Category Archives: Field Work

We’ve succeeded in accomplishing the goals I had set for the season – at least for this field area – and still have one more day in the field.

We dug some trenches, for color analysis of the rocks.

And had a long discussion about a particular rock. So tell me, what does this rock look like to you?

We’ve been rained on a lot, and will probably get rained on again before we’re done.

What’s everyone else up to this summer?

Another successful day.

We set about measuring some section and taking color measurements with the RM200QC along the way.

We measured through a spot where yesterday we found an old TeePee ring. 140 meters of section measured without a hitch.

As a treat, we decided to prospect a layer we know has yielded cool fossils, like a fossil flower.

Tomorrow, we’ll jog laterally a bit and re-measure the last 50 meters or so in oucrops with better exposure.

It’s a beautiful place to work. When all is said and done, I’ll post a bunch of photos. But for now, more work.

Well, we got rained on hard last night. Unusual for this part of the world.

Today dawned sunny and cool. The altitude is getting to me, so we’ve spent the day making sure our equipment works and getting oriented in the field.

One stop was a favorite vertebrate fossil locality where the type of Fractinus was found.

Another stop probably just made this entire trip worthwhile. My field assistant found a new locality bearing lots of fossil mussels found in a critical part of the section.

Thus, so far it has been a successful trip. Tomorrow we’ll be measuring some section and hanging out with the wind turbines!

Made it safely to the field area. Looks like it might rain. Maybe.

It’s windy, as always, but not all the turbines are spinning. Here are those that I always call ‘The Brothers.’

These are but a few of our… ‘neighbors’ out here.

Tomorrow, work begins in earnest!

I’ve made it to Laramie!

Presumably, that means I’ll be going out to the field tomorrow.

It was a ‘short’ drive today. A paltry 400 miles. I got in with enough time to run a couple of errands and enjoy a couple of beers before turning in for the night.

The drive was dull. It was, after all, Nebraska. Sorry Nebraska. I’m sure there are parts of you that are lovely, but the Interstate 80 corridor is dullsville.

The one thing I could see is this:

Maybe one day I’ll even stop there.

I tried once, but it was closed. Maybe another year.