Has Anyone Checked Out The Sulphur River Since The Rain Or Going This Weekend?

[MFowler]

I checked the National Weather Service website to check water levels for the Sulphur River near Cooper 19/24 bridge thanks to the link that sward was kind enough to pass along to me ( http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/river.php?wfo=fwd&wfoid=18693&riverid=203577&pt%5B%5D=143755&allpoints=143755&data%5B%5D=all ) and it looks like the water level rose to just over 7 feet after the storms and has come back down to just under 2 feet as of this morning.

I've been told that the river changes dramatically after each heavy rain so I wanted to know if anyone had a chance to check it out yet. I was thinking about heading out there this weekend but am considering waiting until next week so some of the mud has a chance to dry up. I've only been there twice, but one of those trips was about four days after a fairly light rain and certain parts of the river were still like quicksand. You could make it through, but then it was like having cinder blocks for boots from all the caked on mud.

In my previous two trips I spent most of my time sifting (looking for shark teeth...haven't got one yet) and found some pretty good stuff, but I think on my next trip I want to just take a really slow hike from east to west and see what I can find covering more ground. So I'm wondering if anyone's been out there and if so; how has the mud effected walking ability, has the recent rain/rise in water level mixed up the gravel beds very much, and should I go this weekend to beat the rush or wait till next weekend when things have dried out some?

Thanks everyone...and especially sward for the great link

-Mark

[Uncle Siphuncle]

flood dynamics vary....sometimes bars are washed clean, othertimes indundated with pudding. in the latter case, subsequent, lighter, non flooding rains may serve to winnow the pig slop down to huntable gravel. you never know until you get your own boots on the ground. with a place as popular as the nsr, by the time

you start hearing reports, it may be too late. my advice: go as your personal schedule allows, then go again, and cover lots of ground each time to where footprints peter out. your best source of real time information will be your

personal, first hand observations.

[Boneman007]

flood dynamics vary....sometimes bars are washed clean, othertimes indundated with pudding. in the latter case, subsequent, lighter, non flooding rains may serve to winnow the pig slop down to huntable gravel. you never know until you get your own boots on the ground. with a place as popular as the nsr, by the time

you start hearing reports, it may be too late. my advice: go as your personal schedule allows, then go again, and cover lots of ground each time to where footprints peter out. your best source of real time information will be your

personal, first hand observations.

I guarantee you there will be a million people on the sulpher this weekend! I wouldnt wait.

[sward]

Mark,

I believe the long range forecast (for what its worth) is calling for more rain, some possibly heavy, early-to-mid next week. You might consider going this weekend to take advantage of the recent rise and maybe again next weekend if we do get some heavy rains next week.

As you mentioned, there are spots where the mud is almost like quicksand. You'd better be careful if you're there by yourself. At least take a hefty walking stick with you in case you start getting mired down.

I've only tried sifting there once, just to try out a new sifter I had just built. I didn't have much luck either, but I only tried for a little while and only in one location. Based on my personal experience, I've had the most luck just walking along the river bottom, paying particular attention to the "sand bars", not necessarily the area where the water may still be flowing. I consider the "sand bars" as the areas where the weeds/plants are growing up, not the areas where the water may continue to be flowing.

Rivers/streams/creeks are natural sieves. The larger items of interest (larger fossils such as verts, ammos, etc.) will settle our first. I usually find them on the higher areas of the river bottom (ie. the sand bars).

Just my $.02.

Good luck! Let us know what you end up doing and be sure to post some pics.

[MFowler]

flood dynamics vary....sometimes bars are washed clean, othertimes indundated with pudding. in the latter case, subsequent, lighter, non flooding rains may serve to winnow the pig slop down to huntable gravel. you never know until you get your own boots on the ground. with a place as popular as the nsr, by the time

you start hearing reports, it may be too late. my advice: go as your personal schedule allows, then go again, and cover lots of ground each time to where footprints peter out. your best source of real time information will be your

personal, first hand observations.

I guarantee you there will be a million people on the sulpher this weekend! I wouldnt wait.

Mark,

I believe the long range forecast (for what its worth) is calling for more rain, some possibly heavy, early-to-mid next week. You might consider going this weekend to take advantage of the recent rise and maybe again next weekend if we do get some heavy rains next week.

As you mentioned, there are spots where the mud is almost like quicksand. You'd better be careful if you're there by yourself. At least take a hefty walking stick with you in case you start getting mired down.

I've only tried sifting there once, just to try out a new sifter I had just built. I didn't have much luck either, but I only tried for a little while and only in one location. Based on my personal experience, I've had the most luck just walking along the river bottom, paying particular attention to the "sand bars", not necessarily the area where the water may still be flowing. I consider the "sand bars" as the areas where the weeds/plants are growing up, not the areas where the water may continue to be flowing.

Rivers/streams/creeks are natural sieves. The larger items of interest (larger fossils such as verts, ammos, etc.) will settle our first. I usually find them on the higher areas of the river bottom (ie. the sand bars).

Just my $.02.

Good luck! Let us know what you end up doing and be sure to post some pics.

Great advice guys...that's a lot of the same stuff I was thinking. I really wanna get out there asap, but I have to coach a soccer game Saturday and I could go Sunday but I would have to take my son (7) and I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I would love to take him and I know he would love to go...but I don't want him to get stuck in the mud because that could zap his enthusiasm for future trips. Growing up playing in creeks, I know exactly what it feels like being stuck knee deep in mud and it can be a helpless kinda scary feeling, particularly to a little kid. Then again, it was muddy the time I took him and his Cub Scout buddies down there and he was good about staying out of the deep stuff and taking dad's advice (never stand still in the mud...always keep your feet moving) so maybe I should loosen the leash a little bit.

I've got a pretty nice collection of fossils from only two trips out there and spending most my time sifting, but I want something REALLY good! I told my wife that I wanna find something that even you experienced folks see and go "wow...where did he get that"? :-) I appreciate all the tips...ya'll got me wanting to jump in the car right now.

Thanks again

[sward]

"... I would have to take my son (7) and I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I would love to take him and I know he would love to go...but I don't want him to get stuck in the mud because that could zap his enthusiasm for future trips..."

Hey, c'mon! Where's your sense of adventure?

This reminds me of a post that vertman recently made. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/35752-quick-after-work-upper-britton-trip/

Check out the pic of his daughter stuck in the mud.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

dont be discouraged if earth shaking finds dont come to hand immediately. the best collections i've seen were with collectors that have patiently stuck with it for decades.

[garyc]

"but I want something REALLY good! "

You WILL find something really good. And then you will tell yourself "but I want to find something really GREAT!" and the cycle never ends.....

[Boneman007]

Hey, c'mon! Where's your sense of adventure?

This reminds me of a post that vertman recently made. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/35752-quick-after-work-upper-britton-trip/

Check out the pic of his daughter stuck in the mud.

I got the joy of seeing Vertman up to HIS waist in the mud! It took an act of God to get him out!

And it was twice as satisfying, looking down on my left leg, which was layered in muck up to my waist, that 5 minutes earlier had been in the same hole! LOL!

Edited April 4, 2013 by Boneman007

[MFowler]

Hey, c'mon! Where's your sense of adventure?

This reminds me of a post that vertman recently made. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/35752-quick-after-work-upper-britton-trip/

Check out the pic of his daughter stuck in the mud.

Ha...that's great! I've been stuck like that before and it's pretty funny...as long as someone is there to help you out. If not, then not so much.

[MFowler]

dont be discouraged if earth shaking finds dont come to hand immediately. the best collections i've seen were with collectors that have patiently stuck with it for decades.

I know, you're right. I sometimes wonder if I actually like the hunt more than the find so I doubt I'll ever get discouraged. Well...I did get pretty frustrated last time I went and finally found the red bed. I started talking to a guy who was an experienced collector as he was leaving and he had about six good shark teeth and one mosasaur tooth and he said he found them all laying in the red bed and I probably wouldn't need to sift. He offered to give me a tooth when he realized it was my "White Whale" but I said no. I was tempted, but I wanna find one on my own now that it's become my mission in life :-) Funny thing is, I can't seem to find a shark tooth to save my life, but I have found 4 Enchodus teeth and 3 arrowheads? Go figure. Oh well, I know I'll get one eventually.

[MFowler]

"but I want something REALLY good! "

You WILL find something really good. And then you will tell yourself "but I want to find something really GREAT!" and the cycle never ends.....

Sounds good to me :-)

[MFowler]

Hey, c'mon! Where's your sense of adventure?

This reminds me of a post that vertman recently made. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/35752-quick-after-work-upper-britton-trip/

Check out the pic of his daughter stuck in the mud.

I got the joy of seeing Vertman up to HIS waist in the mud! It took an act of God to get him out!

And it was twice as satisfying, looking down on my left leg, which was layered in muck up to my waist, that 5 minutes earlier had been in the same hole! LOL!

dont be discouraged if earth shaking finds dont come to hand immediately. the best collections i've seen were with collectors that have patiently stuck with it for decades.

Well, you've inspired me guys! I'm heading out to the NSR on Sunday to see what I can drag outta there for the third time :-) After I get it all sorted and cleaned up I need to post some pics of my first three trips hunting. I 'think' I've found some good stuff so far and hopefully get some more Sunday, but I'll let ya'll be the judge of that.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

i think your finds are cool esp the points but make sure you are satisfying YOU, not us.

[MFowler]

i think your finds are cool esp the points but make sure you are satisfying YOU, not us.

Thanks, but I definitely have fun regardless of what I find. I just wanna find some of the same kinds of fossils I've seen other people get there. I even have a pretty cool collection of rocks that I like, which is something I've always liked doing.

[MFowler]

FINALLY!!! Not only did I get my "White Whale" (shark tooth) I got 13!!! Went to NSR Saturday and FINALLY hit paydirt...thank God :-) I'm in Arkansas on business all week, but I'll post pics asap. I brought some with me to show off to clients :-)

Thanks for everyones help!

Mark

[sward]

Congratulations on the shark teeth. Looking forward to seeing your pics.

[MFowler]

Congratulations on the shark teeth. Looking forward to seeing your pics.[/quoThanks. I knew I would get em...just didn't think I'd get that many my first time. Told my wife though, the 13th was just as exciting as the first :-) Goin back Friday...yep, I'm hooked alright...and I LOVE it!!!

[Uncle Siphuncle]

cool. you'll soon round out a suite of scapanorhynchus, squalicorax and cretolamna if you havent already. then come the fish teeth...

[MFowler]

cool. you'll soon round out a suite of scapanorhynchus, squalicorax and cretolamna if you havent already. then come the fish teeth...

Is that Russian or Greek? :-) I can barely pronounce those words...is that a requirement or can I continue calling them "Sharks" :-)

[Boneman007]

13 Shark teeth! Very good! I havent found 13 shark teeth on the NSR in years!

[MFowler]

13 Shark teeth! Very good! I havent found 13 shark teeth on the NSR in years!

Thanks, one was all I needed to die a happy man. After I found the first and knew what to look for it was as if hey were floating an inch above the gravel. I don't expect that to be the norm, it was just my day I guess. Depending on the river level I may go back this weekend. Maybe l can get lucky again after this rain gets the river goin and churns things up.

I'm nowhere close to done yet though...more, more, more

[Auspex]

...After I found the first and knew what to look for it was as if hey were floating an inch above the gravel...

Developing a search image (getting 'the eye') is a well known phenomenon; keep honing it!

[MFowler]

Developing a search image (getting 'the eye') is a well known phenomenon; keep honing it!

I definitely have noticed that I can spot things now that I never would have in my first two trips. Looking through the gallery on here (I do it pretty often) and looking throuth the Texas Fossil book pictures has helped a lot. I'm getting there.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

i havent found that many nsr teeth since a rainy day when brent and i had the sense to climb out of the river when we notice the water level had reached his backpack sitting high on a bar. we drove a few miles to an upstream bridge to meet the sobering view of whole trees cartwheeling downstream in the current.... by grace we didnt become one with the alluvial fan!