Ram River Fossil hunt

Yesterday, Saturday June 30th saw three guys headed to Ram River Falls in search of fossils. We wanted to go earlier in the year when the water level was down but June rains just wouldn't cooperate. Finally the weather and water levels made it possible for the trip. Leaving at 6:30 a.m. we arrived at the falls via Rocky Mountain House.

Our objective was a narrow shale lined creek upstream from the falls and we were eager to start our search. The climb up this valley was not difficult but a misstep would land you quickly into this fast flowing stream. Our objective was the small waterfall seen in the far background of the photo below.

We arrived at the waterfall and searched for concretions, telltale signs suggesting fossils within. We were disappointed. Our decision then became to see what there was above the falls and this became my job. While the other two searched the shale banks of the creek below I climbed up and around the waterfall and dropped back down into the valley above it. On my way up I was rewarded with a scaphite fossil sticking out of the shale face in front of me.

Once over the top and back down to the creek and search began again. Although it look promising, nothing was discovered. Some pieces looked like they may have contained fossils but nothing showed up. I headed back down and joined my friends. I did make another find while heading back down the stream and yet another one while kicking along the river edge later in the day. A beautiful day with some success.

       

Pembina River 2012

So, today was a truly beautiful day for a hike down to the Pembina River at Entwistle. Not wanting to go alone I asked a friend at the last minute who agreed to drop everything he had planned on this Saturday and accompany me. He'd last been in the area 39 years ago so he was older than most of the river valley trees. A short 15 minute walk brought us to the river. It was still quite high so we weren't able to pick along on the bank in an easy carefree manner. It was watching your step all the way. Such as it is during this time of year.

My thoughts today were to find some nice pieces of petrified wood with my friend Ross. It wasn't hard finding the pieces, just which ones did we want to carry in our packs back up the 1.2 kms to the truck.

I did find some great pieces, but we couldn't even lift them so they remain in place for others to drool over and photograph.

Ross has a nice piece in his hand that looked just like a piece of 2X4 sticking out of the bank. The piece of petrified wood he is leaning on will be there for a long time, I am certain.

 We spent about 2 hours along the river before filling our backpacks with some select pieces and heading home. The packs were NOT light and without a frame the petrified wood has a way of sticking (get it?) into your back as you huff and puff up the trail. Until next time...

   

River finds

It was a couple years ago when a friend introduced me to searching for petrified wood.
 I'd already found several good leaf and fern fossils in the Grande Cache area and was a bit of a rock hound.

 Petrified wood along the Pembina River. Qualitites and quantities were impressive. I must have carried at least five loads in my backpack the 1.6 kms from the river bed, at about 80 pounds a trip. I finally realized that with a quad and some good friends we could actually get more.

It wasn't until last spring that one of my friends suggested we try looking for ammonite fossils along the Smoky River. Dangling that carrot was the start of an adventure that finds me eagerly awaiting river conditions to allow us once again to scramble, rock pick in hand along some river bank.