July 14, 2009

Momasaurus Reflects on Fossil Dig 2009

I have been home over a week now, and at times it feels like the two weeks of fossil hunting were but a dream. In fact most nights I dream of looking for, and finding fossils. I am actually better at finding large fossils at night in my comfy bed than I was in the field. Damn! Oh well, there is always next season.

I have spent hours thinking about my experiences this year, and I will take this opportunity to share the evolution of my reflections.

Being in the field, with expectations high for finding an amazing fossil to impress my friends and family, was in introspect, lofty. I suspect most prospectors (fossil, gold, gems, or treasure) set themselves up for disappointment, some, if not all the time. I was no different. Each day I thought "this will be the day", the elusive fantasy fossil will be mine. And as we know now, that fantasy fossil remains a fantasy.

Added to the daily frustration of not finding a substantial fossil to share with those back home, some dinosaur relic that you can see without the aid of 10x magnification, was the gnawing envy I experienced. This emotion is not one I often experience, and I must admit it does not feel good. I was always very happy for my fellow prospectors who had the skill and luck to find large fossils. The green eyed monster (as my mother calls it) taking up residence in my mind was unwelcome. I began to understand the fever that overcame the prospectors of the gold rush days. I could well imagine the envy that fueled the duels between pirates over their stolen treasure, and Tolkein's Gollum became ever more pathetic to me. The elusive fossil of my imagination became "my precious". Somebody needed to slap me out of it.

Coming home and spending time washing the fossil scrap helped clear away these unhealthy emotions and brought me back to a place of peace and gratitude for my days in the field and the treasures I now have to share and to learn from. Each is a wonder no matter how small or worn. As I spend time trying to glue broken bits together, I find I am in awe once again. To hold each of them and gaze upon what was once part of an animal that lived 65 million years ago, takes my breath away.

After showing the highlights (so far) to my mom and sister, my mom called me later to say that her favorite fossil was the tiniest bird tooth. It has one good side and is about the size of a split pea. (Triangular shape and buff colored, no serrations but a little indentation in the base edge). Just goes to prove that size doesn't matter when it comes to the importance and impact of dinosaur fossils. Each of us is impressed with the variety and complexity in nature no matter size or condition.

I am taking away valuable lessons from my two weeks in Hell Creek: take each day as it comes; accept what you find with gratitude; tomorrow is another chance to find more wonderful fossils; there is always next year; everything I bring back will look better and more impressive, and I will appreciate it and all that it has been through to find its way to my home in Corona del Mar.
I knew all if this before I left for South Dakota, but I had a lapse when that "fever" took hold. I don't think that will happen again. Next year will provide an opportunity to open up to the possibilities of discovery of life in the Cretaceous.

Until summer of 2010 I will continue to clean fossils and share them with teachers and the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. I will read the books and study my fossils so I will be better able to identify discoveries in the field. It will be useful to distinguish one tiny tooth from another, and I imagine Rob and Ryan will also appreciate my improving skills. (No late night ID sessions) Perhaps as I clean the bags of fossils I will find a treasure I didn't realize I had. I may find out that what I thought was a hadrosaur sacral vertebra is actually from some other part of the animal's spine. (working on that right now). It will be a year of discovery and I welcome each day.

Cheers.

Momasaurus leaves Hell Creek

July 4, 2009

Last night I finished most of the packing and I tried to predict how much my luggage weighed. Even though we had eaten most of the food I had brought, and I had sent a box of fossils and clothes home, there were pounds of fossils in the checked bag and as many pounds in my carry on back pack. The computer was in another carry on bag along with a book and headphones and other assorted essentials. I hoped I would not be over the 50 pound limit for the checked bag. Laurel got caught with this problem when she checked in and it was going to cost $125 because she was 6 pounds over the limit. She quickly unpacked a game for her grandchildren and her hiking boots and just hit that magic 50 pounds. Knowing I had no room to spare in my two carry on bags, I was really nervous about what that scale would indicate.

I made breakfast and packed some healthy snacks for the drive to Rapid City and the flights home. After checking out and saying my "good-byes" to Karen and Ryan, I drove to the cafe in town to say farewell and thanks to Rob, who was hanging out with the locals over breakfast and a card game. With any luck we will meet again next year over some big Tyrannosaurus rex bones, and if that does not work out, then we will see him in Wyoming. Laurel and I are interested in collecting on different ranches.

Time for me to take a last look at Buffalo and drive south to Rapid City. I take the locals' short cut which really does shave off about 30 minutes from the drive from Buffalo to the airport in Rapid City. It also breaks up that long straight stretch from Belle Fourche. We had forgotten the shortcut when we drove into Buffalo our first evening and the last 50 miles seem like 100!

Ah, but this morning was different. After the Friday rains, the sun was shining and the white puffy clouds seemed within reach as I drove south on 85. It was one of those magical experiences when words are inadequate. The sky was baby blue and the clouds were painted from the horizon up overhead. The hills were multiple shades of green with yellow flower accents along the highway. Being the 4th of July, I saw few, if any cars. I sat behind the wheel, almost transfixed by the beauty that was rushing over me: the arrow straight highway reaching into the distance with these gray edged cotton ball clouds flying overhead in waves.

I grabbed the camera and tried to capture the moment. Though I live at the beach and am fortunate to have a view of the Pacific Ocean, there is nothing to compare with the 360 degree view of that morning. The vibrant green of the grasses, the glowing yellow flowers, the forever blue skies and the wondrous clouds of white and gray. It was glorious. An unforgettable ending to two amazing weeks.

The rest of the return journey ran like clockwork. The luggage came in under 50 pounds. Hooray! Even the extra screening at security at the Rapid City airport was predictable. Heavy backpack packed with objects wrapped in foil and plastic. I'll admit it could be suspicious. So the agent unwrapped the fossils for x-ray inspection and I re-wrapped them once they were cleared. They, and I arrived in Los Angeles in good shape and on time.

Wonderful to see Walt waiting for me at baggage claim. Good to be home with lots of stories to share with family and friends. Walt and the cat were happy to have me back in the house. The daily routine settled in quickly with the addition to the "to do" list of fossil cleaning, repairing, and organizing.

The books I purchased from the Black Hills Institute arrived home while I was still in Buffalo. They will provide lots of educational reading over the next year. Since I have many microfossils, the book on that topic will be the first on the reading list.

I don't know yet how this blog will continue. I am hoping to publish some trip photos with captions and I will consider writing about some of my fossil finds as I clean and organize. I would like to encourage questions from readers since I am sure I have omitted details that would improve your understanding of the field experience. I guess I want to pursue this effort as a vehicle for documenting my progress as I learn more about paleontology.

Cheers.

Surprises at the End of the Dig

July 3,2009

I started the day with a visualization of a large fossil which could be displayed in our living room on the wedding bentos or the tansu. I liked the idea of something long and substantial like a Triceratops or hadrasaur radius or ulna (arm bones) or perhaps a Triceratops brow horn. Ever since I found a baby Triceratops toe bone and some baby frill, I have had a certain affection for them. I, like other prospectors, tend to find lots of their teeth because they shed so many during their lives. I packed by back pack and headed out the door to overcast skies and cool temperatures.

I had packed my rain parka just in case, but because it was so chilly compared to earlier in the week, I actually put it on before we even got into the vehicles. I think the high for the day was 63 degrees. I rode with Rob and Ryan out to the ranch that had been chosen for the morning session. The hope was, that we could reach some sandy areas that would be easier to collect on if the weather turned wet. Three other vehicles were in the caravan and we did a fair amount of slipping on the muddy sections of the ranch. There had been a thunderstorm yesterday that cut our day short, and we were apparently in the area that had received the downpour.

We drove as far as most of the vehicles could safely go and be assured of a safe return if the rain returned. The group split up and I continued with Rob and Ryan, and Alex joined us for the next drive down and farther out to get closer to our desired site. Once we were parked, we gathered our gear and started walking carefully down the hill. Turns out that the bentonite that makes up much of the soil, is really slippery when it is wet. This is the stuff that dries really hard and kind of crumbles under your feet on warm/hot days. I had never experienced it under these conditions.

Slippery doesn't really do it justice. You slip and slide down the hill or up the hill, and then assuming you are still upright, your shoes/boots are caked in the stuff so now your feet feel like they weigh ten pounds each. I commented that I thought it was great resistance training and Alex said some of his track teammates put weights on their ankles as a training device. We laughed at each other and our efforts to keep ourselves upright and not face plant as we tried to get up the hills. At one point I did start to slip down the hill and had to put my hand down. So then I had a handful of mud in addition to the muddy leaden shoes. Are we having fun yet? You bet. Never done this before, and I might not get to again.

We checked out a couple of areas on our way to the targeted site, but didn't find anything. Higher up we were able to find some sandy places and grassy sections that provided surer footing and even cleaned most of the mud from our shoes. The desired area was reached and we each took our places on the microsite.

I wish I could share a photo, but alas I have none. There I was lying on my belly on the damp, rocky soil trying to avoid the ever present cow patties, searching for tiny treasures. When I say this work is like a meditation, I am not kidding. No one hardly speaks, and the focus is so intense you don't even think about how ridiculous you look. You are literally looking at each tiny rock, stalk of plant and lump of mud in hopes of spotting a shape or color that lets you know it's different and requires close scrutiny. Alas, today was a day for turtle... so much turtle shell that I think I could assemble a whole shell. I picked up lots of it, in part, because other more exotic fare was not to be seen by me, and I just have to put something in a bag.


Though the rarest of rare fossils eluded me, I had a blast inching my way over the rocky wet soil in the mist. Certainly a unique way to spend a few hours with friends. There was a brief conversation about Paris, and the sights to see in and around the city. Perhaps Rob hopes to visit there soon. He is an artist and I know he would appreciate so much that the city has to offer. I got so caught up in the "hunt and peck" I completely forgot to ask if he had travel plans.

I finally got up from my prone searching position and walked over a small hump to get to another collecting area. Ryan had been working there and said there were some things worth taking. He has high standards so I wanted to check it out. Once more that turtle shell caught my eye and found its way into my bag. I also found a broken croc tooth and a tiny toe bone and a few big Gar scales. All too soon it was time to return to the vehicles. More slipping and sliding down and up the hills.

The rest of the group had a mixed experience in their areas. The unifying element was the mud and rather chilly temperature. The wind picked up and most of us had cold, wet feet inside our very mudcaked shoes. (Same shoes are outside the house front door waiting to be cleaned). The Evans family decided to call it a day and headed back to the Tipperary. Our group had a quick lunch and thought we would give another site a look see .

We drove out of this location and returned to the fabulous microsite of a few days ago. We parked the three vehicles under ever threatening skies. Just as we were preparing to put on our back packs for a walk down into the valley, the rain began. Rob and I opted to stay in the vehicle to sit it out. Ryan and Alex braved the rain and the slippery slopes of the microsite after words or caution from Rob. Slippery mud on a steep slope could spell disaster. Michael and his son Adam set out for the valley and after a few steps returned to their vehicle. David, dressed for a Northwest gale, made it half way up the microsite before turning back. The rain was coming down heavy and Rob was just about to get out to retrieve Ryan and Alex when Ryan called in on the radio and said they were returning.

The dinosaur gods were not smiling today and we drove back to Buffalo in a downpour. My vision of the large fossil for our living room remains just that. I will work on it for the next year and hopefully have it realized next season. Coming back early allowed me to clean some micro fossils, have a cup of tea with Jennifer and enjoy the yummy chocolate which she graciously shared with me.

Rob came over before dinner for a glass of wine and generously identified about a hundred tiny fossils that I had spread out over the kitchen island. I don't know how he is able to identify the various parts of dinosaurs, reptiles, birds, crocs, turtles, fish and more, with often just the tiniest remnants of fossil bits. He is like a living "wikipedia" of fossil info. Thanks so much to Mr. Sula.
Also thanks to Ryan who has been a willing ID professional when Rob has been overwhelmed. They are both expert guides with eyes like lasers and fossil magnates imbedded in their DNA. No fossil is too remote or too small to escape their gaze. It is amazing. Perhaps it is years of practice, or perhaps it is a gift. I'm certainly willing to practice.

So, within the boxes and foil wrapped bits of fossils, it turns out there were a few surprises. I am not even sure when I found one of them, but indeed, I have a Nanotyrannosaurus tooth! I found a really nice one my first season and now I have a second. It shows more signs of wear, but it is 65 million years old, and perhaps served its owner well. Another surprise is a bird tooth! And still another is a bird vertebra! I can't wait to do some research on this. I bought a book on microfossils and environments at the Black Hills Institute, and hopefully it will provide useful info. It was wonderful to have these little treasures identified and as I study all my finds over the next year I hope to have a better eye for the field work and fewer items for Rob or Ryan to vet at the end of the day. Perhaps they will appreciate that I've done my homework.

So here I am at the end of my two weeks in Hell Creek. I am in the midst of packing and saying goodbye to my fellow prospectors. My housemate, Karen is here for the last week and will continue on the fish site. It seems likely that the work there will take at least one more season if not more. Today they turned over one of the jacketed sections and found more fish fossils on the remaining pedestal. There could be layers of fish many feet into the hill. With the many rain storms and muddy inaccessible roads, it has been slow going this week. One of the students is staying on another week and I think Steve will try to engage some of the prospecting participants to assist with the fish. It does provide a truly unique opportunity to work on a world class paleontology site.

That's it for this season. I will attempt to upload a few photos from this week. If you don't see them on this entry (it is very late here), then I will post them upon my return. Unfortunately I do not have a camera that can photograph my tiny treasures, so next time you visit I will be more than happy to share them and I will provide a loupe.

Cheers.

Momasaurus Gets her Tooth

July 2, 2009

Thursday morning brought us sunshine after a brief rain storm last night. I arranged with Ryan to help me mail Laurel's package before we left for collecting. We got a later start than usual because the students wanted a group photo before some of them depart tomorrow morning. Two students are ill, and Esther has not felt well since she arrived. Hopefully everyone will be recovered by tomorrow.

The prospecting people were divided into two groups and I went out with Ryan, Alex and the Evans family to ranches I am familiar with from my last two years. The morning session found us in a valley with sandy areas on either side. These were are targets for fossil hunting. Ryan found a large T. rex claw in this valley and he made a bee line for that spot in hopes of finding a toe bone to go with it. I headed for the sandy areas on the right and others chose their own directions.

We made plans to meet back at the vehicles around 1:00 for lunch. After two plus hours of searching for bone spill, and if found, following it up, I had only a small bag of "kibbles and bits".
In one of my climbs up the hardened clay face of a small formation, I found what appears to be an artifact: a beautiful scraper made from a translucent stone or petrified wood. Since this rancher likes artifacts, I may not be able to keep this find. In a way I will take it as a compliment if he wants it.

Ryan checked in with all of us and the consensus of the group was to return to the vehicles early and find another location. The valley was not producing for us, so we ate lunch at the vehicles and drove to another ranch. I looked at Jason's fascinating find which is part of a whole Gar fish. We are always laughing at the scales we find everyday, but to see the scales actually set in part of a fossilized body was astounding.

Clouds were beginning to gather which meant we might have to stop collecting early. You cannot be in the field in a thunderstorm for risk of lightning strikes. In addition, one of the vehicles is two wheel drive and could not risk being stuck in the mud should it rain heavily. We received an overview of the collecting areas and headed out for the afternoon session.

Laurel and I collected this location last summer. I had the good fortune to find an ant hill that had never been worked. It was fabulous for teeth and tiny bones and even two raptor claws. I always show my friends the photo of Ryan holding his T.rex claw which is about eight inches long, and then I hand them one of my claws in its special box, and a magnifying loupe so they can see it. My claws are really beautiful, but very, very tiny....3/4" long! Not all dinosaurs were giants.

Just as Ryan set out for his claw site on the previous ranch, I headed for the site of the ant hill. As luck would have it, the ants had abandoned this hill so the collecting was easier. There were some plants with tiny burrs and cactus to watch out for, but that was less challenging than trying to avoid mad ants. Jennifer joined me on this site and we had fun picking up the tiniest of fossils for the next hour. I found lots of Champsasaur teeth, Ray teeth, one salamander vertebra, crocodile teeth, fish teeth, and bone shards. One tooth in particular stood out as different from the others: it was curved instead of straight. I hoped it might be the elusive raptor tooth.


We decided to try some other areas and headed toward the direction the rest of the group had gone earlier. We did not get far when Ryan alerted us that we should return to the area of the vehicles because of the threatening weather. The skies were definitely darker to the east, but we still had light gray skies. We walked toward some areas with exposure (likely fossil material), to look for fossils while the others made their way back. Ryan said we could continue to look as long as the weather held.

On our way back to the vehicles I made one more pass at the ant hill and Alex joined me. We both found more teeth and had fun looking at each others' tiny treasures. He had found a wonderful little bird tooth earlier in the afternoon so I got to see that. He looked at my collection and thought the tooth in question was certainly from a raptor (therapod is more acceptable) because he could see the serrated edge. His 15 year old eyes are so much stronger than mine. I remember those days. Anyway, it seemed most likely that indeed I had my special tooth, albeit a tiny one. So my friends, you will get to see my new tiny treasure, but you'll have to use a loupe!

The skies grew very dark and the thunder just a little too close for comfort, so we walked quickly back to the vehicles. Ryan looked through my container of micro fossils and comfirmed that the tooth in question is indeed a therapod tooth. HOORAY! Though our collecting day was cut short, I came back with my special tooth and hopeful thoughts for tomorrow's prospects. One more day of collecting. These two weeks have really passed quickly. The days are beautiful, the air is crystal clear and the scenery is magnificent. Best of all are the wonderful people who share this passion for the outdoors and the magic of fossils.

Cheers.

Tiny to Tyrant in Hell Creek

July 1, 2009 Day 8 of Fossil Dig

Today, found about 20 of us in the field prospecting for fossils. Though that really is a lot of people to be collecting at one time, the area we were working in is very large and has opportunities for microsite work and long walks with eyes peeled for larger fossils. In addition, there is an excellent plant fossil site that has revealed 100 new plant species. A professor from Colorado has been collecting there and writing about the discoveries.

I started this morning on the large microsite which has historically been an excellent source of all kinds of small treasures. Today was no different, except the rarer of said treasures escaped me once again. I must admit I am a little frustrated. Perhaps the first two trips here I experienced beginner's luck, since this year has found me at the end of the day with lots of Gar scales and one or two items of note. Still working and wishing for that OMG fantasy fossil.

I found two toe bones, one very long crocodile tooth, lots of fish verts and assorted other vertebrae, ray teeth, Triceratops teeth, and don't pass out....Gar scales! Other collectors, veterans, and novices (both categories include children) and guides found very rare mammal teeth, mammal jaw with teeth, Nanotyrannosaur rex tooth, therapod claws, a perfect Pachyacephalus tooth with root, Ricardostesia tooth, Thescelesaur claw, and more. My mind reels just listing all of the amazing finds. As always I am excited for everyone. It just doesn't seem right not to be thrilled for others' good fortune.

I staggered my way back up the steep slope reluctantly for lunch. I am aware that I am only in the field two more days and I am desperate to find my treasure. Perhaps someone should send in an intervention team. Just kidding. After a shower and dinner, when I have time to wash my fossil finds of the day, I appreciate each one for its unique qualities. Always happy to be here.

Lunch was hurried because I had extended my time on the site. The Evans family invited me to join them for the afternoon session. We drove down the hill from the microsite to park closer to the valley they wanted to explore. They have had good luck in this area in previous years and wanted to look there again.

We parked and grabbed our back packs and made sure we had plenty of water. The afternoons tend to heat up and you want to be well hydrated. Clouds began to build up over the course of the afternoon, so in the end we had a very pleasant experience. Jennifer and Jim (mom and dad) tried to locate sites where they had found nice large fossil bone.

I scanned the ground for fossil spills and eventually found myself near an anthill with what looked like a bone sort of stuck in the soil adjacent to it. My Swiss Army knife was too small for the job so I remove my larger knife, which is actually the bayonet of an AK47.(copy made in China) I worked around the bone and carefully lifted it out. It is about the size of a large Navel orange. Not great quality but certainly recognizable as bone. I poked around for more of it, or at least some bone of the same animal, and indeed I found some. Unfortunately, as I have experienced earlier this week, the quality was so poor that after a brief consult with Ryan, I decided to abandon the job of digging out what would no doubt be very inferior quality bone that would be almost impossible to reassemble. More disappointment.

Meanwhile, Alex, who had accompanied Ryan to my site, looked at the anthill and said there were teeth on it. Now, I don't normally look at anthills when the ants are active, but there was just enough cloud cover to keep those pesky red ants inside their home. Alex generously allowed me to collect with him, and though I had set out to find larger fossils in this valley, there I was bent over the anthill looking for tiny fossils...again!

Alex was very successful and found not only a dozen or more Champsosaur teeth (look like candy corn), but also a therapod tooth, and the tiniest toe bone I have ever seen. He was so happy. He collected 18 teeth in about 45 minutes! I did alright myself. I found 10 teeth which I believe are all Champsosaur with maybe a couple of Bowfin fish teeth. No time tonight for help with identification. It took quite a while to clean, sort and organize all the tiny fossils, and then it got too late to check in with Ryan or Rob.

Alex and I left the anthill since the ants were out and about and not too pleased with our hovering over their abode. I would stick my little knife on the surface of the hill to pick up a tooth and an ant would rush over and climb up the knife. (We were very careful not to disturb the hill or its occupants.) That was a good time to leave. Alex walked off to join Ryan and I climbed down to find Jennifer, Jim and Pat (Jennifer's mom). Their boys were off climbing hills and looking in other areas.

Jennifer thought she found one of her previous sites where she had taken out a rib (I think). There was some spill in the area so I helped her gather it. We continued to work that low ridge and keep our eyes open for any signs of spill or bones. We split up after some time and then I rejoined them when they invited me over to gather some interesting spill. It was actually coming from two different sources and all four of us were having a fine time picking up the "kibbles and bits".

Jennifer did the right thing and climbed up the little dried mud hill to locate the source of the spill (to determine if there was a source would be more accurate). She let out multiple screams, waved her arms, and looked like she was hyperventilating. Knowing she had hit the jackpot, I scrambled up that hill and gazed down to see, sticking out of the light beige dried mud, at a 90 degree angle, a very thick and long, blue, white and dark colored tooth. OMG it was a Tyrannosaur rex tooth! And it was gorgeous. I'm surprised she didn't just faint on the spot. She will never forget the moment she saw that incredible fossil.

She cleared away some of the dried mud and when she went as far as she could, Jim called Rob on the radio to ask for some assistance. It was thrilling for them and I felt like they needed to enjoy the process of extracting it together. I climbed down the hill and continued to look for fossils. I found one spill on the opposite side of the hill where Jennifer was standing. I found what appears to be a very weathered therapod bone and most likely T. rex (honeycomb interior), but I will have Ryan take a look at it tomorrow. It is just the end of a small bone. In that same spill I found a small fragment of hadrasaur jaw. The spill included other small fragments which I collected.

We returned to the morning's microsite to pick up one of the Evans boys, and Gab, their cousin.
This is his first year collecting and he is finding great fossils and having a wonderful time. He is starting college in the fall so he is happy to spend time with the students who were out collecting with the group today. He hopes to go to the fish site tomorrow. The rest of the family wants to continue their lucky streak and stay in the field.

Once again, I reflect on the beauty of this area and the impossibly wonderful treasures that lie hidden within the mud and sand that makes up Hell Creek. You just never know when you will literally stumble across a Tyrannosaur rex toe bone (as one of the college students did yesterday). I guess that is part of the magic of this strange and wild landscape. Though we are living in the high tech age of the early 21st Century, we are thrilled by the wonder of discovering fossils of creatures who dominated the landscape 65 million years ago. Holding their fossil remains allows us to visualize them and their environment. We are so lucky to be here and share this experience.

Congratulations to all the prospectors on their extraordinary discoveries!

Cheers.

Visit to fossil fish site

Fossil Dig June, 30,2009

Fossil fish site North Dakota


As you recall, this summers' fossil dig experience was to have been the once in a lifetime opportunity to help excavate a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. Though Tinker's fate is still is the hands of the judges of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the extraordinary fossil fish site became this year's focus. The students from Gainesville College have been working for six long days and I decided it was time for a trip north. A few of the "fossil prospectors" have visited the site before today and I wanted to be sure and see the fish before they are covered in the white plaster jackets.

We left the motel around 9:30 this morning and I drove my car with Esther and her son, Ben, and one of the students, Rob. Just outside Buffalo we turned off onto a gravel road and for the next hour drove on dirt, gravel, asphalt and grass. It felt a bit like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie, minus the high speeds and special effects. Since I learned to drive on a tractor and a Jeep, it was not all that unfamiliar.

Once we arrived at the site, the terrain is very similar to that of the areas we collect in around Buffalo. The Hell Creek formation spans the borders of North and South Dakota. The fish site is presumed to be a large, deep lake bed in which all the fish died simultaneously. Many of them are preserved in such a way that they are three dimensional. It is hard to see that as you view them in situ, but I imagine after they are restored they will be very striking.

The site has been laid out in grids and the students work in teams clearing the overburden with rock hammers and shovels. When they reach a certain level the work slows down as the tools get smaller and the attention focuses on revealing fossils, with minimum damage. I received a brief tour and description from Amy and then I let her return to her grid and the fish she revealed yesterday.

I took a brief walk around the surrounding area to get a better idea of the exposure and the grasslands beyond. Every vista is so expansive it is hard to describe or capture on film. It was another beautiful day with a breeze and moderate temperatures in the low 80's. After my quick tour I found Esther, Ben and Rob and asked them if I could be of any help. Rob jumped to his feet, gave me his rock hammer, and briefed me on the instructions for this grid.

We were perched on the edge of a bluff and had a great view of the other grids and the valley below. I started picking away at the hard clay with the rock hammer and soon found the indication of fossil fish: dark rust scales. The rock hammer is retired and out comes a scalpel. In fact there is a variety of scalpels to choose from and when those are too large for the work a pick is used which is comparable to a large needle stuck into a small wooden dowel. To say this work is detailed is an understatement. One slip of the hand and you cut into precious scales and bones.

I had thought gardening would be appropriate practice for this work. Wrong. Imagine perched high on a ledge that has hard clay overburden (thank heavens for kneeling pads), the wind blowing the dust in your face, and you are bent over a 65 million year old fish, or perhaps fishes, trying to unveil them for the first time. There were three of us sitting in this grid that was about four feet by six feet. The tight quarters and expanding size of the fossil material did not allow for much elbow room, let alone leg stretching space.

In spite of these aspects, the work is strangely compelling. After two and a half hours when Steve shouted for a lunch break, people continued to work, and that included us. It is fascinating to see these ancient finned creatures emerge from the clay and sand that has encased them for so long. But we did lay down our tools and unfold our bodies (slowly and somewhat stiffly) to head down the hill to the vehicles for lunch. The students are very congenial and have a great time together. What an amazing experience for all of them to have this opportunity to excavate the first lake bed in the Cretaceous of Hell Creek.

After a 45 minute lunch break we headed back to our perch (no pun intended) and went back to our labors. The afternoon session ran about two hours or so and though I did not get bored, my back was not happy. I would find it very challenging to do this same work day after day. We are fairly certain we found the fossil boundaries of our grid. We uncovered some of the fossil which Steve sealed as protection against the elements. It appears that it is important to uncover much of the fossil with as little damage as possible, but then the fossil and matrix will be jacketed with plaster for transport to Georgia for restoration. Our grid probably contains more than one fish and perhaps one of them is three dimensional. At this early stage it is difficult to state that with authority.

After we packed up our personal belongings and the site tools, I took a peek at some of the other grids. One site in particular contains a most amazing creature that appears to have a curved beak like nose or mouth. It is long and tapered and points down just like a beak. I am so curious as to what it might be. It contains other anatomical features which are most likely from other animals. This layering of animals makes the work challenging, and to my untrained eyes, almost incomprehensible. The student working this site is doing a fantastic job.

Steve finished up coating the fossils with preservative and then tools and people were loaded into vehicles for the hour drive back to the Tipperary. I returned, tired, sore, and dirty, but filled with a sense of accomplishment (albeit a small one). Given the size of this site and the many grids still yet to be started, I imagine there will be an opportunity next year to continue working the lake bed of Hell Creek. Sign ups available at PaleoProspectors.com.

That wraps up today's adventures except we had the most amazing storm blow over us with a threat of a tornado. It came from North Dakota so I hope the fish are still there and did not get washed away. That would be ironic if, after all these millions of years of safe keeping in their matrix of sand and clay, they might be washed away just months before their debut. Let's hope the preservative and drainage channels did their jobs.

Please note that the summary entry finally got posted tonight thanks to Daria's assistance. I couldn't get all the photos uploaded that I had hoped to, but the text is there...finally!

Cheers.

Tech trouble in T.rex territory

Monday, June 29, 2009

Second week of fossil dig.

For reasons too many to list at this time, I can only say that my skills at finding the tiniest of 65 million year old fossils, far outweigh my abilities to navigate blog writing successfully. Unfortunately my tech support is in California and since I have to sit in the "lobby" of our motel to access the internet, and there is no cell service here (thank you AT&T), I cannot reach the person who could probably assist me. I have written entries for three days last week, but for some unexplained reason the font size for each day grows to such a size that the last day is unreadable. I have tried to correct the problem, but have not succeeded.

If, and when, I am able to correct the font size I will post all three days. I will for now just summarize by stating that many people have had very positive collecting days. I have been somewhat disappointed with my "finds". I hate to be greedy, but I was really hoping to find a large fossil this year, and so far it has eluded me. I usually have good luck finding the tiny claws and therapod teeth, but so far this season those little treasures are well hidden. I guess it is confirmation that finding 65 million year old fantasy fossils depends a great deal on luck as well as a keen eye.

Saturday June, 27 2009

Laurel and I made arrangements with Steve to meet he and some of his students in Wyoming on Saturday morning. We arrived in Newcastle at 10:00 am after a four hour drive. We reached the ranch around noon and prepared to collect on the ranch while Steve and students continued to excavate and jacket three parts of an Edmontosaurus (plant eating dinosaur).

When we looked over the edge of the plateau and first set eyes on the tail section of this animal, our jaws literally dropped open. I have seen photos of dinosaur fossils in the field, and viewed whole skeletons in museums. Nothing compares to seeing the bones in the ground. You are sort of thrown back in time as your eyes gaze upon the magnificent remains of this incredible creature. Somehow it becomes more alive even though there are major parts of it missing and you know it has been dead for 65 million years. I know it sounds crazy but the experience is visceral. You are not exactly "walking with dinosaurs", but it definitely becomes more real.

We took many photos and watched the team at work. Then we set off to find our own "animal". As luck would have it, it was not our lucky day. We walked and looked for over 5 hours but only found a small amount of scrap bone. Laurel found one piece of Ankylosaur skute (bony armour) that is nice and very unusual. On the last few 100 yards I found an artifact. It is a very nice spear point that is broken at the bottom (probably when it was used). It is made from a pale sand colored stone that has a slight sparkle. I am very happy with this piece. No estimates on age, but I am guessing about 5,000 years old.

We continued watching the jacketing process of the tail section until the team ran out of plaster. It was fascinating to see the many steps it takes to properly prepare the fossil for removal from the field. As much as I wanted to work on the T. rex site this summer, after watching these strong young (and not so young), men sweat and strain for hours in the sun, I am not sure my efforts would be helpful. I could do some of the plastering and fine matrix removal, and there is clean-up work, but the hours of swinging a pick axe or wielding a shovel, holds no allure. This was a huge reality check for me. I guess I have a year to mull over the options, since the court has still not made a ruling on the T. rex case.



Monday June 29, 2009

First day of second week in the field


Laurel left for So Cal yesterday, so this week I am without my fossil hunting buddy. The new group assembled this morning for the ritual introduction to fossil prospecting. Most of the people are veterans, but I believe some of the students will be joining us this week and they need to know about collecting etiquette and what types of fossils one is allowed to keep and what is witheld for scientific reasons. Safety guidelines were also reviewed as well as consequences for not following instructions.

By 9:10 we were in the vehicles and on our way to a ranch I have collected on the three years I have been coming to SD for fossils. We drove to a very familiar microsite and after a brief introduction, we all spread out and got close to the ground. It really is amusing to see a grown man lying on the ground with his nose about 8" from the surface trying to find the smallest of fossils. The teeth and jaw fragments are measured in milimeters. Occasionally a fossil therapod tooth will be found that reaches that 1" mark, but on the whole this is work for individuals who don't like to walk for miles.

I had modest luck finding the usual Champsosaur teeth (look like candy corn), Gar scales, fish verts and jaw fragments. Other members of the party were finding similar fossils. After about one and a half hours on the site, many of us went out into the formation to another site that is known for Triceratops crowns (whole teeth). We reached the site but David was working it and because of its small size Ryan had us wait until David was finished with his search. We scattered around to look in other areas. I found a small bone spill and a very weathered bone in the ground. I asked Ryan to take a look at it and give me his opinion. My instincts told me it was too far gone to be worth the work of digging up lots of little pieces. I wanted his advice. He looked at it and suggested that the bone quality farther down might be better and it would be a good idea to dig a moat around the shattered bone and see what was there.

I got my pick and long knife and set to work. It wasn't long until I found more bone but unfortunately it was in terrible condition. The soil was damp and the bone material was decomposed to such a degree I felt it was beyond repair. I asked Ryan to once again weigh in on the decision. He agreed that the quality was so poor it would be a restoration nightmare. I packed up my tools and joined the others who were now working on the site David had worked.

While I had been dealing with the disintegrating bone in the ground, Ryan had found a nice vertebra centrum at the site. He does have the eye since all the other people had missed it. (I wasn't there, cause I was spending time with that silly bone). He also found the front end of a small claw. Someone had probably stepped on it and broken the back end, but he couldn't find it. Kind of like the needle in the haystack.

I poked around a bit but the surface was very hard and a pick or long knife was a must. While I was searching, one of the Evans boys stuck his knife in the ground and heard it strike something. Ah yes it struck something alright....after two hours of digging that something is an ulna of a Tricertops! Not bad for their first morning this year. (I met them two years ago). It is in fabulous condition. No disintegrating bone this time. After lunch we returned so they could continue digging around it, with Ryan's help and guidance. He wrapped it with foil and will return tomorrow to jacket it in plaster. Good thing they drove here this summer. What a great fossil find.

We returned to the microsite for one last look around. I found more Gar scales, no surprise, and one small hadrosaur jaw fragment almost two inches long. As always, it is great being out in this amazing country and sharing the experience with old and new friends. And once again I hope that my fantasy fossil will find its way to me.

Cheers.

Fossil Dig Update June 28, 2009

June 28, 2009 Fossil dig Update Summary:

The reality of the regular fossil dig daily routine settled in last Wednesday. To the usual long days of field time from 8:30 a.m., when we gather by the vehicles, to our return sometime around 5:00, we add cleaning ourselves and our fossils, prepping and eating dinner, and meeting with guides for help with fossil identification. Depending on the day, that full schedule can wrap up about 10:00 or later. Wednesday night was just too late for me to begin writing at 11:00 p.m. Since I promised myself I would keep my journal as a "blog" this year, I am dependent on reliable internet service. I must admit it has not worked out as I had hoped. Thursday and Friday nights the internet was not working in the house. So between major fatigue and spotty online access, the blog has really suffered.

So here I am on my 27th wedding anniversary, sitting in the lobby of the motel, typing my entry which will be a summary of the first week. My apologies right up front for the lack of detail in some aspects of each day. Though I finally wrote long hand notes on Friday night, there were some specifics I just could not recall. I hope to fill in critical highlights as they bubble up into my consciousness.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009


This day found us on the same ranch as Tuesday. We received general overview of the potential sites in the valleys before us and off we went. We were warned that the walk down the hill in the morning means we are walking uphill at the end of the session. We were instructed to keep in radio contact and discuss what are thoughts were regarding lunch and afternoon options. Rob headed off to look for the section of Triceratops brow horn that he thought is still in the ground near the section he has already removed. The rest of us set off down the hill and scattered into the different washes looking for fossils.

By 12:00 the valley group had found nothing and decided to return to the vehicles for lunch and then relocate for the afternoon. Our young companion, Gina had napped in one of the vehicles and since Rob was driving to the fish site in the afternoon, she opted to spend the afternoon at the motel. The rest of us, the small party of 5 plus Ryan our guide drove to a new location.

Ryan knew of two or more microsites so we decided to try our luck at those. Ryan is tall with very long legs so he reached the site about 50 yards ahead of me. When I saw his two arms raised triumphantly I knew he had scored. I am not referring to a touchdown, though I can understand the confusion. He had once again found a fabulous fossil (I think it was a claw)! This is one of those fuzzy details which I will correct when, and if, I remember. I looked around the rather steep butte ledge just to the left of Ryan's prize, and found turtle shell. Eegads. At this time I think I have enough turtle shell to reassemble a decent size turtle!

I was bent over the surface trying to dislodge a small fragment and suddenly Ryan came huffing around the corner. He said a big bobcat had just run past me not 10 feet away! So not only did I miss the fabulous fossil find, I missed the bob cat encounter. Just so engrossed in my own little world that wild animals don't catch my attention.

Ryan then went around to the back side of this formation, and there lying under a small plant branch was a perfect Nanotyrannosaurus tooth. Another lucky day for Ryan. At this point I suggested that he just point out the sites for us and sit back and relax while we do the "work". He had "limited out" as they say in the hunting and fishing world. At least that was my opinion.
Mitch and Mike each found nice fossils at this location, (one beautiful toe bone), which prompted some to return to this site later in the afternoon.

We walked on down the valley, being the same valley that the bobcat ran into, to look for another microsite. Ryan walked on farther to check on a site he had on his GPS. He let us know by radio that we had been at noted site on a previous day so we continued to look for another one without the assistance of advanced technology. We used our feet and our eyes.

Ryan reached the site first to no surprise. He was pretty good about letting other have first peek and I was able to find some tiny fossils: Gar scales, fish verts, Triceratops shed tooth, and a ray tooth. Once again the dream fossil eluded me. After a brief return to the before mentioned site, the group walked slowly back to the vehicles checking out likely spots for fossils. My attention was diverted by something moving in the grass- a snake. It was about 12" long and very thin and elegant. Mike came over to see it and identified it as a Racer. That was a nice encounter with nature.

After dinner I finally spent some time cleaning fossils in a bucket with water and a tooth brush. That was the end of another sunny day in Hell Creek.


Thursday, June 25, 2009

Day Four of Fossil Dig

We drove onto the same ranch as previous days but into a new area. Ryan was our guide for the day since Rob was excavating the squamosal he had located the day before. This is the large shield that is behind the head of the Triceratops. Mike and Mitch volunteered to assist the process. Large pick axes were involved. More details later. The rest of the party, Ryan, Alex, Laurel and myself headed off to a new microsite and other areas with potential for larger fossils.

The first microsite was a bust. That's technical jargon for no fossils. Laurel and I headed for the next hill, Alex disappeared somewhere, and Ryan set out for places unknown. We are a very independent group. I worked my way to the top of this mound and found some sort of crystals. Though they are very sparkly in the field, when I have taken them home in previous years, their shimmer is quite dulled. I let them lie. Since that was the highlight I began to work my way down the hill in a kind of circular path, hoping to find a spill of fossils or a unique treasure.

Near the base I found a large deposit of turtle: surprise, surprise. After my initial disappointment, I began to get closer to the surface and found micro fossils: Gar scales and fish verts aplenty. I called Laurel over and she decided she would collect turtle shell for a project back home. Soon she was collecting the scales as well and other fossils as they appeared to her.

I actually had pretty good luck at this site. I found a tiny therapod tail vertebra (almost 1" long), Ray teeth, and a very beautiful toe bone of a therapod. That fossil was such a surprise since it was lying between my feet as I was crouched down gazing at the patch of soil I had looked at before. I must have missed it earlier because I was focusing on fossils whose color was a contrast to the soil, and this toe bone was exactly the same color as the soil. Camoflage in action. Does make you wonder how much you really do miss as you are hunting for fossils.

I found a very nice Crocodile tooth and a beautiful Bow fin fish tooth, a Gar fish vertebra and a Triceratops tooth. I was happy with the morning's offerings. Laurel had a good time and Ryan had found a big bone somewhere nearby. We tracked down Alex who had not found much and the three of us decided to find Ryan.

He was nearby, but he was perched on a pretty steep face of a plateau. Alex (one day shy of 15) helped us with our back packs so we could gingerly ease ourselves down the side of this formation. Of course our cameras were out and we snapped away taking photos of Ryan's beautiful rib. To be more accurate: one complete rib and two partial ribs; with hope of more bones to be revealed another day. We were, and still are, very excited for Ryan. The quality of the bone is excellent and it is an extraordinary find.

Once we reached the bottom of the hill, we dispersed to look for our own extraordinary finds. I went to the right and within about 15 minutes heard Laurel give out a cheer. I walked back to find Alex on top of a narrow outcropping about the same height as Ryan's ribs and about 75' from his hillside. Apparently Laurel had spotted something up there and asked Alex to climb up to check it out. Alex is the mountain goat of the group. He called down to her that yes it's bone! Hence the cheer. I climbed up, camera in hand and took photos.
The fossil is a very worn, but amazingly beautiful, in an abstract art sculpture sort of way, head of a femur or tibia of a hadrosaur. It is the perfect specimen for Laurel: unique and bold and elegant: very much like her. I was, and remain, thrilled for her. She deserves it.

I slowly descended and headed over to an interesting place to the right of her outcropping. I climbed up and over a low formation and began to look at the wall to my left. My eye was caught by a shape I have seen before (my first year) a vertebra with process. It was about the size of a peach. I took out my Swiss Army knife and carefully released it from the matrix. It is not in great shape, but it is 65 million years old, and I found it all by myself.

I wrapped it in foil and placed it in a resealable bag. I continued to look on that wall and very quickly noticed a surface that was different than the surrounding area. The shape was sort of round. I thought I saw bone and held my breath. I reached into my pack for a larger knife and just as I was beginning to work the knife into the sandstone like soil, my eye was caught by a tooth sitting right next to the fossil in question. Wow! That's kind of fun. I picked up the tooth which is from a Triceratops or perhaps a Leptoceratops, and placed it in a small container. I then returned to the other bone in the wall. By now Laurel joined me to watch the action (yet another sports analogy), which is so not accurate. This work, done properly, can take hours, as in Ryan's rib situation, or a few minutes, as in my fossil. I eased it out of the matrix and recognized it as another vertebra. I did not recognize the animal, but was told later that it is a sacral vert from a hadrosaur (plant eater), maybe Triceratops (remember the tooth).

I was excited to find three fossils in such quick succession. The quality of the verts is poor and the larger one (grapefruit size) began to crumble as I cleaned it. I need to stabilize it with a permeating super glue called Paleo Bond. I hope to finish cleaning it this week and get the glue into it so it will be OK to ship home.

With all the excitement of the morning and early afternoon, it was time to find some shade, eat lunch and drink lots of water. The day really heated up into the 90's and we were all feeling every degree. The rest of the afternoon was pretty lazy for the ladies. We worked at trying to be cool. Alex climbed up and over everything in sight, and Ryan worked on those ribs. We left that area late afternoon and drove back to the motel.

After dinner, Laurel and I went to Ryan and Rob's room to view the days treasures. Ryan had all the ribs on display and Rob had his squamosal jacketed in plaster and foil. Those guys were really happy. Rob had swung the large pick axe for hours to get at the fossil. He is an artist and very meticulous about fossil stabilizing in the field. That piece looked perfect. Congratulations to them both.




Friday, June 26, 2009

Fossil Dig Day 5

The plan for the day involved returning to the site to finish stabilizing Laurel's fossil and wrapping it in foil. Michael and Adam (father, son) were invited to dig at Ryan's site, and I chose to photograph Ryan working on Laurel's fossil. The remainder of the collectors would work a large microsite for the morning and then drive to the fish site in the afternoon. Since Laurel was returning to LA on Sunday, we knew our afternoon would be spent finding boxes in town and pack and ship her fossil home. The fish will have to wait for next week.

The morning proceeded well enough. Laurel's fossil was glued in situ (technical jargon) and wrapped in lots of foil. Ryan was kind enough to carry it to the vehicle. After that, Laurel and I headed off in the opposite direction from where the others were searching, to look on another microsite. Wrong way to go as it turned out. Our choice was tricky to get to and the surface was very unstable once we got there, so the looking involved too much slipping and sliding for my taste. Fairly early, I found a bone in the ground and began to uncover it. It was extremely brittle and because I didn't have any bonding glue, the thing would crumble as I tried to extract it. What a frustration. I wrapped the decent pieces, and placed the smaller ones in foil and place everything in one bag to deal with when I get home. A few of the pieces will glue together easily and the crumbly bits will probably find their way to the garden as mulch. So wish I had that glue in the field.

After that exercise, I carefully worked my way around this very high formation and tried to find the famous microsite. I did find some turtle (bet you could have guessed that by now), Gar scales, a fish vert that is the size of the head of a pin, (no kidding) and a nice Crocodile tooth. But hey, where's that T. rex tooth I keep visualizing. As the predicted thunderstorm began to gather, we worked our way back to the vehicles.

We certainly made the wrong choice in microsites. The other collectors, each and everyone, found amazing fossils: mammal jaw (finder cannot keep because it is too rare) which will go to a museum, Nano tyrannosaurus tooth, structure that supported the head of Triceratops (can't recall the very long name), therapod toe bone, dromeosaur tooth, and more. We were on the wrong side of the street so to say. Michael and Adam returned from Ryan's rib site with three (3) vertebrae from the same animal. One of the dorsal verts is perfect and includes the long process that arcs off the back of the vert. It is fabulous! As always I am thrilled for my fellow hunters. But I must be truthful and say that I am a bit envious. At least I have next week.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

After a pretty good night's sleep, we awoke to another gorgeous sunny day. We had breakfast in our "house" and met our fellow adventurers around 8:30. We drove to the same ranch as the one we looked on Monday. It is so large that there is no danger of running out of places to hunt for fossils. Rob gave us an overview of the different areas we could explore and most of us set off for a site called "Bowfin butte", so named because it has produced so many Bowfin fish vertebrae.

I left my back pack at the base of the butte (very bad idea) and found what I thought was a relatively easy path to a narrow ridge where I started to look for small fossils. I new this was not a site that would have any large fossils . This would be a morning of close work: bent over the rock and soil, and Swiss army knife in hand to dislodge any fossils and move plant stems so I could look near the base. Sometimes fossils get caught by the plants as they are washed down from the level above the one on which you are looking.


This is a good time to mention that this area has had lots of spring rain. This allows new fossils to be revealed as the water washes silt and clay off and the heavier fossils are then "sitting" on this new surface. You are looking for distinctive shapes and colors that differentiate the fossil from the background. It takes a little practice and lots and lots of patience. This work is somewhat like a meditation. You are focused and relaxed and to some degree detached from what goes on around you. You are alert because there are many things you must be conscious of while you are looking for fossils.

Every year we are cautioned that this is not an amusement park and there are real dangers that you must be aware of. Everyone must follow the safety instructions or the consequences can be dire. Heat stroke, snakes, mosquitoes, scorpions, loose rocks, cattle, and thunder storms are most of the potential threats to a safe fossil dig experience. To that end, it was unwise of me to leave my back pack (see second paragraph above), behind since my water bottles were in it. I was on the butte for almost three hours, and had it been a hotter day, I might have been in trouble for lack of hydration. I was wearing my cooling vest and the morning was really very mild so I figured I would be OK until I returned to the base and walked back to the vehicles for lunch. One of the reasons I left the pack behind is that the extra weight makes it much more difficult for me to climb the buttes. I find it pulls me backwards and then I feel like I am going to lose my balance and fall off the butte! I think you get the picture. There is a lot to consider as you try to focus on finding your fantasy fossils.

To get back to the actual fossil hunting, I had a slow start as I worked my way up and around the butte. I began to find some little scrap fossil bone and turtle shell as I reached a rounded non-vegetated part of the formation that contained some spill from higher up. Ryan, our youngest guide, was also working the butte, and he came within my view and asked how I was doing. I said that I had found mostly little scrap with a few larger pieces of bone. In turn I inquired as to his finds (he has a great eye), and he said he had a good morning so far in that he had found a beautiful therapod toe bone and a small juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex tooth. Yeah, that is a good morning. I'd call that a great morning!

He went on his way and I went back to my task. Within a few minutes, as I was scanning the surface of the butte, my eye was drawn to a small light colored shape about 1/4" by 3/4". I got that undeniable shiver as you realize you have found something special. It was a small therapod toe bone. Much smaller than Ryan's, but I found it and it was worth the hours of looking. Wish I could have found a nice T. rex tooth as well. Maybe tomorrow; there's always tomorrow.

I put that little treasure in a small container I had in my pocket, and worked my way back down the hill. This is always harder for me than climbing up, and once again I must admit that I find it easier without the back pack. Maybe I need some hill climbing lessons. Walked back to the vehicles via another microsite which I did not climb to check out. Just as well, since Ryan told me later that the site was barren. So glad I didn't make the effort.

Lunch break provides time for show and tell. Everyone shares the finds of the morning while we eat and rest for 30-45 minutes. Since the only shelter is in the vehicles, we try to spend some time in them to get out of the sun and wind or whatever the weather throws at us. After lunch we drove to another site for the afternoon session.

Rob gave us the overview of potential sites. Laurel and I chose to go to a microsite some distance from the vehicles, maybe 1/2 mile with some elevation. We walked by a small pond with birds flying around the one tree. I worked my way up to the microsite and Laurel checked around the base of the formation for any spill.

I eventually found some bits of turtle and some Gar fish scales (easily identified because they are very shiny). This was another exercise in being in close contact with the ground. You are literally inches away from the surface of the butte as you look for the tiniest of fossils. It is amazing how tired you get at the end of the day even though you haven't walked much. I was lucky enough to find three tiny teeth; two from a manta ray and one tiny crocodile crusher tooth. I believe there may be two or three more teeth or teeth fragments in this collection, but I need the expert's opinion. Hopefully Rob can take a look at them tomorrow. Still not the T. rex tooth of my dreams, but still, 65 million years old and so tiny and perfect! It was a good afternoon.

Laurel found some nice fossil bone in the morning and her afternoon was spent walking around the buttes and coming almost face to face with a very large Bull snake. She took lots of photos of it as it shimmied up the butte and out of range of the human. She was scared and thrilled at the same time. She found a modern bone that is probably the vertebrae and pelvis of an antelope. It is very striking and will be displayed with her collection of other modern bones. She also had a lovely encounter with five beautiful orange butterflies who entertained her while she sat admiring their ballet and the magnificient vistas.

We find our days in this amazing country strangely magical. There is a stillness unlike anyplace in Southern California that we frequent in our day to day lives. The total lack of manmade sounds is invigorating and relaxing simultaneously; again somewhat like meditation. We love it even when we don't find the fossils of our dreams.

Tomorrow will be here much too soon. We spent some time cleaning fossils tonight and now I find it is almost midnight. That is way too late for me when the alarm is set for 6:00 am! Good night and sweet dreams.

Cheers

First day in the field. Monday, June 22, 2009

It's Christmas morning for me all over again. Each year it is the same experience: the night before we go into the field feels like Christmas Eve, and the next morning I wake up really early because I am excitedly anticipating the treasures I will find! A whole week of Christmas Eves and Christmas mornings. It is reminiscent of the film Groundhog Day, though once the day gets started, each turns out in its own unique way.

This year is quite different since there is a group of students from Gainesville College who are here to help excavate the fossil fish site in North Dakota. So, though the group is very large, we are divided into two groups for much of the week. Starting today, the students are taking a 3 day survival course as part of their two week field course. Those of us who are here with Paleo Prospectors went into the field today for personal collecting.

Laurel and I were well prepared for the warming temperatures as we wore our cooling vests and super cool neck ties. We were certainly glad we had them, because even wearing those specially designed "accessories", we were mighty tired at the end of our first day. In fact everyone was more tired than I remember from previous years. I'm certain tomorrow will be better.

The first day is always a bit tricky. Everyone is super enthusiastic and anxious to get out there and find their "fantasy" fossil. Some want to find a Triceratops brow horn, others want to find a claw or tooth from a Tyrannosaurus rex. When you are finally out on this huge ranch that is literally thousands of acres, you realize the chances of finding your dream fossil will most likely, remain a dream. But, it usually takes a few hours for this reality check to hit you, and when it does, you look to other aspects of the adventure to inspire you.

Today was no exception. Visions of sugar plums, I mean vertebrae, danced in my head as we drove out to the site. I hoped I would be able to differentiate the fossils from the rocks quickly. Sometimes it takes awhile to train your eye to latch onto a fossil that is shyly sitting amongst some similarly colored rocks. If you don't find one right away you begin to question your proficiency and you can get discouraged. It wasn't too long before I found a tiny scrap of turtle shell. My eyes were aclimated to the task at hand, I just needed the site to cooperate and present some fossils.

The day was gorgeous. Big blue sky that went on forever. Clouds built up in the early afternoon to provide us a wonderful show during our lunch break. The breeze was pretty steady most of the day, which was most welcome to help keep our bodies a little cooler. I have included one photo from one of the outcroppings I climbed. No fossils to be found up there, but the vistas were amazing! Even if the fossils are few and far between, there is much beauty in this land to appreciate. Flowers of many colors are blooming, the grass is lush and green, black and white birds dart around us, and today, no snakes!

After lunch we drove to another area and hiked into a location for the afternoon session. I found plenty of scrap fossil bone which, when it is small, I call "kibbles and bits". I had promised myself I wouldn't bother to pick this stuff up, but because of a lack of more significant fossil material, I was desperate to pick up something. Even the little stuff adds up though, and by the end of the afternoon, my back pack was pretty heavy.

I found two bones that were so weathered they were unidentifiable (to me anyway) and must have been in a hundred pieces about the size of linguine. I could not imagine trying to glue those pieces together. Near one of these, my eye was caught by what looked like yet another scrap of fossil about the size of a lima bean. It was very weathered and of little consequence. But I couldn't resist, and I pushed my Swiss Army knife into the soil next to it to dislodge it from the very hard clay (almost like concrete). The knife would not go in because it hit something harder than the clay. I retrieved my pick axe and placed it in the ground farther from the visible fossil. The tool went into the clay and I could work it down and around the fossil to dislodge it. To my surprise, it was about the size of my fist! I didn't have any idea what it was. The part of the fossil that had been covered in clay was nothing like the exposed part.

I set it aside and continued to search in the area for more fossils. A short time later, Rob, one of our fabulous paleontology guides, came over and asked me what I had found. I handed him the fossil admitting that I wasn't sure if it really was fossil bone. He asked me if I knew what I had, with a tone in his voice that sent a little ripple of cautious excitement down my spine. I said I had no idea. He informed me that only one creature had such large spaces where the bone marrow would have been.....Tyrannosaurus rex!!! That was the fossil highlight of my day. Not a museum piece, not even a bone that anyone would particularly recognize as bone, but it is 65 million years old and I am the first human being to hold it in my hands.

Though I appreciate the nice pieces of turtle shell and other assorted bone scrap that are here in my room waiting to be washed, that one find made the day a success for me. I will clean it tomorrow and look at it with the loupe, so that I can learn more about the structure of T. rex bone.

Laurel found a nice champsosaur vertebra and jaw fragment. She found them adjacent to each other so perhaps they were from the same animal. She searched the area for more fossils of that critter, but that was all she could find. Those were the highlights of her day's finds. We both enjoyed being in this amazing land and look forward to what tomorrow will bring.

All my housmates are asleep, and at 10:15 I had better wrap this up. We are off to a pretty good start. Our fingers are crossed for more luck tomorrow as we search for our fantasy fossils.

Cheers.

Countdown to Fossil Dig 2009 Saturday, June 20, 10:45 p.m. Central time

Laurel and I arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota right on schedule. The flights to Denver from LA and then Denver to Rapid City were generally OK, though I spent a fair amount of time helping clear the turbulent weather so our flights were less bumpy. When the pilot said, "we are in for some bumps along the way", that was my cue to visualize a clear path for our plane. I really prefer to have my feet on the ground most of the time, and if I could, I would only fly when the going is smooth.

Enough of these mundane details. We drove our rental car to the nearest Wal-Mart to purchase our groceries for the week. We are staying in rooms in the house at our motel and we are fortunate to have access to the kitchen so we can prepare our breakfasts and dinners. Later, we finished our shopping at a small organic market in Hill City.

From Rapid City, we drove southwest to Hill City to visit the Black Hills Museum of Natural History. This place is amazing. One of the stars of the Museum is the Tyrannosaurus rex "Stan", one of the most complete T. rex specimens ever found. We have visited this museum each year and Stan never fails to elicit chills down our spines. He is spectacular, and he is not alone. There are individual T. rex skulls, an almost complete Triceratops (very rare), Struthiomimus, Camarasaurus, Edmontosaurus and many more dinosaurs. They have an impressive ammonites collection, fish, trilobites crinoids and plants.

This year there are new additions; beautiful bird/dinosaur fossils from China. You can see the feathers on the bodies and wings, and long tail feathers. There are claws on the "fingers" of the wings. Truly spectacular and a rare treat to see them in person.

We spent some time in the adjacent gift shop and I found some wonderful books on various topics. I may not have time to read them while I am here, but they will be great references upon my return and will allow me to continue learning about fossil identification. If I can't be in the field, at least I can immerse myself in a book.

Though we hated to say good bye to Stan and friends, it had been a long day. and we had a 2 1/2 hour drive ahead of us. We made one very quick stop at the Prairie Berry Winery and purchased an unusual bottle of wine which is a blend of grapes and chokecherry. We found a nice goat cheese and some Manchego cheese. We had an impromptu goat cheese wrap with rice tortillas brought from home, some carrot sticks and an apple, and began our drive to Buffalo.

This part of the state has had an unusually wet spring and the hills are many shades of green, often frosted with yellow flowers. Since rain had been falling on and off since our arrival, the sky presented a dramatic dark gray background. When the sun shone through a break in the clouds, the rolling green hills practically vibrated with life. The 12th Century mystic/nun, Hildegard of Bingen called it "veriditas". It was a breathtaking sight.

The last 30+ miles of the drive seemed to last forever, but just as we were both whining about our sore sits bones, the little town of Buffalo appeared. It is especially notable for all of its trees. In this part of the country, trees are very scarce. There is plenty of grass, cactus, flowers and more cactus, but the number of trees could be counted on one hand. (mild exaggeration) The trees of Buffalo were a welcome sight.

We checked in at the Tipperary Lodge Motel, received our keys, unpacked, met our housemate, Leslie (a fellow amateur paleontologist, and professional archeologist), and heard about her "finds" in the field on ranches in Wyoming. She had great success last week, and Laurel and I are thrilled for her, and just a tad bit envious. I would love to come home with a Triceratops rib and vertebra (just two of her treasures). She helped us connect to the internet, and well, now you are up to date. It is 11:30 p.m. our time and a long day must come to an end. Our excitement and anticipation of what this next week will bring is filling our heads, and I know, from past years' experience, that dinosaur fossil dreams will visit me tonight.

Cheers.

Momasaurus Fossil Dig 2009

Countdown to Fossil Dig 2009 Monday, June, 15th

We are just days away from departure for this summer's fossil dig and discovery. I have been reading the book Discovering Fossil Fishes by John G. Maisey. Since the majority of our time will be spent excavating a fish site, I thought I would try to learn about the evolution of fish and the variety of species that were alive during the Cretaceous period. The book is well written and very engaging. I believe it is out of print, but I found a very good copy on Amazon and it was sent from a secondary market source. I have a friend who is an ichthyologist and she uses this book as reference. There are fabulous photos of fossil fish and some imaginative paintings of the fish in their habitats. I plan to take the book with me and share it with our fellow volunteers.

I have been working in our garden, which gives me plenty of practice doing back breaking work. My tools are somewhat different than what I imagine we will be using at the fossil site, but the hours of working bent over at the tasks, will be very familiar I suspect. I really find that part of the day pretty straight forward...work 'til the sun goes down, or dinner must be started, or the back says, "enough!"

I did have some excitement in the garden this week. I had been working for hours ripping and cutting out invasive ivy and bamboo by our back fence. After some hours I went in the house and some time later my attention was drawn to our cat who was outside near where I had been working. She was in her "pointer" pose which I usually only notice when she is stalking a lizard or bird. I walked out to investigate and to my surprise, she was "pointing" at a snake. I really don't mind snakes, but I try to identify them before I make any moves. I am respectful of rattle snakes of which I have seen a few on the fossil digs of the past years. But I believe that keeping a safe distance between them and me is the best solution and will hopefully prevent some nasty encounter. Being 75 miles from medical help keeps me very cautious. But here in my own backyard I was not keen on having a resident rattler. We have had them at the front of our house, but never within the yard.

I first distracted the cat, caught her and placed her safely in the house. I returned to find the snake in exactly the same pose and still creating the familiar "shshshsh" sound that reminded me of rattlesnakes I have encountered before. The tricky part of this was that I could not see the tail which it had carefully hidden from my view. I assumed it was not a rattlesnake, but I wanted confirmation before I decided what to do next. After many minutes of the two of us keeping a keen eye on each other, it finally moved along (slowly) and found a wood post to "shimmy" up to the top of the fence. To my relief, it had no rattles on its tail (my dad told me last night that sometimes they lose their rattles), so I guess I must get better at snake species identification without the help of the sound cues. To add to that, my friend Pauline, told me this morning that rattlesnakes have learned not to rattle their tails as a survival behavior. Turns out that when they rattle their tails they alert the humans, who in turn kill them. Can't say I blame the snake, but once again, more inspiration for improving my ID skills.

Since this snake was making a "shshshsh" sound, my first thought was rattler. I think it was just quivering its tail in the dry bamboo leaves which sort of mimicked the sound a rattlesnake makes. So could it be that now we have rattlesnakes who have modified their behavior (not shaking their rattles) to improve their chances of survival and at the same time we have garter snakes (I think that is what our garden visitor was) who are vibrating their tails in hopes of fooling us into thinking they are poisonous snakes. It's a crazy world!

Our snake friend came back a couple of days later, as our cat was quick to "point" out once again. I have checked each day since, as I suspect our cat has too. So far it has not reappeared. I believe we can all get along quite peacefully as long as the cat keeps her distance and doesn't make a grab for it like she does with so many of the lizards in our garden. You can identify them because they are missing their tails. The wild kingdom is thriving here in Newport Beach.

So, I am beginning to pack for the trip and checking to make sure I have the essentials for life in the Hell Creek formation. Though the weather has been quite mild up til now, we will be prepared for the heat. Laurel and I have these great cooling vests that we soak in cold water in the morning before we drive to the site. Though they feel a little odd when you first put them on; cold and wet and heavy, boy do they help keep you from overheating while you are out in the sun for hours. We also have cooling bandanas that we soak in cold water and wrap around our necks. Keeping those major arteries in our necks cool is so refreshing and prevents fatigue. Big sun hats are a must, as is sunblock for any exposed skin. I wear clothing that has an SPF 30. Long pants are advisable because of the cactus, which is everywhere and the snakes, which, if they strike, are most likely to strike at ankle height. To that end, boots are preferable. I wear long sleeved shirts that are loose and have cooling vents. I have read that is a good idea to wear relatively bright colors in case you get separated from the group. I imagine that will be harder to do this year since we will all be working the same site, but I think it is excellent advice for other times when one is out looking for fossils and may not see other people for some time.

With that in mind, we take two way radios so that we can talk to each other and locate each other should we get out of sight or earshot. It is surprising how close you can be to someone out in this country and not get a response when you shout for them. Radios are a must. Someone always has GPS so that we can pin point where we are in relationship to known fossil locations, and retrace our steps to new locations. It is also essential for determining the boundaries of private ranch lands where we have permission to look for fossils.

There is a good article in the April 2009 issue of Smithsonian that describes the Dinosaur Wars that are going on today. I will not attempt to paraphrase any of the article since it is available online, and includes interesting responses from many people. I will say that it is worth reading to get an overview of the current debate as to who owns the dinosaur fossils in this country. If you are interested, it is a great place to start understanding the points of view of the opposing sides.

Returning to the issue of packing; I always take extra resealable bags and small containers for tiny fossils. I have a Swiss Army knife and one larger knife made esecially for poking around in the soil for fossils. In addition to my very dark sunglasses, I have my transition reading glasses so I don't miss the small stuff and I include a magnifying glass or loupe to look at the details of fossils. It is so exciting to see the serrations on teeth or the blood line in a small claw. We always carry two bottles of water and I bring my homemade trail mix. Everyone is given foil, and resealable bags. Toilet tissue is useful for wrapping fossils before you wrap the foil around them. I try to label the bags with the location of the find and the date and time. If I find fragments of fossilized bone I keep them in one bag so that I can attempt to glue them together after I return home. One more essential item is the bug repellent. There are some very hungry mosquitoes in South Dakota, and even though we will be working mostly in North Dakota this summer, I imagine there are hungry ones waiting for us there too. I am trying a natural repellent this year, but if that is ineffective, I am willing to spray repellent containing deet on my clothes. Handfuls of mosquito bites are so annoying.

So during this week, I am watering the garden, packing when the cat is asleep (she hates to see the luggage), cooking and freezing chili for daughter and spouse and speed reading about fossil fishes. I am very excited and looking forward to wonderful surprises in the field. I hope to have much to share as we uncover the fossil fish of Hell Creek in North Dakota.

Tyrannosaurus rex Countdown to Dig

Tyrannosaurus rex Countdown: 21 Days to go...

This entry is an update of our plans as of Friday, May 29, 2009. The T. rex fossil site that we had hoped to excavate will not happen this summer. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has not published a decision on the case and therefore, we are not allowed to proceed with the project. I am a little disappointed since this was to be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. However, it turns out that at the end of the field season last year, a fabulous fossil fish site was discovered in an area of the Hell Creek formation just north of where we have worked in past years.

About 45 miles north of Buffalo South Dakota, in North Dakota, is a most remarkable bed of fish that appear to have died simultaneously as a result of some catastrophe. The fish are beautifully preserved in such a way that you can see the fins, scales and even faces. Yes, fish faces. Extraordinary! Anyway, the site is extremely important and must be excavated this summer since these fossils are much more fragile (than T. rex bones) and at risk of deterioration from exposure. Our team of 40 volunteers will have a unique opportunity to work on a project that has the potential of adding new fish species to the list of those known to have lived during the Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago.

A fossil fish expert from the Field Museum in Chicago has identified one of the fish as a sub species of sturgeon, and the other one is so far unidentified. So I guess that means it could be a new species. Now that is exciting! He has been looking at photographs taken of the fish that were removed and cleaned from last year's excavation. I do not believe he has seen the fossils in person.

Steve Nicklas, our paleontologist professor/coordinator, for this project is extremely enthusiastic about the prospects of finding additional fossils at the site. One could speculate that whatever caused the death of so many fish, could have also brought about the deaths of other animals in the area. Perhaps the animals were foraging near a lake when disaster struck, and many species were trapped. We will be on the lookout for fossil birds, reptiles and dinosaurs. It would be truly fabulous to find evidence of plants as well so that we would begin to get a picture of what that particular site looked liked 65 million years ago.

Though the "King of the dinosaurs" may have to wait for another year, I am really excited about this summer's dig. I have most of my supplies since this is my third year. The only item I need to purchase specifically for this work is a gardening knee cushion that can be used for sitting or cushioning your knees. Steve will be providing each of us with the specific tools required for the project. There is only a thin layer of overburden, so thankfully, I don't think there will be need for shovels and wheelbarrows to remove pounds of heavy soil. Overburden is the layers of soil that covers the matrix the fossils are in. At the T. rex site, the overburden is about 8-10 feet deep. That is a heck of a lot of earth to move. At the fish site, the overburden is minimal, in fact I think it is measured in inches. The work will focus on stabilizing and wrapping/crating each fossil.

I am now trying to learn more about fossil fish in the last three weeks before departure. I have found fossil fish vertebrae in my previous trips, but that is quite different from looking at a whole fish. I will focus on the types of fish that were swimming around in the Cretaceous in the Hell Creek Formation. So far I know there were gar, sturgeon, bowfin, drumfish, coelacanth, sharks and rays. I want to have a pretty good idea of what they looked like so as I am working I can recognize head from tail, and hopefully what's in between. The challenge is always trying to discern what you are looking at when it is covered with dust from 65 million years ago. Learning from illustrations in books versus field observation takes practice. I suspect I will get plenty of the latter when June 22nd gets here, and for now I will focus on what books and the internet offer.

More locally, I often take beach walks since we live on the coast of Southern California. On occasion the surf washes up a bone from a bird, mammal, or fish. A few weeks ago as I was picking up trash on my morning beach walk I spotted something white in the surf. I picked it up and it reminded me of a fossil I found in South Dakota two years ago. I was pretty sure it was a fish verterbra, but I did not know what kind of fish. It was a big fish, of that I am convinced. I was in Monterey last week and showed it to Monterey Bay Aquarium docents, but though they assured me it was from a fish, they could not identify the species. I have a friend who is a marine ichthyologist and I hope she will be able to identify it. I have included a photo of the local fish vertebra and one of the fossil fish vertebra.

Fish vertebra from Southern California beach. Fossil fish vertebra from South Dakota.

In closing I will just say that Laurel and I are looking forward to the surprises that are in store for us this summer in the field. I will do my best to share our experiences each day with text and photos. This method of communication is so new to me and without my daughter Daria's help, it would never materialize. Writing is easy enough, but transferring photos from camera to computer into blog is a challenge. I am much more at ease crouched under a blazing sun, scraping around in the dirt of South Dakota, imagining what life was like 65 million years ago. Thank goodness the rest of my family embraces technology as enthusiastically as I embrace life in the Hell Creek!