Northern Sharks Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Yesterday was a free day for me, the wife and kids were gone, and I had my choice of places to go. After checking weather reports for my local spot and NY, I decided the best place to go would be the pits at Hungry Hollow/Arkona. The fact that it was early in the season and the site may not have been too picked over also figured into my choice. Best to get there before local clubs have a chance to clean it out. I arrived aound 9:15 am and focused on the south pit. I was finding plenty of the usual pieces in the Arkona fm. as I made my way to the far corner to the Hungry Hollow unit. I wound up getting several brachs and bivalves, a few gastropods including one that looks like a new species for my collection and at least 15 small Tornoceras goniatites. Climbing up to the Hungry Hollow material, my goal was to find a blastoid. It wasn't long before my goal was met. Sitting there, plain as day, was another Nucleocrinus. That's 4 of those now, and still none of the common Heteroschisma that I really want. After finding a piece of fish bone in a limestone block (still there), things slowed down for a bit. I found a heartbreaker of a Phacops, split in half lengthways. Not worth picking up, but enough to get the adrenaline going again. Not 3 feet from the split one, lying face up, was one that was worth picking up. Not 100% sure, but it looks like the pygidium may be tucked under. Even if not, still a decent piece. I haven't found a prone Phacops yet, from Ontario, NY or Ohio. Not much else out of the ordinary up here, so I made the treacherous trek along the river edge to the west high banks. Another of my goals this year, besides the Heteroschisma, was a Greenops trilobite, either from NY or Ontario, but preferably the latter. If one was to be found, this would be the best spot to do it, just ask MichiganTim who found a beauty in this same spot a few years ago. I noticed that there were more decent sized blocks of fallen Widder fm. than I had seen on previous trips, possibly meaning I was the first over there this season. I started splitting the soft rock and as expected, was finding just the usual heads and tails until....I split a piece and looked down to see a really nice negative. I quickly located the positive, and it looks to be complete, although the right eye was with the negative. I did a little happy dance, looked around for a few more minutes and called it a day. The piece survived the slippery walk back to the car and now I'm looking forward to seeing it cleaned up. There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmoceras Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Nice finds! That phacops is perfect, in the middle of the matrix and looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Looks like a Great Greenops... I'm sure you have no qualms about ejecting the pygidium laying on top? Maybe with luck the right eye can be extracted from the negative to be reunited with its rightful owner. Please keep us posted on the prep progress. Congrats Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 (edited) Awesome... Kevin..... I am jealous. I actually thought of going last week but the weather turned cold ended up, as you know looking for Euryterids on Friday with Dave. Saturday I was too stiff to go anywhere. Looking forward to seeing the greenops prepped. The eye looks like a very simple fix and the overlapping pygidium is a goner for sure, looks like whole layer on that side will flake of cleanly. I have yet to find any greenops there other than the normal partial cephs and pygiduims. Your looks like it could prep up real nice. Was the west bank a mudfest because it is quite precarious getting there when it is slippery. I tried it once in early May and it definately was not safe getting there. Edited April 2, 2012 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 thats a couple of nice trilos Kevin, glad you had such a good trip! "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarryman Dave Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Great find on the greenops and phacops (looks alot like beths) Like malcolm I am jealous also. Hopefully the prep work on the greenops turns out to be a complete specimen. Please post when complete David Quarrycomber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glacialerratic Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 That Phacops is really nice! Congrats on the Greenops! When I was at the south bluffs this past fall, it was kind of a mess, with a lot of shale down. Glad there was some Widder to split! Did you get a look at the north pit? Still full of water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 That Phacops is really nice! Congrats on the Greenops! When I was at the south bluffs this past fall, it was kind of a mess, with a lot of shale down. Glad there was some Widder to split! Did you get a look at the north pit? Still full of water? Hopefully the Greenops looks as good as yours after prepping. There was a lot of shale, and last falls leaves, but plenty of material to split. There was also a bountiful supply of mud -big surprise. I never made it over to the North pit, but around noon a large group went in there. Looked like a school trip There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Wow, you got some good find there Kevin! I'm very envious of your getting into Arkona so early. Looks like I won't be able to make it up there until late May. I'm especially jealous of the Nucleocrinus! -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Great find Kevin! Spent my weekend fixing a leaky roof and doing tax returns... have not been out this year yet on any fossil trips.... 15 goniatites wow....... great report Kevin in KRFC newsletter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Hi Kevin, Isn't it just great to be able to get back out into the field again? Congrats on your nice finds. That was obviously a timely planned visit. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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