Kurt Komoda Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Hello. I'm going to be driving out to the west coast this week and I've really been wanting to visit the Ernst Quarries for the first time. On the website, apparently you need to reserve a spot, so I'm looking at October 18th and 19th, which show as available on the calendar. I submitted a request, but my firewall tried to block the the next page that occurred after submitting it. I'm pretty sure it went through, but I was paranoid, so I also texted the number on the site asking about the reservation. That was on Monday, October 8th. I haven't heard anything back. Is this normal? There's an email address, but I don't want to be a pest. It's just that I'm booking a hotel in Bakersfield for those days, so I'm kind of nervous that I'll find out too late that I can't get in. Also, if I do get in, I've never done this kind of digging for fossils. I did watch a couple Youtube vids, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Kurt there will be at least two others there on those two days so he will have it open for you. They are going to be there 18th to 20th. I will be joining them on the 20th. PMing you! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Komoda Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 Saw your PM and responded! Guess I’ll keep my hotel room booking then. Thank you for the info. Wish you were coming earlier so I could thank you in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 32 minutes ago, Kurt Komoda said: Saw your PM and responded! Guess I’ll keep my hotel room booking then. Thank you for the info. Wish you were coming earlier so I could thank you in person. I wish you the best of luck on you hunt! Make sure to do a trip report with pics of your finds. I would like to see how well you do. I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Komoda Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 Thank you! If this all works out, I will definitely create a post with my findings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 12 hours ago, Kurt Komoda said: Thank you for the info. Wish you were coming earlier so I could thank you in person. Just leave me a huge pile of teeth where I can find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert_survivor Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Out of curiosity, are visitors only able to sift at slow curve now? That is what it looks like from the website. Does anyone know if Rob is extending access to any other quarries or if premium digging still available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 @Kurt Komoda I'll be there Oct. 18-20 and there's a possibility I'll be able to book at Marriott at a corporate discount rate since my parents own some hotels. If you want we can split the discounted rate (pay me through either PayPal or Venmo). PM me if you're interested. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Govinn Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 On 10/10/2018 at 10:04 PM, Desert_survivor said: Out of curiosity, are visitors only able to sift at slow curve now? That is what it looks like from the website. Does anyone know if Rob is extending access to any other quarries or if premium digging still available? Hey Desert Survivor. We were there yesterday. Rob has stopped the premium digging for the time being and is not extending access to other quarries right now. We are planning on going back next weekend. Maybe we will see you guys then. History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. ~Sir Winston Churchill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Komoda Posted October 15, 2018 Author Share Posted October 15, 2018 Just letting everyone know that I did receive my reservation confirmation via email. I’m doing the 18-19th. Should I spring for that third day? I mean, I’m driving in from New Jersey, it will probably be some time before I’m ever back again. Does Bob allow just adding another day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Yes, he will add you on to another day. Well, it looks like we might have a good sized group this weekend after all. It will be warm ( 86° ) so dress accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Komoda Posted October 15, 2018 Author Share Posted October 15, 2018 Can’t wait to meet everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 OK kids, the latest forecast for this week in Bakersfield. And as I have learned, it is bound to be a few degrees hotter than what they say. Nice Fall weather! Bring wide brim hats or some umbrellas, there is NO shade at the quarry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrR Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Yes, it was a bit warm out there. And, of course, dusty. Still a very fun day digging, sweating, and sifting with 3 other TFF members. Special shout out to caldigger for alerting me to this October action, and letting me use one of his sifters. It would have been impossible without that. So thanks, caldigger. Two other great guys were thread starter Kurt, who drove from N.J., and Jason. Both seemed experienced, and apparent boundless energy to have done this for 3 days straight. Good on you guys. I know that you found some nice teeth out there. Congrat's. I think that I discovered the tooth-fairy's shark-tooth warehouse. Today she just stores them in the cloud, rather than behind clouds of dust. If you've been to Ernst, you'd understand. ;-) When the day was almost over, I found the one in top center. Top right in image is what I believe is a crinoid piece. Top left is what looks like, and was ID'd on-site by Kurt K., as stingray spine fossil. "Thanks" again to caldigger, and "the guys". Cheers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 It was nice to have you come up to join us Brian. Top left is a ray grinding plate section. If this is what you are referring to as the crinoid, it is actually the root portion of a cetacean tooth minus the crown tip. Similar to this one 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrR Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Thanks, caldigger. Yes, that's what Kurt said it was. My mistake. That's interesting about the cetacean tooth-root. Dang, I wonder if I missed the business end somehow? No telling, but cool to know what it is. It does have what looks to be a whitish covering, where yours is brownish, that's broken away around the outside. Is that because it was found in a different area, with different dominant minerals for fossilization? Thanks for the ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 The one I pictured in the Riker is from the "Hills" area which has much more mineralization going on. I have gotten several from the Ernst site that were much lighter in color. These guys are also very brittle, so don't blame yourself for the missing tip, that could easily have happened already in the deposit before you got to it. I think I'm still finding grit in my facial cavities after two showers. That stuff gets everywhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimTexan Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 @MrR Nice finds and teeth. I can’t tell how big they are though, but they look nice. I was at Brownie’s beach in Maryland two weeks ago and found several of the single bars of sting ray dental pavement. I visited the Calvert Marine museum on Solomon Island in Maryland and this pic below was on display. It helped me have a better idea of how the bars would have been arranged. Evidently the lines on the bars are to keep the plates lined up together. The flat surface is what they chew with. It doesn’t look very effective for chewing to me, but I’m not a sting ray. These are some of what I found on my visit to Brownie’s (now Bayfront Park) just sitting on the beach. I believe these are Miocene, but there is Pleistocene stuff there too. I posted 2 trip reports with lots of pics one was to the museum. Hope the info is helpful. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrR Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 18 minutes ago, caldigger said: I think I'm still finding grit in my facial cavities after two showers. That stuff gets everywhere! Yeah, me too. I'm getting chastised for not wearing a mask, despite having it in my bag. I did see that Kurt donned one for the second half of the day. Once the wind came up, and the serious sifting started, that dust was everywhere. I've done so many things to stay healthy in one way or another, only to find out it in some ways they were fool's errands. So, I'll try something different. Be well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrR Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 9 minutes ago, KimTexan said: @MrR Nice finds and teeth. I can’t tell how big they are though, but they look nice. I was at Brownie’s beach in Maryland two weeks ago and found several of the single bars of sting ray dental pavement. I visited the Calvert Marine museum on Solomon Island in Maryland and this pic below was on display. It helped me have a better idea of how the bars would have been arranged. Evidently the lines on the bars are to keep the plates lined up together. The flat surface is what they chew with. It doesn’t look very effective for chewing to me, but I’m not a sting ray. These are some of what I found on my visit to Brownie’s (now Bayfront Park) just sitting on the beach. I believe these are Miocene, but there is Pleistocene stuff there too. I posted 2 trip reports with lots of pics one was to the museum. Hope the info is helpful. Nice collection, and information. Thanks. Sorry about not including the size reference. If I would have posted on Fossil ID I would have. I was just a touch lazy this morning. I'll post an image with a MM ruler. Cheers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Nice finds glad you did well! And you got to dig with the world famous Doren/Caldigger! Life is good! 2 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 8 hours ago, KimTexan said: @MrR Nice finds and teeth. I can’t tell how big they are though, but they look nice. I was at Brownie’s beach in Maryland two weeks ago and found several of the single bars of sting ray dental pavement. I visited the Calvert Marine museum on Solomon Island in Maryland and this pic below was on display. It helped me have a better idea of how the bars would have been arranged. Evidently the lines on the bars are to keep the plates lined up together. The flat surface is what they chew with. It doesn’t look very effective for chewing to me, but I’m not a sting ray. Hope the info is helpful. Hi Kim, A ray with dental plates like that don't technically chew their food. The upper tooth plate is composed of teeth that form more of a rounded, convex surface while the lower plate is relatively flat. Together they provide mortar and pestle type action for crushing and grinding mollusks. It's an effective way for breaking up the shells to separate them from the fleshy body they eat (shells are spit out). In the Sharktooth Hill Bonebed myliobatid teeth are somewhat uncommon and a plate as complete as the ones you showed are rare. Jess 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert_survivor Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 On 10/14/2018 at 6:17 PM, Govinn said: Hey Desert Survivor. We were there yesterday. Rob has stopped the premium digging for the time being and is not extending access to other quarries right now. We are planning on going back next weekend. Maybe we will see you guys then. Thanks for the update! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 23 hours ago, caldigger said: The one I pictured in the Riker is from the "Hills" area which has much more mineralization going on. I have gotten several from the Ernst site that were much lighter in color. These guys are also very brittle, so don't blame yourself for the missing tip, that could easily have happened already in the deposit before you got to it. I think I'm still finding grit in my facial cavities after two showers. That stuff gets everywhere! Hi Caldigger, Also, as you know, many whales did not (and some still don't today) have enamel on their teeth. A tooth that appears worn is actually in great shape for what it is. Jess 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Yes, that I know. I dug another out the same day that is a bit more stout with no enamel. I'll try to snap a pic when I get off today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now