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.