RJB Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I found this rock quite a long time ago and its still not done with prep work! I had to cross a river in the winter, Buuuuurrrrrr!! But to get to the echinoid bearing cliff, it had to be done. Plus there are layers of echs in the cliff. On that particular day the winter floods had carved out just below a wonderful layer that made it easy for me to break off some chunks. I got three chunks that day. The first 3 and the last 3. I was never able to find that kind of layer again where the river did most of the work. Plus it was a bit dangerous. I had to wade out along the cliff into the river to access the layer and I was on soft gravels so I didnt have much time before I would start sinking into the gravels. And it got very DEEP just to the left of where I was standing and breakin off chunks as fast as I could, then carry them back to shore. This rock in the picture is about 5 inches thick and its mostly layers and layers of these echs! Just cooler than snarge!!! The picture where I am crossing the river is in the summer time, but you can see the cliff in the background. Its a huge cliff about 400 feet high and full of echs that you cannot reach! Almost hurts to look at them all and knowing that you cannot reach them. Some layers looks like a bunch of silver dollars sticking out of the cliff! If I ever go back I will get a picture of them sticking out. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Nice finds! What a beautiful river. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Great adventure story! I'm going to go warm up now... "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...
CreekCrawler Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Wow, that's very nice. Looks like the hard work that day really paid off. I wonder just how many echs are in that piece. It will look very nice in a display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'm coming with you with some satchel charges to take down that cliff...bring in a barge....no echinoid left behind!!!!!!!!!! Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy1971 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 WOW! that is really nice! That river looks beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'm coming with you with some satchel charges to take down that cliff...bring in a barge....no echinoid left behind!!!!!!!!!! Im in!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 I dont know when I will be there next, but anyone is welcome to tag along when I do. The problem with this site is thats its a lot easier to hunt at the end of summer, but then you have to pick through whats left or do some very gruling pick work to get stuff out. Or get lucky? A very nice place though. Some nice big gastros once in awhile too. RB Oh, I would bet that there is between 300 and 400 ech'y in this rock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Awesome find, great pictures and story, thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 You are welcome mommabetts. I did forget to say that these are known as Scuttelaster and are Pliocene in age and found in Humboldt County in Northern California. They look exactly like the modern Dendrasters that you find on the beaches, but these are extinct and the only difference that I can tell is that the 'poopshoot' on these is on dorsal side of the test, wereas its on the ventral side of the dendrasters. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'll have dreams about that cliff now!! 400 feet, hmmm, I have 300 feet of rope, darn it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I'm coming with you with some satchel charges to take down that cliff...bring in a barge....no echinoid left behind!!!!!!!!!! probably need a couple of barges, to haul in the satchel charges. it's kind of a big cliff. i like the echinoids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Pretty cool! You need a boat for the water, and then hike to the top and repel off with buckets tied to you to keep all your goodies. It reminds me of a quarry here that I climbed down 6 feet onto a 12in ledge to grab a few huge echs! They were perfect, not a bit of limestone on them, both a bit larger than a tennis ball, but it was pretty dangerous. I got the lectures from just about everyone in my family when I told them were I had gotten them from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Pretty cool! You need a boat for the water, and then hike to the top and repel off with buckets tied to you to keep all your goodies. It reminds me of a quarry here that I climbed down 6 feet onto a 12in ledge to grab a few huge echs! They were perfect, not a bit of limestone on them, both a bit larger than a tennis ball, but it was pretty dangerous. I got the lectures from just about everyone in my family when I told them were I had gotten them from Shame on you young man! You could have fallen down and broken your neck! What if that limestone had poked your eye out?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hey Ron... I'm guessing that's the Rio Dell? Any vertebrates here? Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hey Ron... I'm guessing that's the Rio Dell? Any vertebrates here?Bobby Hey Bob. yes there are vertebrates to be found. Do you remember that large dolphin ulna I found? But this is the Vanuzen up by the park. Not as much bone as rio dell, but did find two fish skulls also. You dont find much in the vanduzen, but its a good place for large gastros and obviously some echy's. I was always after the gastros, so everything else was just a bonus. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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