Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 My Eurypterid hunting from this past weekend has got me chomping at the bit! The current thaw hasn’t been buried in snow yet so good news. I had about 40 free minutes today and I was 15 minutes from a roadcut known to expose the Phelps member of the Bertie group. I decided to slip out and scout the outcrop and see what it looks like for 2019. I want to give it a good try this year. I ended with a lucky little visit!! It’s hard to hunt here but with some work it could produce. Finding anything is a win. I use to hunt here more often years ago (2012) but lost all my progress to another fossil hunter. No hard feelings at all. It’s just fossil hunting. Long story short I exposed a good shelf and cut my hand and had to leave. The next time I came back the shelf was busted into a million pieces. So I’ve left it alone mostly for years and hunt there once in a very great while. In a sense they helped me get the rock out to weather. It it looks like a pretty tired exposure with the one hole I started with help of my unknown fossil friend. Each time I go back it seems like me and one other person are the only visitors. It’s getting more overgrown each year. I’ve seen a super nice double come from this place...but back when it was much less overgrown. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 This is the shelf I started that got “finished” lol. It’s produced so it’s good news and digging near the spot could produce more. This shelf is very “locked” here and the Phelps member is exposed. Needs some work. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 This area could be hiding some Phelps member. Hard to know. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 Best part about all that work I did years ago is all the pieces were left to weather....and I’ve made all my finds only after that. My best specimen came from a weathered piece from that block. It looks like someone has dug it once or twice since I did a couple years ago. Some weathering has occurred! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 Then I found this! For this place that’s a score. Little prosoma. Then I found more! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 This is a field photo of the nice little prosoma with a body segment...does it keep going? 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 I don’t have a field photo but this guy was probably weathering for years lol 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 The last pieces I found were a body segment and a metasoma. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Awesome finds, Al. I have been eyeing that roadcut on Google Maps for a long time. Think I may have to get there this year. Thanks for posting these. 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 So in conclusion actually found more today than I usually do on trips to this place. The list of finds: 3 prosomas 1 metasoma 1 body segment I was only there for 15-25 minutes so this was great to get some rare material from a seemingly forgotten location. I put a picture up of my favorite specimen from the day...I keep thinking it keeps going then don’t then do then don’t lol Thanks, Al 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Finding one of these guys is 3rd on my bucket list. 1st was finding a complete Ceraurus mifflinensis. I checked that off the beginning of 2016 on a impromptu trip to Grant County, Wisconsin. 2nd on my bucket list is a complete Hypodicranotus striatulus (ordovician trilobite from the Galena formation which happens to appear in NY(the trilobite) as well). Hopefully I'll be able to hit New York up this year and scratch out another bucket list find. Great find! I love finding road cuts that yield treasures like this. Thanks for sharing!! Best regards Paul 2 ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 Oh yea forgot to add the pile of Phelps member material I took home that looks promising with the help of a hammer. Nothing yet ha. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Tahan Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 @Raggedy Man oh wow!! Is the galena formation trilobite Upstate? When the time comes for you to do #2 and #3 on your bucket list let me know Thanks! @Fossildude19 when you decide to go check this place out be sure to shoot me a message I’ll gladly join the effort. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Very exciting reading! And great finds! Congrats! 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoNoel Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Awesome site! Someday I hope to finds some eurypterids, it just seems so rare to find anything from these creepy crawlies of the ancient depths. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Great finds Al! It seems that you are on a roll. Keep up with those Great finds! 1 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 good trip report,and cool finds!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Awesome haul! Eurypterids only come in dreams (and occasionally old literature) in Maryland. 1 “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 2 hours ago, Al Tahan said: @Raggedy Man oh wow!! Is the galena formation trilobite Upstate? When the time comes for you to do #2 and #3 on your bucket list let me know Thanks! @Fossildude19 when you decide to go check this place out be sure to shoot me a message I’ll gladly join the effort. Hypodicranotus striatulus (Walcott, 1875) Middle Ordovician Rust Formation, Trenton Group Walcott - Rust Quarry Trenton Falls, New York, U.S.A. This is the little guy im on the look out for. It appears in our Galena formation with several other trilobites from the Rust formation. I would love to have representations from both...lol. The preservation in the Rust formation is far superior, but I love the light caramel color our trilobites have. 1 ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepTimeIsotopes Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Awesome report! Some roadcuts just have amazing fossils in them. 1 Each dot is 50,000,000 years: Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic........... Paleo......Meso....Ceno.. Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here Doesn't time just fly by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 WOW! Very nice. Good luck in Your search this year! I expect to see at least 1 whole Eurypterids from You. 1 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...
FranzBernhard Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Thanks for taking us to this interesting and productive outcrop. Sure there are some more goodies hidden - good luck! Franz Bernhard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 6 hours ago, Al Tahan said: Each time I go back it seems like me and one other person are the only visitors. I know that feeling. It was the same at my Kimmeridgian ditch at the side of the road, although my mysterious colleague only seemed to have made a couple of visits and then left it to me alone. I ended up exploiting it practically alone, although I had informed a good number of friends about it. Maybe it'll turnout to be the same for you, unless Tim decides to tag along, which would be nice. 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 WOW - great work, Al!!! I'm also looking forward to seeing what you find from this little outcrop - eurypterids are amazing!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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