WYOMING'S FAMOUS FOSSIL FISH
One of my favorite, events of the year is the annual trek to the Kemmerer Area of southwestern Wyoming to dig fossil fish. While the splitting of the laminated limestone boulders to reveal what's inside is a form of treasure-hunting that gets in one's blood, it's the whole experience of being at the quarry in the middle of the wilderness with no electricity or running water that I look forward to. No city traffic; where the only noise is the wind whistling through the sagebrush and quaking the aspen trees; no lights except the glowing campfire; hot days and cold nights, good friends and cold beer.
The bluff of fractured, laminated, Green River limestone you see in this picture represents the accumulation over many thousands of years of fresh water lake sediments now turned to stone. Fish, plants, reptiles, birds, insects, and bats have all been encapsulated in these layers as a result of the prolific life in the ancient ecosystem and all the right conditions for its preservation. The Green River formation consists of sediments deposited in three ancient lakes: Lake Uinta in Utah and Colorado, Lake Gosiute in Wyoming and Colorado, and these in the photos from Fossil Lake, Wyoming. The lakes existed during the Eocene Epoch of the Tertiary Period between 55 and 50 million years ago.
The
blocks of limestone are split with a hammer and chisel along the layers, much
like shale would split.
Take a deep breath and see what the split reveals.
Believe
it or not, the brown spots you see here are parts of a Sting Ray. When one
finds a ray, all the parts must be found and then put back together at the
shop. Very rarely is a ray found in one piece.
This large slab is from the "ash layer", which resulted when a nearby volcanic eruption spewed out volcanic ash which caused a mass mortality of fish in the lake. There are 23 fish on this ash plate in the photo.
About mid-day, the sun starts getting pretty hot. Note the hat, sunglasses and long-sleeve shirts for protection along with sunscreen and chap stick for the dryness. Some diggers take a 2 hour break and return when the sun is lower in the sky.
The complete, unbroken fish we find are stacked in wooden pallets or bins. When one finds fish that are in 2 or more pieces of rock, they are stored on the flat pallets on the right and will be reassembled at the shop. The loader/backhoe is for clearing away all the split rock that has no fossils.
Some fish are trimmed at the quarry to save weight before transporting them to the shop.
After a long day of digging, sunset brings a time of relaxation and reflection on time, continuity, eternity and the meaning of life.
Click here to visit my Fossil Fish page and see some of the fish I brought back that are ready for market.
Remember, your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, return it in its original packaging within 10 days for a full refund.Natural Treasures, Austin, Texas 512-443-8053 Click here to email us
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