Aurora Fall Season Has Canceled This Year

[lawooten]

This is from Pat from Aurora about the fall season collecting is off. They have lost the list of clubs b/c the computer went down and lost them so read this. Here is the e mail

Hi all,

I'm sending this email to the four of you because I am not sure who is in charge of organizing the fossil collecting trips for NCFC. Please, one of you see that it gets to the proper person.

Due to rapidly approaching reclamation (and the rising water that acccompanies it), mine personnel and Curtis have jointly decided that in the interest of safety they will have to cancel the fall season. That decision becomes effective immediately. The NCFC will have to cancel their mine trip this coming weekend.

From a personal perspective--Candace found it necessary to move stakes on Saturday because they had got too close to reclamation. On Sunday, I had to close off three more very large areas, containing some prime Yorktown. We now have less than half the area we started with on day 1 of fall season. Much of the remaining area is clay boulders and rocks containing little or no fossils of interest to most people. The area will simply not support 125 people each weekend. Last weekend we actually had fossil collectors pointing out hazardous conditions to us! Time to make a move. The new ramp that was planned cannot be put in place now because one the big draglines has broken down at the exact place the ramp was to be put in. It will take weeks to get the repairs made.

I hate that you all are being inconvenienced by this decision but we can all plan on a normal spring season.

Thanks,

Pat Young

[lawooten]

Also if you know of any other clubs that had planed to go please let them know it has cancled. Thank you. If anyone would like me to forward the e mail from Aurora you need to e mail me and give me an e mail address so I came forward it to you.

[Guest bmorefossil]

finally its back up, thats horrible news for anyone who was planning on going

[Sharktoothguy11222]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Now who will I buy new Lee Creek fossils from I hope that everybody eventually does get a chance to hunt though.

Safety First though.....or is it Fossils First....I keep on forgetting

[PaleoRon]

Bummer. I got invited to go in this weekend with a club I used to belong to.

[mako-mama]

lwooten wrote: <<This is from Pat from Aurora about the fall season collecting is off. They have lost the list of clubs b/c the computer went down and lost them so read this. Here is the e mail---->>

Actually Linda, you are a bit mistaken. Your mail sounds like PCS lost a list of clubs. That isnt exactly so. The mail you received was sent to James Bain, former President of NCFC and is specific to their club. They were scheduled to come to Aurora this coming weekend and Mr. Ormond asked me to contact James to give him a quick heads up on the weekend's collecting status. Mr. Ormond will be getting in contact (by email) with all the other people scheduled to come to Aurora to collect-he has not lost his list. Apparently the NCFC collectors list was lost--but it was not my nor PCS's doing. All the other information is correct. Pat Y

[Metopocetus]

lwooten wrote: <<This is from Pat from Aurora about the fall season collecting is off. They have lost the list of clubs b/c the computer went down and lost them so read this. Here is the e mail---->>

Actually Linda, you are a bit mistaken. Your mail sounds like PCS lost a list of clubs. That isnt exactly so. The mail you received was sent to James Bain, former President of NCFC and is specific to their club. They were scheduled to come to Aurora this coming weekend and Mr. Ormond asked me to contact James to give him a quick heads up on the weekend's collecting status. Mr. Ormond will be getting in contact (by email) with all the other people scheduled to come to Aurora to collect-he has not lost his list. Apparently the NCFC collectors list was lost--but it was not my nor PCS's doing. All the other information is correct. Pat Y

But the fall season is still canceled, correct?

[mako-mama]

But the fall season is still canceled, correct?

YES-the fall season is officially canceled for all clubs and individuals who were scheduled to come to Aurora for the fall season. All persons and clubs previously scheduled will be contacted by Mr. Ormond with that info.

Pat Y

[Auspex]

Disappointing news, to be sure, but I'll bet that those who were bumped this fall will get first refusal for the spring slots, with all new hunting grounds!

[Metopocetus]

This is the second time I've been so close and then not gotten in. One day I will go...I hope.

[Maryland Mike]

Yes certainly a shame for those who thought they would go but can't now this fall. I certainly can't blame PCS for being safety conscious. They are certainly very generous in allowing so many collectors to hunt in their quarry.

[mako-mama]

Disappointing news, to be sure, but I'll bet that those who were bumped this fall will get first refusal for the spring slots, with all new hunting grounds!

Actually Auspex-that's not the way it works. The Friends of the Aurora Fossil Museum always get the first three weekends. After that, it's scheduled pretty much on a first come-first served basis as much as possible. As the emails come in they are scheduled. That doesnt always work the way you'd think. Some people's ISP has filters that delay their emails arriving. Some ISP's (like mine), simply get lazy and send the emails days later. Some groups only want to come in the spring or the fall but not both. There are a lot of variables that determine the final collecting schedule--none of them personal.

[non-remanié]

Pat, so you are saying that the reason clubs like the DVPS usually get scheduled very late in the collecting season is because the email request to Curtis is probably sent in later than most other clubs?

Actually Auspex-that's not the way it works. The Friends of the Aurora Fossil Museum always get the first three weekends. After that, it's scheduled pretty much on a first come-first served basis as much as possible. As the emails come in they are scheduled. That doesnt always work the way you'd think. Some people's ISP has filters that delay their emails arriving. Some ISP's (like mine), simply get lazy and send the emails days later. Some groups only want to come in the spring or the fall but not both. There are a lot of variables that determine the final collecting schedule--none of them personal.

[Auspex]

Actually Auspex-that's not the way it works. The Friends of the Aurora Fossil Museum always get the first three weekends. After that, it's scheduled pretty much on a first come-first served basis as much as possible. As the emails come in they are scheduled. That doesnt always work the way you'd think. Some people's ISP has filters that delay their emails arriving. Some ISP's (like mine), simply get lazy and send the emails days later. Some groups only want to come in the spring or the fall but not both. There are a lot of variables that determine the final collecting schedule--none of them personal.

I'm sure it's a Herculean effort; I understand that, to work at all, the system can't be the least bit capricious. I had hoped that folks who were disappointed this fall might be afforded preferencial consideration, not that anyone is "owed" anything.

[lawooten]

Bummer. I got invited to go in this weekend with a club I used to belong to.

I just got back this weekend from collecting at Aurora and it was best to close for safty issues. Safty has been a big issue for Lee Creek and they are thinking of our safty right now. Lee Creek managers are doing the best to protect us all of us who come there each year. Pat is right the area is small it took us 20 min. to walk from one end to the other and fossils were really very hard to find. In the past it would take 90 min. to get from one end to the other. To me it was just great to get outside and the weather and the people made the day.

[lawooten]

lwooten wrote: <<This is from Pat from Aurora about the fall season collecting is off. They have lost the list of clubs b/c the computer went down and lost them so read this. Here is the e mail---->>

Actually Linda, you are a bit mistaken. Your mail sounds like PCS lost a list of clubs. That isnt exactly so. The mail you received was sent to James Bain, former President of NCFC and is specific to their club. They were scheduled to come to Aurora this coming weekend and Mr. Ormond asked me to contact James to give him a quick heads up on the weekend's collecting status. Mr. Ormond will be getting in contact (by email) with all the other people scheduled to come to Aurora to collect-he has not lost his list. Apparently the NCFC collectors list was lost--but it was not my nor PCS's doing. All the other information is correct. Pat Y

Ok thanks Pat my contact said the list was lost but did not say that it was just NCFC.

[Phoenixflood]

It's canceled!?!? Man, this really stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was to go in Nov 9th

[flyguy784]

Thanks for the timely albiet dissapointing update. And thank you very much for the oppertunity. WOW, I feel like Christmas has been cancelled. I am so bummed. I was hoping to finally add a meg to my cabinet. Maybe I'll have to hit Calvert, it's only 4 hours away, Lee Creek was 9. Thanks again for including me.

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

I am crying

Well maybe in the spring!! But I must admit that in my thinking, the spring season should not start with the same people who already got to collect there. Let the "Lee Creek Virgins" have first chance.

[Auspex]

I am crying

Well maybe in the spring!! But I must admit that in my thinking, the spring season should not start with the same people who already got to collect there. Let the "Lee Creek Virgins" have first chance.

Are you a Red Socks fan, Del? Seems to me that you are struggling under a Meg curse...

[lawooten]

I am crying

Well maybe in the spring!! But I must admit that in my thinking, the spring season should not start with the same people who already got to collect there. Let the "Lee Creek Virgins" have first chance.

Join the Aurora Fossil Museum.

[jbstedman]

Join the Aurora Fossil Museum.

By all means, join the Friends of the Aurora Fossil Museum. The Museum is a great cause and wonderful place to visit. And, yes, that's the surest route to the mine. Friends get the first slots, but, given the nature of the beast, it's not a guarantee. I was shut out this past spring, once the morning of the hunt when the ramp to the mine had been washed out the night before, and later when a make-up date was canceled because of further ramp problems. (I did get in this past Sunday.)

Beyond the Friends slots, that's where things get dicey. This fall, the allocation of slots, after the Friends, was already a source of some concern among other clubs that had always (?) received slots in the hunting seasons, but were bumped for the fall. I know the argument was that demand was so great that those clubs hunting in the spring should stand aside for others in the fall. An issue is that some of those original clubs contribute labor and other support to the museum (typically, I guess, during the spring fossil festival). Not sure the "Lee Creek virgin" priority stands up against that.

[mako-mama]

Pat, so you are saying that the reason clubs like the DVPS usually get scheduled very late in the collecting season is because the email request to Curtis is probably sent in later than most other clubs?

toothpuller, I'm not saying that you sent your email request later--I'm saying that maybe it was received at PCS later than some others. PCS scheduled almost 900 collectors this fall--about half of them were individuals not affiliated with any club. Thats a lot of emails to get in your mail box (most come in the first couple of days) at one time. If a club and then a lot of individual requests come in, sometimes the next club mail received has to be moved to the next day, just to have room for their group. Fact is--there's just too many people interested in fossil collecting (especially shark teeth) now, and only one mine (PCS) that will allow collecting on the weeknds. Too bad--there's sure some nice teeth at the other quarries. Guess we'll have to all take up diving the Neuse River.

For the record, I have always supported a "club first" fossil schedule. For the most part, it's fossil club members to contribute back to the community in educational efforts. Most have liability insurance and operating as a team effort insures that safety rules are followed. Unfortunately, it's not up to me--but if it were, I'd books clubs first and then add in non-affiliated collectors as space allowed. There are currently 67 clubs that visit PCS each year on the weekends! That doesnt include the various aquariums, museums and colleges that come in as well-most on weekdays as part of their work or study. It is a monumental task to keep up with it and still do other PR things. Mr. Ormond is to be commended for keeping it together.

[lawooten]

I agree Mr. Ormond not only deals with these collecting events but I sure have other duties that require his attention also. Pat you also put a lot into this and I realize it is very frustrating and time consuming. For all you give all of us each year thanks to all of you who give up your time when by rights you don't half too really. Without all of you who organize these events none of us would have Lee Creek fossils.

[non-remanié]

Pat, thanks for the reply. I actually have nothing to do with it since I have been going with the friends group for the past couple years, but I always wondered why the club I belong to (DVPS) always seemed to get stuck in the 10th-12th weekend. While at the same time it seemed like completely new (and for the most part small) groups that I have never heard of collecting PCS in the past were getting much earlier dates right from the get go. Even this forum immdiately was granted a much better date than the long established DVPS... and I know it was the first time for this forum to be granted "club access". I completely understand what you are saying about the timestamps of particular emails. I just was not aware that the clubs dates were sort of arranged through first come first serve email basis in this manner. For people in NJ/Pa (the majority of DVPS members) its a very long trip and I know there is always a chance at finding some great fossils at PCS, but its sort of a shame for groups that have to drive so far to time and time again also get stuck with, in general, the worst collecting dates. Now I can pass along this tidbit of info to the fellow in the club who does the DVPS Aurora trips each year and hopefully he can secure an earlier date for our club members by perhaps being a little more timely with his email request to Curtis. I also agree that things would probably run much smoother and more efficiently if everyone just tried to go with a club. Not to mention the tremendous amount of work generated for Curtis to have so many individual emails. You are correct, he is definitely to be commended for his herculean efforts! But unfortunately "word" on various forums has spread that it is the way to do it if you want to go to PCS, rather than join the friends or go with an established fossil club.

-steve

toothpuller, I'm not saying that you sent your email request later--I'm saying that maybe it was received at PCS later than some others. PCS scheduled almost 900 collectors this fall--about half of them were individuals not affiliated with any club. Thats a lot of emails to get in your mail box (most come in the first couple of days) at one time. If a club and then a lot of individual requests come in, sometimes the next club mail received has to be moved to the next day, just to have room for their group. Fact is--there's just too many people interested in fossil collecting (especially shark teeth) now, and only one mine (PCS) that will allow collecting on the weeknds. Too bad--there's sure some nice teeth at the other quarries. Guess we'll have to all take up diving the Neuse River.

For the record, I have always supported a "club first" fossil schedule. For the most part, it's fossil club members to contribute back to the community in educational efforts. Most have liability insurance and operating as a team effort insures that safety rules are followed. Unfortunately, it's not up to me--but if it were, I'd books clubs first and then add in non-affiliated collectors as space allowed. There are currently 67 clubs that visit PCS each year on the weekends! That doesnt include the various aquariums, museums and colleges that come in as well-most on weekdays as part of their work or study. It is a monumental task to keep up with it and still do other PR things. Mr. Ormond is to be commended for keeping it together.