Rockhounding in the USA: February 2016

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Indiana State Road 1: Not Fossil Rich...Fossil WEALTHY

With over 40 years of experience scratching the dirt, chipping the rocks, and flipping the stones, I can attest to the fact that the phrase "hunting for fossils" is quite correct.

Just as the big game hunter must wait patiently in the wild, or must cover a large territory, in search of their prey, a dedicated fossil hunter spends more time looking than finding.

But then there are those locales that defy description. These locales are so packed with remnants of past life that we get the extreme joy of actually rejecting "lesser quality" finds.

Like a gorgeous gal at a dance who can pick and choose her partners, these sites allow us to turn down anything below a certain expectation of quality.

The famous Indiana State Highway 1 roadcut a few miles north of St. Leon is one of those rare places. In over 4 decades of rockhounding, few sites that I have visited can even begin to compare with the sheer quantity and quality of fossil-easy-pickings here.

The terraced slopes gracing both east and west sides of the state route are nearly solid aquatic fossil beds. Almost every rock you can pick up, see, or touch is a mass of the memories of marine life.

I have visited the site on multiple occasions with my son, Chase, and the locale has never ceased to amaze me in terms of the richness of the material. There are signs warning over-zealous collectors against using large tools (prybars, etc) in the area.

But trust me, you wont need much more than a small hammer, chisel, and a large bucket or two.

My personal favorites in the area are the horn corals, but brachiopods, bryozoans, and even trilobites are found throughout (though a trilobite here is a rare gem).

In other collecting sites around the world, the fossil rich zone is usually a single, well-defined layer. But here, all the layers, from those even with the highway, all the way to the top of the deep roadcut, are packed with fossils.

To reach this ancient treasure chest, take Interstate 74 to the St. Leon turnoff, then head north. Once you pass through St. Leon, the huge roadcut (about 1/2 mile long!) will be approximately 3.3 miles north of town.

CLICK HERE for a Google Map to the exact location

A nice horn coral in matrix

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Friday, February 12, 2016

Bountiful Bladed Blue Barite Bonanza!

Our August 2015 mineralogical expedition through the Rockies led us to a little gem (pun intended) just outside of Hartsel, Colorado. I had read about the famous and beautiful bladed blue barite found in the iron-rich clays of Park County, and my son Chase and I had to spend a few hours investigating.

The digging site is on private property, and one must first pay a small fee and obtain permission at the Bayou Salado Trading Post. This little shop is a rockhound's dream, with a rich collection of specimens from all over, including all of the famous local minerals (amazonite, smoky quartz, and aquamarine).

The distinct outline of Mount Antero hangs in the distance to the west as you enter the shop, where you will meet either Dave or Lark Harvey. They are wonderful folks and full of local information. After a brief meet and greet, we signed the release form, and they gave us directions to the claim.

After leaving the Bayou Salado Trading Post, we drove 1.33 miles west on Highway 24, until we arrived at a small dirt road and gate on the left (Cold Row Rd.). The collecting locale, located on the side of gentle hill, is approximately 1.4 miles down this lane (south).

There are a few gates that you must pass through, and it is important to close and latch the gate behind you at each of those important points.

A large exposed area of red clays is on your left, and the evidence of blue barite is abundant, with tiny, shiny pieces of the treasured, bladed crystal form littering the diggings.

There are a few more pits located off to the east and north, and these need to be explored as well. Bring a small shovel and a trowel and a bucket (and water).

The late summer breezes were a delight on a beautiful partly cloudy day, and we met a couple who had traveled from Washington state. They showed us their finds, which included some nice clusters with impressive color. They said that they had found them easily, without much effort, but away from the main diggings.

CLICK HERE for a link to the exact location in Google Maps