Wolf13542 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Through fossilguy.com I found out about Ambridge PA fossils. I love slate and shale fossils but apperantly this site is "closed". What does that mean? Are there any other places near Pittsburgh that I can hunt at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf13542 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 Anyone? Ha, a stumper... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placoderms Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 If you are close to the site still check it out. I thought we stopped here on the way back from West Virginia 3 years back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilguy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Hello, A few years back PennDot widened the road in that area. In the process they blasted out much of the exposure and put up chain fencing along it to prevent rock falls. With that said, there is still a small portion at the end of the cut that is still collectible. I've never been there yet (was suppose to go this fall but never made it), but a couple visitors to my website informed me they were still finding plant material at the end of the road cut. I'm not sure if the brush creek marine formation is still accessible, but I know the mahoning plant formation is still there. I wouldn't advise going right now, as there is 3 foot of snow covering everything! I'm probably going to change the "closed" note to "restricted" or "reduced" when I visit the site in the spring and update it with new pics. Later, Fossilguy.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf13542 Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 They blasted it? Gee, good thing a little bit is left. I wasn't going to go right away, haha WAY too much snow. I was dusting my bottle collection, wanted to dig up some more for no reason, walked outside and fell face down in over 3 feet of snow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beblebrox Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Hello, A few years back PennDot widened the road in that area. In the process they blasted out much of the exposure and put up chain fencing along it to prevent rock falls. With that said, there is still a small portion at the end of the cut that is still collectible. I've never been there yet (was suppose to go this fall but never made it), but a couple visitors to my website informed me they were still finding plant material at the end of the road cut. I'm not sure if the brush creek marine formation is still accessible, but I know the mahoning plant formation is still there. I wouldn't advise going right now, as there is 3 foot of snow covering everything! I'm probably going to change the "closed" note to "restricted" or "reduced" when I visit the site in the spring and update it with new pics. Later, Fossilguy.com Hi Fossilguy! New here, 1st time post. I was just there this weekend and I can say that at the far (south) end of the cut, there are still plenty of ferns, calamites, and other Pennsylvanian goodies. It's a bit of a hike, as there is no parking nearby. Either park on the Ambridge side of the bridge and walk across, or drive beyond the cut, towards South Heights, and park in the little dirt turnoff on the right. Hike back up along PA51 (be careful of traffic) and cut in at the end of the Jersey Barrier. Hold you nose, as there are two dead deer right at the entrance, probably from PennDot tossing them over the side. I am curious as to where, or at what level, pre-blasting, were you finding the marine life? BTW: there is an addition Ames Limestone site, riddled with shells and the like, about 10 minutes drive from the Ambridge site. If anyone is interested I can pass the location on to the group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Hey Beblebrox, thanks for the info. Feel free to post any info on collecting sites in the Locations forum for PA: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?showforum=128 -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilguy Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Hi Fossilguy! New here, 1st time post. I was just there this weekend and I can say that at the far (south) end of the cut, there are still plenty of ferns, calamites, and other Pennsylvanian goodies. It's a bit of a hike, as there is no parking nearby. Either park on the Ambridge side of the bridge and walk across, or drive beyond the cut, towards South Heights, and park in the little dirt turnoff on the right. Hike back up along PA51 (be careful of traffic) and cut in at the end of the Jersey Barrier. Hold you nose, as there are two dead deer right at the entrance, probably from PennDot tossing them over the side. I am curious as to where, or at what level, pre-blasting, were you finding the marine life? BTW: there is an addition Ames Limestone site, riddled with shells and the like, about 10 minutes drive from the Ambridge site. If anyone is interested I can pass the location on to the group. Hello, The Mahoning formation is near the base of the road cut. That's the one where you are finding the plants. The Brush Creek Marine Zone, the one with the nautoloids, shells, and supposedly Pennsylvanian shark teeth (although I've never found any), was about 30 - 40 feet vertically upward from the Mahoning formation. Before the blasting, the road cut had those big steps in them, you could hike up to the second step, which had the marine zone on it. Later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now