FossilDAWG Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I'm going to be in the Washington DC area May 22/23, and hope to hit a few places on my drive back to Georgia. I was considering a stop to look for Paleocene fossils at Purse, but I noticed that I'll probably arrive there (assuming I'll be able to hit the road around 4:30-5:00, which should put me smack in the middle of rush "hour") around 6-7:00, which is just an hour past high tide. So my question is how important are the tides at this site? Would I be better off to skip it this time, and try for something else? I also hope to be able to stop by the Fossil Fest in Aurora the following day. It'll be my first time. Cheers all, Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 The actual height of the tide there is so dependent on wind fetch that the official tide table is just a rough guideline, for our purposes. You can't pass up giving it a look, at least! Rush hour traffic, on the other hand... "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 It can vary a lot depending on winds, rain, etc. It's best to check water levels the night before or be prepared to screen with 1/4 inch mesh. Use the first new paved parking lot on the right a couple miles past the intersection with Liverpool Point Rd. This trail will lead to Blue Banks, the best section. The original parking is 3 or so miles further south on the left and is easy to miss. It'll save you a long walk, 2 hours or more.- G November, 2016 April, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Thanks all. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessed1 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Give me a call when the time gets close and I'll give what help I can. Right now it looks as though you will be "ok" for that day but as the others have said weather has a big role in the collectability of that spot. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokiehunter Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 My advice would be to skip it Dawg. If you are leaving DC at 4:30 or 5 then you will be lucky to be at Purse by 7 pm (Indian Head Highway will be a mess). Figure a 15 minutes to saddle up and walk at a minimum depending on where you hunt (we all have our preferences but my spot takes 30+ to get to walking at a moderate pace) and that puts you at 7:15 at the very earliest (more likely 7:30ish). With the sun setting around 8:30 that leaves roughly an hour of hunting time at best on the high tide. It will be late in the day too so the wind and waves from the day will likely have ruined water visibility. At Purse high tides can mean zero beach to collect especially in spring and summer. The river is running low right now (prior to the 2 inches of rain yesterday) so that could help but if I had to guess you'll be more likely to bust than hit anything worth while. You may scrape a few small sand tigers but I'd pass given the parameters you laid out. If this is your only chance then it might be worth a shot but if you are going to be back up again at some point take a pass and save the stress of getting there. You really need 3 to 5 hours to hit Purse properly and optimally you would do that on a falling fall or winter tide starting very early in the am before the wind kicks up on the river. Just my 2 cents. As Kevin says though... call or check back when it gets closer and we can try and give you a river update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 (edited) Since Auspex linked to this thread, I'll update it to report that thanks to a last-minute policy change on the part of the government the entire trip was a washout (in the fossil hunting regard) for me. I had a meeting at the NIH, and as in the past I planned (and had approval) to rent a car, drive to the meeting, and make a few stops (Purse, the Aurora Fossil Festival) on the way home. Five days before the meeting, I was contacted by NIH and informed that because of a new policy they had received that morning, NIH could no longer reimburse car rental or mileage, so I would have to fly, and my dreams of Purse and Aurora evaporated. Anyway, it rained every afternoon and there was flooding in the area, so Purse would probably have been inaccessible. Don Edited June 9, 2012 by Auspex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts