Penn Dixie, Mid-August

[Kane]

I've been tardy on making a report on a three-day dig at Penn Dixie with @Malcolmt. We had a real hoot. It all began when Malcolm picked me up from the train station and we sailed through the border as we were lucky to have a Homeland Sec official who recognized Malcolm from the May Dig with the Experts. A border guard who collects fossils? Awesome!

 

We definitely put in our efforts. We joined up with @JamesAndTheFossilPeach and @DevonianDigger to start slabbing out rocks. I can say that our area was not the best as the matrix was brutally hard and not yet subjected to any weathering, which meant slabs would shatter more than split. That aside, it is amazing they still let us crazy canucks in as we carted out about two buckets each of trilobites. Malcolm found a lovely Bellacartwrightia, and I found a double Greenops. We loaded up on the usual complete Eldredgeops rana, prone, enrolled, and semi-prone. 

[Kane]

This was our starting point. We ended up clearing about 1500 square feet when all was said and done. Malcolm was the perfect fossil ambassador in chatting up new visitors and gifting stuff from our discards pile. 

[Kane]

Hard at work! That lovely nearly matrix-free prone has already been prepped. We had some very interesting adventures involving toll highways and a Denny's, but those stories are best told around the campfire.  

[Kane]

As members of the site, we have access outside the regular hours. We would arrive just after dawn and leave at dusk. During the non-public hours, we could get to some rock saw action to cut down material, or to score relief cuts in the very tough matrix. 

[Kane]

We came away with a decent amount of stuff despite the fickleness and hardness of the strata we were dealing with. As an added bonus, I finally got to meet the great @fossilcrazy -- A truly wonderful guy and I only regret not spending more time talking with him as I was fixated on the hunt. I was able to take home a bucket's worth of stuff in my luggage, with the other bucket coming when Malcolm passes through here (and maybe we'll do Arkona on the 4th?). Malcolm deposited me in Oakville and I trained back. Deb couldn't join us this time as she was working. I was able to smuggle the heavy bags on the train with no difficulties. 

 

In all, it was a fantastic trip. It's always awesome to hunt with Malcolm. Our process is quite disciplined as we spend half the day carving out slabs, and then split. It is a similar approach we follow when we were excavating the Widder. 

 

It was definitely warm out, and my thanks to Malcolm for all the water and power ade... I probably downed 40 bottles!

[Malcolmt]

Awesome report on an awesome trip.. And Kane I will be going to Arkona on the 4rth but are you not teaching that day.... If you are available I will pick you up between 8:00 and 8:30 and drop of my orange bucket that is full of your fossils!!!!!!

[digit]

I have fond memories of PD and a great cast of TFF members. How different it must be to when we where there in October and it was cold and windy. Great looking material and I know the amount of work behind finding all that.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Kane]

10 minutes ago, Malcolmt said:

Awesome report on an awesome trip.. And Kane I will be going to Arkona on the 4rth but are you not teaching that day.... If you are available I will pick you up between 8:00 and 8:30 and drop of my orange bucket that is full of your fossils!!!!!!

I teach the next day, so I'm free and clear for the 4th. I'll put the coffee on!

 

11 minutes ago, digit said:

I have fond memories of PD and a great cast of TFF members. How different it must be to when we where there in October and it was cold and windy. Great looking material and I know the amount of work behind finding all that.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

I remember Tammy being bundled up! Of course, I was in short sleeves because my blood is thicker than molasses, so I overheat easily.  

[grandpa]

Wow, looks like you guys had a blast and found some great fossils.  Nothing like what I find here in Tx.  I bet it was cooler there than it was here while you were hunting, too.  It's hard to think about getting outside for long here right now, much less doing anything so physical in this heat (103+ F).  Can't wait for November when it's safe to be outside (unless you're in deer hunting country).

[RJB]

  Big pry bars and gas powered saws!   Thats the way for sure!  I cant do that any more but I can see for sure that you guys are serious when it comes to fossil hunting!  My kind of guys!   Some neat fossil trilo's too.   Only wish I was there even to just watch.  

 

RB

[Kane]

11 minutes ago, grandpa said:

Wow, looks like you guys had a blast and found some great fossils.  Nothing like what I find here in Tx.  I bet it was cooler there than it was here while you were hunting, too.  It's hard to think about getting outside for long here right now, much less doing anything so physical in this heat (103+ F).  Can't wait for November when it's safe to be outside (unless you're in deer hunting country).

I think with the humidity it was about mid-30s celsius, so not the worst it could be. Dry heat is fine, but when you feel like you're drinking rather than breathing the air, it can be rough! Our temps can range from -40 F to 105 F, so we get the best (or worst) of both worlds.  Just be happy you don't have to deal with snow!

[Kane]

12 minutes ago, RJB said:

  Big pry bars and gas powered saws!   Thats the way for sure!  I cant do that any more but I can see for sure that you guys are serious when it comes to fossil hunting!  My kind of guys!   Some neat fossil trilo's too.   Only wish I was there even to just watch.  

 

RB

We love our hardware! It may be a fossil thing, or a Canuck thing, but we spend a lot of time in hardware stores drooling over new tools!  There are some sites we visit that are more surface collecting, but it feels like cheating. For me, the best stuff is earned through a lot of elbow grease!

[FossilNerd]

Looks like a great time and good finds! Penn Dixie is on my bucket list of fossil hunting trips to make. Hopefully when I do get to go, I can be in as good of company as you were. 

 

[Kane]

4 minutes ago, FossilNerd said:

Looks like a great time and good finds! Penn Dixie is on my bucket list of fossil hunting trips to make. Hopefully when I do get to go, I can be in as good of company as you were. 

 

You really should come up, Wayne! I'd definitely try to get there to swing the hammer with you.  

[RJB]

7 minutes ago, Kane said:

For me, the best stuff is earned through a lot of elbow grease!

I used to be the same way.  Tons and tons of elbow grease!   I buy most of my stuff nowadays so I still get some nice fossils but i do  miss the old days.  Have lots of fun my freind and move tons of rock.  

 

RB

[FossilNerd]

4 minutes ago, Kane said:

You really should come up, Wayne! I'd definitely try to get there to swing the hammer with you.  

That would be awesome Kane! The family and I have a trip planned to Gulf Shores in southern Alabama this year, but maybe I can convince the wife that we need to go north next year. I’ll take her to Niagara Falls if she lets me stop at PD along the way!   

[Kane]

Absolutely, Ron.  What I can do now in my forties I may not be able to do in my golden years. Hopefully by then I'll be able to manage a team of young diggers - ha!

[Kane]

1 minute ago, FossilNerd said:

That would be awesome Kane! The family and I have a trip planned to Gulf Shores in southern Alabama this year, but maybe I can convince the wife that we need to go north next year. I’ll take her to Niagara Falls if she lets me stop at PD along the way!   

You'd be right in the ballpark for a trip to PD if you go to the falls! You let me know and we'll assemble a motley crew.  

[Jeffrey P]

Congratulations Kane. Great report and finds. I know that PD can be ideal or extremely tough. My helmet is off to you, collecting fine specimens when the rock isn't cooperative. 

[FossilNerd]

16 minutes ago, Kane said:

You'd be right in the ballpark for a trip to PD if you go to the falls! You let me know and we'll assemble a motley crew.  

Will do! I’m already plotting and scheming on how to get my wife on board.  

[grandpa]

4 minutes ago, Jeffrey P said:

My helmet is off to you

Now that's cute.

[caldigger]

8 hours ago, Kane said:

A border guard who collects fossils? Awesome!

Now we just need to get all the customs agents on the same page.

[Monica]

Great stuff!  Looking forward to seeing the double Greenops and the Bellacartwrightia post-prep 

[ClearLake]

Looks like great fun. My wife and I hope to stop at PD on Monday on our way back from New Jersey for my first time ever collecting the NY Devonian. I hope to get a representative sample of material to compare with my other material from the Arkona, Silica Shale and Oklahoma Devonian. Any good tips for a first timer at PD?  Thanks

[Reese the Rockhound]

I was at the May did too, but I didn't find any thing as good as that complete Eldregeops !  Looks like you had an awesome time!