hey!  Ive stood in that line! 

[ynot]

2 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

, I may have a San Francisco project in the spring/summer.

Only adds 5 hours to the drive.

[Ptychodus04]

2 hours ago, ynot said:

Only adds 5 hours to the drive.

I read your post wrong. Thought you said 4 hours west. So, I was thinking California.

[ynot]

15 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I read your post wrong. Thought you said 4 hours west. So, I was thinking California.

Whoops. I hate it when that happens.

[Ptychodus04]

51 minutes ago, ynot said:

Whoops. I hate it when that happens.

Better than actually driving the wrong direction!

[Coco]

On 14/11/2018 at 3:18 AM, Ptychodus04 said:

Splitting rocks was not fun but I came home with some cool trilobite bits!

Hi,

 

Cool or/and cold trilobite bits ?

 

Coco

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, Coco said:

Hi,

 

Cool or/and cold trilobite bits ?

 

Coco

Well played Coco!

 

They were cold until I got them back to Texas. Then they became cool, like Fonzie.

[Coco]

 

Coco