Searching Green Mill Run

[paxpondscum]

Hey everyone I'm a newbie here but have been lurking in the shadows for a little while. I live in North Carolina and have been spoiled by the PCS phosphate mine, but alas there will still be no collecting for Spring 2011. I hope the mine will reopen for collection in Fall. I was not familiar with Green Mill Run in Greenville NC and wanted to head out and give collecting a go there. Can anyone tell me how deep it runs on average around Greenville? Should I bring a kayak to get to more removed sandbars or would waders and a wetsuit do? Does anyone want to divulge hints about the better places to put in? I'm a bit of a polar bear and plan to have a go this Monday. Thanks to everyone for the help and I will post my finds!

Edited December 11, 2010 by paxpondscum

[Paleoc]

Hey everyone I'm a newbie here but have been lurking in the shadows for a little while. I live in North Carolina and have been spoiled by the PCS phosphate mine, but alas there will still be no collecting for Spring 2011. I hope the mine will reopen for collection in Fall. I was not familiar with Green Mill Run in Greenville NC and wanted to head out and give collecting a go there. Can anyone tell me how deep it runs on average around Greenville? Should I bring a kayak to get to more removed sandbars or would waders and a wetsuit do? Does anyone want to divulge hints about the better places to put in? I'm a bit of a polar bear and plan to have a go this Monday. Thanks to everyone for the help and I will post my finds!

Typically knee to waist deep with occasional deeper spots. Depends on the recent rainfall.

[Frank Menser]

Definitely watch for rain. On a typical dry day in the area right off 5th street it used to run about shin to knee deep. I haven't been there since they redredged, so it may be deeper now. Right after a rain it runs deeper and faster--at which point collecting is impossible.

[fossiljunkie]

the locals will probably be able to help you more but here is some info. depending on access point it could be a little too deep at times, especially after very heavy rain. it is a creek where you would use hip waders and walk under normal conditions. from what i understand there are times chest waders might be needed. you would use a digging and sifting technique. i don't think you would have any great luck surface searching. maybe a few finds here or there. in answer to your kayaking question it is not a navigable waterway. it cannot be kayaked, just walked. i have accessed the creek from the elm street park area but i'm sure the locals can give you some better access areas also.

i myself have found crow shark teeth from the cretaceous along with some great whites. walking the creek can be a little tricky and slippery if you enter and walk from the park. as i said the locals will probably be able to tell you some lesser know access areas that may be a little easier to walk the creek, along with the possibility of better sifting areas for certain teeth. good luck and make sure you post your finds after your hunt. we love to see photos.

[paxpondscum]

the locals will probably be able to help you more but here is some info. depending on access point it could be a little too deep at times, especially after very heavy rain. it is a creek where you would use hip waders and walk under normal conditions. from what i understand there are times chest waders might be needed. you would use a digging and sifting technique. i don't think you would have any great luck surface searching. maybe a few finds here or there. in answer to your kayaking question it is not a navigable waterway. it cannot be kayaked, just walked. i have accessed the creek from the elm street park area but i'm sure the locals can give you some better access areas also.

i myself have found crow shark teeth from the cretaceous along with some great whites. walking the creek can be a little tricky and slippery if you enter and walk from the park. as i said the locals will probably be able to tell you some lesser know access areas that may be a little easier to walk the creek, along with the possibility of better sifting areas for certain teeth. good luck and make sure you post your finds after your hunt. we love to see photos.

Thanks to everyone for the help! Have people had any luck with areas of green mill run outside the immediate Greenville area?

[paxpondscum]

So I went to GMR today and the water was up and moving. Small teeth from a wide variety of species were easily found along with fragments of larger teeth in various states of wear. I managed to find two small GW teeth (the brown one is .75 inch). I think thats a broken portion of crocodile tooth? The small black tooth looks to be from a bony fish? Then I beleive thats a whale earbone and to the left two examples of "hints and echoes" of larger teeth that were in taunting supply I dropped my best Mako in thigh high moving water while rinsing it. Doh!

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/495420780/photos/773500/img_5235_cr

[RickNC]

How did I miss this thread? I'd be happy to show you around sometime. I live a couple miles from GMR. Most of the creek is pretty shallow, but there are some areas especially upstream where it can be nearly chest deep. Avoid this place if it has rained as it rises pretty fast.

As far as clothing goes in the warm months you can go with just a pair of boots. That way you stay cooler. When the water cools down I like to go with hip waders which will let you access most places.

You can put in at a few different places and walk just about anywhere. I've found some very good stuff in there, but you just have to find a good spot. Some days you walk out of there with next to nothing and other days you get a pretty good haul. Surface collecting can produce fossils but keep in mind this place is really picked over. No way I would have went out there yesterday!

Again, let me know if you would like me to show you around.

Edited December 14, 2010 by RickNC

[paxpondscum]

How did I miss this thread? I'd be happy to show you around sometime. I live a couple miles from GMR. Most of the creek is pretty shallow, but there are some areas especially upstream where it can be nearly chest deep. Avoid this place if it has rained as it rises pretty fast.

As far as clothing goes in the warm months you can go with just a pair of boots. That way you stay cooler. When the water cools down I like to go with hip waders which will let you access most places.

You can put in at a few different places and walk just about anywhere. I've found some very good stuff in there, but you just have to find a good spot. Some days you walk out of there with next to nothing and other days you get a pretty good haul. Surface collecting can produce fossils but keep in mind this place is really picked over. No way I would have went out there yesterday!

Again, let me know if you would like me to show you around.

Hey Rick thanks for the invitation How much of a polar bear are you and what is your work schedule like? I think December 27th or January 1st would be the next open days I have.

[RickNC]

Hey Rick thanks for the invitation How much of a polar bear are you and what is your work schedule like? I think December 27th or January 1st would be the next open days I have.

I'm not one for cold weather. I am not sure if you screened or not, but it is pretty much guaranteed your hands are going to get wet when doing it. But screening is the best way to search GMR. I may be down for going if it warms up a little. A day like today where it is under 20 and windy there is no way you would catch me out there. Mike and I do meet up often at GMR and the last time I went was a few weeks ago. I will likely try to go at least a few times this winter, but am more down for Aurora this time of year where I can stay dry. Let's see how the weather looks and maybe we can get out to GMR soon. You can bet though in the spring I will be there often. I have a few places in mind I am going to look. I am going back to school these days so my schedule changes often, but I found plenty of time to go this year. I practically lived at GMR much of this year I was there so much.

[paxpondscum]

I'm not one for cold weather. I am not sure if you screened or not, but it is pretty much guaranteed your hands are going to get wet when doing it. But screening is the best way to search GMR. I may be down for going if it warms up a little. A day like today where it is under 20 and windy there is no way you would catch me out there. Mike and I do meet up often at GMR and the last time I went was a few weeks ago. I will likely try to go at least a few times this winter, but am more down for Aurora this time of year where I can stay dry. Let's see how the weather looks and maybe we can get out to GMR soon. You can bet though in the spring I will be there often. I have a few places in mind I am going to look. I am going back to school these days so my schedule changes often, but I found plenty of time to go this year. I practically lived at GMR much of this year I was there so much.

Yep I was screening. I brought neoprene gloves and dressed for the weather. The water was warmer than the air yesterday For really wet outings I wear a wetsuit.

[RickNC]

Yep I was screening. I brought neoprene gloves and dressed for the weather. The water was warmer than the air yesterday For really wet outings I wear a wetsuit.

I had purchased some gloves to keep my hands dry but they leaked the first time I used em. If I can find a decent pair I may go out there. There are some techniques that work well at gmr.

Edited December 15, 2010 by RickNC

[wally]

So I went to GMR today and the water was up and moving. Small teeth from a wide variety of species were easily found along with fragments of larger teeth in various states of wear. I managed to find two small GW teeth (the brown one is .75 inch). I think thats a broken portion of crocodile tooth? The small black tooth looks to be from a bony fish? Then I beleive thats a whale earbone and to the left two examples of "hints and echoes" of larger teeth that were in taunting supply I dropped my best Mako in thigh high moving water while rinsing it. Doh!

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/495420780/photos/773500/img_5235_cr

Nice findings,

I think the fourth tooth from the left is a Squalicorax pristodontus(Agassiz,1843).

walter

[paxpondscum]

Nice findings,

I think the fourth tooth from the left is a Squalicorax pristodontus(Agassiz,1843).

walter

Nice catch Walter. You're right on the money

http://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html?file=genera/cretaceous/squalicorax.html&menu=bin/menu_genera-alt.html

[Frank Menser]

Four inches of snow fell here last night and at least another four predicted. Unless you are planning an igloo I think the hunt might be off till it thaws.

[paxpondscum]

Four inches of snow fell here last night and at least another four predicted. Unless you are planning an igloo I think the hunt might be off till it thaws.

LOL we got a good 8 inches with drifts deeper. Where's my ice axe?

[RickNC]

LOL we got a good 8 inches with drifts deeper. Where's my ice axe?

Going to be 65 next Sat. I will be at GMR unless it rises too much.

[paxpondscum]

Going to be 65 next Sat. I will be at GMR unless it rises too much.

Keep me posted. Im hoping all the snow will melt and run off by then.

[RickNC]

Keep me posted. Im hoping all the snow will melt and run off by then.

I am worried it may flood the creek. We got over seven inches here.